Metrofresh

Fresh food fast is the motto at this midtown eatery minutes from Piedmont Park. Since opening in 2005, Metrofresh’s ever-changing menu (don’t expect to see the same thing on it two days in a row) has become a delicious alternative to the overbaked midtown restaurant scene. The daily menu is limited in its variety, but whether it’s great soups and salads, innovative sandwiches, or healthy meats, Metrofresh is sure to have something exciting to whet your palate each day. Free fresh fruit compliments the menu, and on a good day 80s and 90s TV fans can spot chef and owner Mitchell Anderson, star of TV’s popular Party of Five and Doogie Howser, M.D. Gilbert’s Mediterranean Cuisine

This 10th Street eatery in Midtown, virtually next door to Blake’s, offers some of the city’s best gems and deals all week long, with half price entrees Monday nights, wine tastings on Thursday nights, DJs on Friday and Saturday nights, and karaoke Wednesday and Sunday nights. A delicious menu and a smart wine list make this a great early evening stop before the theater or a night of dancing.

Nikiemoto’s DragaMaki
Date & Time: Mondays at 8:45pm

Satisfy your appetite for food, fun and fabulous female impersonation at Nikiemoto’s, gay Midtown’s favorite Pan Asian café and sushi bar. Headlined by Atlanta’s favorite camp drag queen, Bubba D. Licious, it’s likely to be one of the few times you’ve experienced a complete drag show in the midst of delicious dining. Since Nickiemoto’s is smoke-free, the show is fun for the whole family – just make a reservation, as sometimes crowds for this one spill out into the parking lot! Einstein’s

When Einstein’s gave itself a facelift a few years back, it went from being a nice little midtown home-turned-homey eatery into one of the chic-est features on the gay midtown dining map. A long popular outdoor patio lines the street on sunny days, with a sleek, polished bar and several distinctive dining areas within. Named “Best Brunch” by weekly gay newspaper Southern Voice, Einstein’s has great dining deals all day long. If you’ve got after dinner hunger pains, check out their great 5 and 10 menu after 10pm, when popular favorites like the Einstein Grille and New York Strip drop to only $5 and $0 respectively. The Colonnade

It’s gays and greys at this Atlanta hallmark for hearty Southern cooking. Heavy wood paneling fills the main dining room, with deep leather upholstered booths anchoring the edges. Liver, fried chicken, okra, or collard greens give the menu the kind of authenticity rare in Atlanta’s generally uber-contemporary feeling haunts. Your arteries might not like you after too many repeat trips, but your stomach will be thankful. Arrive for an early dinner and meet ladies who’ll remind you of Driving Miss Daisy, or swing by for a later dinner and enjoy the swarms of fellows out to dinner before a night of sweating all those calories off on the dance floor. Roxx

Notorious for its delicious see-and-be-seen attitude, Roxx offers great fresh meat in the form of award-winning hamburgers too. While the grub is solid, if you look around and suspect the building looks vaguely familiar, it probably does. Before becoming a gay dining destination, the building had been a drive-through fast food restaurant. It still has the quirky character to prove it.

Maryoke at Mary’s
Dates & Times: Tuesdays at Saturdays 10pm – 2:30am
Admission: Free, no cover

There is only one place in town where you can hear a 5 foot gay man who looks like Billy Dee Williams sing like Tina Turner and Gladys Knight – and that place is Mary’s every Tuesday and Saturday, where host C. J. belts The Supremes between would-be American Idol finalists and tipsy neighbors. Everything from country and pop to show tunes and Motown gets belted deep into the night with the feisty Carmen behind the bar. A true neighborhood bar in East Atlanta Village, Mary’s is a place where you’ll run into doctors, politicians, actors and everything in-between. Other nights of the week offer other themes, from punk rock to “pants off.” My Sister’s Room

My Sister’s Room, in its new East Atlanta Village location is THE place for women any night of the week. Schedules change often, but be on the lookout for performances by drag kings, live acoustic music, karaoke, and sexy dance parties. Funky restaurants line the streets of East Atlanta Village, along with great shops, so arrive early to explore the neighborhood!


Blake’s on the Park

If there is a Cheers to Atlanta gay bars, it’s Blake’s. Recently having unveiled its second floor lounge, Blakes offers true southern hospitality to any Atlanta visitor, with a friendly bar staff, colorful nightly drag shows (9pm on Sundays, 11pm all other nights), and a cross-section of local eye candy worth the line on weekends. Drinks are strong and cheap and a shuttle bus conveniently connects Blake’s to several other watering holes, making sure you can be safe while you enjoy a night out on the town.