Atlanta Breakfast Club: Southern brunch in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Breakfast Club in downtown Atlanta, Georgia

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. And, if there is one thing I love about traveling to new cities, it’s eating at local breakfast restaurants.

No matter the city, I will find something unique and delicious, and this was no different in Atlanta, a city that has some of the best southern food in the country.

Atlanta Breakfast Club, which opened in 2016, is one of the most popular places in Atlanta, Georgia, for southern breakfast specialties.

Since opening, the restaurant has become famous for its dishes, including chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits, shrimp po boy, and buttermilk biscuits.

Many consider Atlanta Breakfast Club to serve the best breakfast in Atlanta. So, I stopped by the modern southern kitchen on my recent visit to Atlanta to try it out.

Arrival at Atlanta Breakfast Club

9th Ave Street Food out front of the restaurant

The location of Atlanta Breakfast Club could not have been better. It was near Centennial Olympic Park across from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. If you have the time, I recommend a visit to both.

When I arrived at the restaurant, there were many people standing around waiting for a table.

At this point, I regretted not adding myself to the Atlanta Breakfast Club waitlist on Yelp. Since it was a Thursday afternoon, I didn’t bother doing this.

Luckily, there was only a 20 minute wait for a table. Learn from my mistake and add yourself to the waitlist, as it can be upwards of three hours for a table on weekends.

In the small lot in front of the restaurant was 9th Ave Street Food, a local food truck serving mimosas to waiting guests.

The food truck was a great idea and helped pass the time. You can never go wrong with a cold drink on a hot day.

Many guests enjoyed their drinks and danced to the music played by the food truck.

But the music was so loud that I waited across the street for my table to be ready. No joke, it was so loud you could hear the music from half a mile away.

Interior of Atlanta Breakfast Club

Open and loud interior of the restaurant

For a Thursday afternoon, I couldn’t believe how busy the place was. Every seat and table inside the open dining room had guests eating, drinking, and talking. The atmosphere was exciting.

And while not as loud as outside, it was still noisy. The music, voices, and kitchen sounds made communicating with the servers and even the person across from me difficult.

I would not bring someone on a date here as it would be difficult to converse without yelling. The noise level in the dining room catered more to larger groups and those who enjoy a busy atmosphere.

I found the décor simple with white and gray walls, concrete floors, a metal ceiling, wooden accents, and exposed air conditioning pipes.

The retro chairs and tables reminded me of those found at an old school diner.

A few televisions were hanging on the walls in the corners of the dining room. Some were playing the Food Network, which Atlanta Breakfast Club appeared on.

The space gave off a modern, industrial vibe, which you don’t find at most southern restaurants.

I did not like how condensation from the air conditioning pipes above kept dripping on the table next to me.

Mural on the wall, Atlanta Breakfast Club, Atlanta, Georgia — Mural on the wall

Open kitchen, Atlanta Breakfast Club, Atlanta, Georgia — Open kitchen

During my visit, I sat near the open kitchen. I enjoyed peeking into the kitchen to watch the chefs at work preparing and cooking dishes.

The kitchen appeared to run like a well-oiled machine with dish after dish coming out.

There was also a simple but unique mural of the Atlanta skyline and the Atlanta Breakfast Club logo on the wall next to the kitchen.

The mural also featured a red chicken, an homage to the chicken dishes on the menu.

Atlanta Breakfast Club Menu

The breakfast menu at Atlanta Breakfast Club, Atlanta, Georgia — The breakfast menu at Atlanta Breakfast Club

On the breakfast menu at Atlanta Breakfast Club were typical southern dishes, including Crispy Fried Chicken & Waffles ($15.95) and Gulf Shrimp & Grits ($17.95).

You also had various biscuit dishes, such as the Crispy Chicken Biscuit ($14.95) and Southern Benedict ($14.95).

Finally, you had a good selection of omelettes and breakfast sandwiches.

The lunch menu at Atlanta Breakfast Club, Atlanta, Georgia — The lunch menu at Atlanta Breakfast Club

Atlanta Breakfast Club also offered a limited lunch menu. Dishes included Seafood Gumbo ($14.95), Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13.95), Shrimp Po Boy ($15.95), and A.B.C Burger ($14.95).

