What a Trip

Destination: Eating and drinking in the quirky underbelly of Atlanta

The historic Varsity drive-in has been serving since 1928.
Atlanta's Clermont Lounge: "Where strippers come to die"
Photo by Charles Jeffress

To an outsider, Atlanta probably has the same image Houston does: Thriving, multi-cultural, business-oriented. Southern, yes. Oddball, no.

But like Houston, Atlanta is more than meets the eye. While there are enough hotel bars and steakhouses and restaurants owned by rappers to keep you busy, here's a guide to the greatest places not on any concierge's radar.

- Ever since the Kogi BBQ trucks went viral in Los Angeles (and earned chef Roy Choi a Best New Chef nod from Food & Wine), Korean-Mexican Fusion has been all the rage. (You can check out the genre locally at Fusion Taco Truck.) In Atlanta, it's brought Hankook Taqueria to prominence. Situated in an unassuming industrial park on the Northwest side, customers line up for Korean BBQ tacos, burritos, and a range of street snacks.

The beef and chicken tacos are contenders, marinated in spicy Korean barbecue sauce and topped with lettuce, green onion, green cabbage, soy sesame vinaigrette, cilantro, lime and jack cheese, but the fish (panko-crusted tilapia) and crispy fried shrimp versions have a hoisin tartar sauce that puts them ahead of the rest.

The best part? They'll set you back just $2.25 each. The pulled-pork sliders were a bit disappointing, but sesame fries are amazing. And those in the know order the bibim-bop: a platter of beef, vegetables, and a fried egg with pepper sauce on top of kimchee fried rice.

- On Thursdays, the Buckhead location of Atlanta staple Fellini's Pizza becomes an eclectic hangout, with a mixture of biker dudes and soccer moms. The pizza, available by the slice, is tasty, if not mindblowing, but here it's more about the beers on tap (Yuengling!) and the crowd.

- It's almost a crime to hit Atlanta without a visit to The Varsity, the drive-in that's been serving up hot dogs, burgers and onion rings since 1928. The downtown location is the world's largest diner, holding 600 cars and 800 people inside, and on Georgia Tech game days over 30,000 people are served. But newbies beware — Varsity his its own lingo that's best learned before you step up and hear "What'll ya have?"

-10 High is where karaoke and live music meet on Mondays and Fridays, when band Metalsome Inc. backs up amateurs ready to sing along to Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Blondie, The Doors and 150 more rock classics. Sign up for the whole night happens at 9:30 p.m. sharp, and the wait to perform can be epic — though bribery is effective for impatient rockers. Even if you aren't hitting the mike, the energy here is contagious and the performances are always a surprise.

- And it wouldn't be a true trip to Atlanta without a visit to Clermont Lounge, Atlanta's most famous — or infamous — place to get a drink. A basement dive, Clermont is where Atlanta's strippers come to retire. At least, if you call this retirement. If you're easily offended, stay home: Boobs and more are still on display, with some bartenders known to crush beer cans with them and others just game to put on a show. If your mouth falls open in (horrified) amazement, you've gotten the full Clermont experience.

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need a hand?

Growing Houston sushi chain rolls into new Galleria-area development

Courtesy of Handies Douzo

Handies Douzo will brings its hand rolls to Uptown later this year.

A growing Houston hand roll restaurant has signed on to a new Galleria-area development. Handies Douzo is the fourth restaurant announced for Central Park Post Oak.

Opened in late 2019, Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

On track to open later this year, the Uptown location will be Handies Douzo’s fourth, joining its original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose and Spring Branch. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham.

Duckstache, the hospitality group behind Handies, is working with Houston’s Gin Design Group on the interior. Expect a slightly more upscale look than the restaurant’s other locations, with details such as matte black finishes and dark terrazzo to complement the 26-seat counter.

“We’re really intentional about the neighborhoods we choose and where we think Handies Douzo will feel like a natural fit,” Lee said in a statement. “Houston diners know what they like, and Uptown is such a vibrant, fast-growing area. Central Park Post Oak felt like the right match for our handroll experience and the way people in Houston live, work, and dine.”

Handies is the fourth restaurant that’s announced its plans to open at Central Park Post Oak. The others are:

Buck & Rider, an Arizona-based seafood restaurant known for its oyster bar and lively brunch
The Henry, the “ultimate neighborhood restaurant” from Flower Child owner Fox Restaurant Concepts
Sparrow Italia, an Italian steakhouse from Toca Madera owner Noble 33.

Announced last year, Central Park Post Oak will consist of three buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet of office space separated by a three-acre lawn. Houston-based real estate development firm Midway, working with real estate investment firms 3Edgewood and Parkway, is developing the property. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026 with the restaurants openings to follow.

“Handies Douzo represents the kind of thoughtful, chef-driven hospitality we want at the heart of Central Park Post Oak,” Midway vice president Clayton Freels said. “Patrick, Daniel, and the Duckstache team have built a loyal following across Houston, and we are thrilled to help them extend that experience to Uptown in a way that feels authentic to both the brand and the neighborhood.”

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