South Main Kitchen Atlanta – Delicious Southern Inspired Food

By Collette Bryan

It was a day just like any other day, I was driving to the mall, a special place where I spend plenty of time doing two of my favorite things, shopping and eating. I just happened to look to my right while I was sitting at one of the many red lights in Alpharetta’s historic downtown district. To my surprise, I noticed an intriguing new restaurant called South Main Kitchen housed in one of the many historic buildings in the area. Thinking that I had dined at almost every restaurant in Alpharetta already, I was stunned that I had missed one that I was sure to have passed dozens of times.  My fellow passenger and friend Ashley and I quickly reached the decision to make a hasty right and found a parking space. It was time to see what South Main Kitchen was about.

Upon entering South Main Kitchen, I was immediately at ease looking at the obstacle-free dining area, open-kitchen, and generous bar.  Everywhere my eye went I saw a beautiful light distressed wood that covered the floors, tables, and chairs, giving the establishment a very cohesive feel.  The entire staff dressed in uniformity, all wearing denim pants and denim tops, a fashion trend I fully support.

The friendly hostess escorted us to the outdoor porch dining area since 1) it was a fiercely beautiful September day and 2) they were quite busy, both of which I took as excellent signs.  The porch was quiet, quaint, and fresh air flowed gently through the screened in walls.

As much as Ashley and I were enjoying the atmosphere and conversation, we were both anxiously awaiting our waitresses return so we could try some of their amazing menu items.  Considering the fact that it was lunch, we skipped out on South Main Kitchen’s cocktails and got icy glasses of refreshing house-brewed sweet tea instead.

To start, Ashley and I ordered the kale chips and the Brussel sprouts.  The chips were perfectly toasted kale that was brushed with a sweet and spicy marinade.  We finished the whole bowl and licked off every bit of the sticky marinade that was stuck to our fingers. Nothing is as beautiful as something this healthy and addicting!

But, the Brussel sprouts were truly the star of the show. They were roasted in mandarin vinaigrette until they turned a tantalizing caramel color, and then sprinkled with a very generous amount of feta and bacon;  A deliciously deadly blend of all my favorite foods.  Suffice it to say we ate every last crumble of feta and every last crunchy bit of Brussel sprouts.

When it came time to order the entrées, Ashley went with the fish tacos and I chose the South Main club.  The fish tacos were three tender corn tortillas filled to the brim with crisp fried snapper, Bibb lettuce, tomato, garlic cilantro aioli, and peach & sweet corn salsa.  This incredibly fresh mixture of fish and veggies made the perfect sweet yet savory combination with a great crunch courtesy of the lettuce and sweet corn salsa.

The South Main club had all the components of the classic club sandwich, only way better and with a delectable twist.  It was two beautifully toasted pieces of bread piled high with turkey, ham, Bibb lettuce, heirloom tomato, provolone, and (the twist!) candied bacon and Dijon aioli.  The ham and turkey were thick-cut and super flavorful.  I sometimes steer clear of club sandwiches because of the possibility of tasteless tomatoes, but let me reassure you that these tomatoes were unbelievably juicy and had a great garden-fresh flavor.

We both got the French fries with our meals because we absolutely had to and we are so glad we did!  They were hand cut, crispy, and plentiful: all the things I look for when I get an order of fries.

Lastly, (and since we didn’t get the cocktails…) we decided to indulge and share a couple of South Main Kitchen’s desserts.  Out of the four delicious choices, we had to go with the southern peach cobbler and the coffee pecan tart.  The cobbler was a mixture of delicious juicy peaches and wonderful spices with a drop biscuit topping and three little scoops of vanilla fleur de sel gelato.  The texture of the biscuit on top was a wonderful and much needed contrast to the warm tender peachy middle, and the vanilla gelato added a cool creamy finish to each bite.

The coffee pecan tart was accompanied by a plate’s worth of Kahlua caramel and topped with a liberal dollop of white chocolate whipped cream.  Ashley and I were fighting for the last drips of the Kahlua caramel when our attentive waitress returned with the check.

Based on my personal experience and the fact that the restaurant was so busy on a Wednesday afternoon, I would highly recommend South Main Kitchen. It is a great place to eat no matter who you are or what you’re craving.  I can’t wait to come back and try South Main Kitchen’s dinner menu!  But I’ll definitely be getting those Brussel sprouts no matter what time of day it is.

South Main Kitchen

No. 9 S. Main Street

Alpharetta, GA 30009

(678) 691-4622

Click Here for a review of Athens, Georgia’s Favorite Thai Restaurant.