You could also order an assortment of items from their a la carte menu. They also had a kids menu for children seven and younger.

My biggest issue with Atlanta Breakfast Club was their drinks. Everything came served in single-use plastic bottles ranging from $3 to $5.25.

I didn’t ask the reason why, but it seemed like a waste of plastic and a way to upcharge guests. I saw plenty of tables with multiple bottled drinks.

To make matters worse, they did not serve tap water. So, if you want water with your meal, it will cost you $4 per bottle. I found this ridiculous, especially when spending money at a sit-down restaurant.

That said, I will remain neutral on my food review without thinking about their drink policy.

Iced Tea

I told myself I would not order a drink, but I failed.

Being a southern restaurant, I couldn’t resist ordering their Iced Tea ($3.50). Even though it came in a plastic bottle with no ice, it was homemade.

I found the iced tea to be very sweet—a little too sweet for my liking. But I am an unsweet tea type of guy, so I won’t judge their tea for being too sweet.

If you enjoy sweet drinks and treats, you will like it. Otherwise, I would avoid it or pour some $4 water into the bottle to dilute it.

Biscuits & Shrimp Gravy

I love biscuits and shrimp. And, you guessed it, I love gravy. So, ordering the Biscuits & Shrimp Gravy ($17.95) was an easy decision.

This dish came with buttermilk biscuits, gulf shrimp, chicken sausage, and smoked jalapeño gravy. On the side, I had the choice of two eggs served any style. I chose them over medium.

When the plate arrived at my table, a few things caught my attention.

First, the plating could have been better. I cleaned the plate photos, but there was sauce all over. It didn’t look appetizing.

Second, the gravy was thinner than I expected. But in the end, all that mattered to me was the taste.

The first component of the dish I tried, and the one I was most curious about, was the smoked jalapeño gravy. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Like a thin sauce, the gravy was buttery and rich, with a salty shrimp flavor. It tasted great, and I wanted more of it.

But I didn’t get any heat from the jalapeños or taste any smoky flavors. I think the flavors would be more pronounced if the sauce were thicker.

My only issue with the gravy was how it was lukewarm at best. It was too cold and needed to be served warmer, as it made the other components in the dish cold.

Scattered around the plate was a generous amount of gulf shrimp. The shrimp, cooked until springy and tender, had a unique salty, savory, southern flavor, which I enjoyed.

Mixed with the shrimp were small salty pieces of chicken sausages. I enjoyed the complementing textures and flavors between the shrimp and sausage.

In the middle of the plate were two large buttermilk biscuits. While covered in sauce and topped with shrimp and sausage, the biscuits never became soggy.

While I prefer flakier biscuits, I found the biscuits to be dense and heavy but still moist and buttery at the same time.

The biscuits tasted even better after soaking up all the salty, rich gravy flavors.

Over Medium Eggs

The most forgettable part of this dish was the over medium eggs. They were basic and fresh but overcooked with no runny yolk. It was a shame for something so simple to cook.

Service at Atlanta Breakfast Club

The best part about my visit to Atlanta Breakfast Club was the service. My server was friendly, attentive, and always around to see if I needed anything, even when it was loud and she could barely hear me.

And, because of how busy the restaurant was during my visit, the food arrived faster than expected. While the food was not memorable to me, the service was.

Conclusion

I’d rather not judge Atlanta Breakfast Club based on one visit, but I must be honest about my experience.

There were many things I did not like about my visit.

First, it was too loud. I am okay with music, but it’s too loud when you can’t talk to the server or person across from you without screaming.

Second, using bottled water and other single-use plastic containers was absurd. Paying $4 for water was annoying, and the amount of plastic waste was unacceptable. For this reason alone, I would not return.

My hopes were too high for the biscuits and shrimp gravy. While there was nothing wrong with the dish other than cold gravy, in hindsight, I would have ordered something else on the menu. It was not memorable or worth the wait or cost.

However, the service at Atlanta Breakfast Club was excellent, and I appreciated my server’s care and attention.

So, would I recommend Atlanta Breakfast Club? It depends.

If you are okay with loud music, long waits, and paying for bottled water, then yes. Otherwise, there are better places in Atlanta for breakfast. And they will give you tap water for free.