I always say that you can’t truly know a place until you’ve eaten a few meals there. Food is culture. Food is . Food is history. And food—whether it’s exactly as it was 50 years ago or it represents the most recent fusion on the dining scene—tells you about a place in ways nothing else can.
My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, and when I travel, I make it my mission to find the best breakfast joint in town, one that awakens me to the city and culture I’m about to explore. For me, it’s all about starting the day on the right foot, preferably with eggs served with a side of Southern charm. In my travels throughout Georgia, I’ve discovered some great ones, and I’m happy to share my breakfast favorites with you.
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Good Kitchen in Smyrna
It’s no mistake that first on my list is Good Kitchen, a healthy and delicious eatery where everything on the menu is free of gluten, sugar, seed oil, and nitrates. But don’t think for a minute that it’s also free of flavor. The food and drinks here are positively scrumptious, which is why this restaurant has expanded from its first location in Marietta to its second in Smyrna, just west of Atlanta.
The attention to detail here is admirable. Locally brewed East Pole coffee, named Best Coffee in Georgia, kicks off your meal. Organic fresh press juices sweetened with monkfruit are so hearty they could be a meal on their own. Customers order up the veggie bowl, the avocado, bacon, and cheese bowl, and specialty coffees, and the legendary avocado nachos (not a chip to be found) make breakfast feel like a multicourse meal.
I have to give a special shoutout to the Pancake Chips and Dip, small handheld pancakes served along maple whipped cream dip—perfect for kids and grown adults who want a little sweet with their savory.
Dolly’s Farmhouse Restaurant in Austell
Before my husband and I even walked through the door of this restaurant, an older gentleman approached us in the parking lot. He asked if it was our first time visiting, then followed us inside. Turns out, he was our waiter, the kind who remembers the olden days when the restaurant opened in 1969 and who has been “helping out” there in the decades since. He loves his job, and his cheery mood is infectious.
That kind of service—where your waiter can tell you about every menu item and make recommendations after having dined on every dish—is what makes Dolly’s Farmhouse so special. Every time this kind man topped off our coffee, he told us a story, including one about the time that cast members from the “MacGuyver” reboot filmed an episode here.
I ordered the breakfast platter of two eggs, bacon, biscuits (our server promised us they’d be worth the calories) and home fries. My husband went with the Western omelet and cheese grits. Portions were huge, yet we managed to clean our plates, a testament to how good all that Southern fare was.
H&H Soul Food in Macon
On a trip to Macon in Middle Georgia, I stopped dead in my tracks to gaze up at a colorful mural that covered the entire side of an old building. It featured a Black woman, arms crossed with confidence and a smile beaming with equal parts pride and love. Behind her, the Allman Brothers, who rose to fame right here in this Georgia city, dined at a long table. The colorful artwork captured my attention, and the line of cars in front of it drew me inside.
That’s where I learned that “Mama Louise” Hudson (featured in the mural) had opened the soul food spot in 1959 and fed the Allman Brothers Band on a regular basis. When the band struck it big, they took Louise with them on their 1972 tour. As a result, the restaurant, its walls covered in celebrity photos, is like a Who’s Who of the music world, which makes dining here so much fun.
Of course, the food needs to be good, and it doesn’t disappoint. Step outside your comfort zone and order the Jaimoe Bowl, a mixture of blackened catfish and cheese grits, or remain perfectly comfortable with the chicken and waffles lovingly dusted with powdered sugar. Whatever you do, don’t leave without a bite of the Jimmy Hall breakfast sandwich—it is fried chicken, Macon hot sauce, and house-made dill pickle slices all served on a buttery biscuit you won’t soon forget.
Mountain Mama’s Coffee Lounge in Blue Ridge
Georgians love to hike the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a hearty breakfast is always the best way to start. On East Main Street, you’ll find the Appalachian-inspired Mountain Mama’s Coffee Lounge, a cozy eatery that combines a specialty coffee bar with a locally sourced scratch kitchen.
The beauty of this place is that it’s different from the rest. You can go just about anywhere in these parts and find buttery biscuits and greasy bacon, and while I have nothing against either, they’re not the best choices when a high-altitude hike is in your immediate plans. Mountain Mama’s has mastered the art of producing leaner menu items that are available gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan with the best flavors of the Southern cooking we all know and love. Think gluten-free granola and a Green Goddess bagel.
As a coffee fanatic, I appreciate that this restaurant serves Georgia-roasted coffees and out-of-the-box specialty drinks like mushroom lattes and brews flavored with house-made syrups in a variety of flavors from lavender to spiced orange.
Pearly’s Famous Country Cooking in Albany
If you find yourself heading to Radium Springs Garden, one of Georgia’s Natural Wonders, or you’re in Albany checking out the Chehaw Park and Zoo, make time for breakfast at Pearly’s Famous Country Cooking.
This is a counter-service establishment, so head to the registers and select from the posted menus. I like the breakfast cup because it’s completely customizable—tell them how you want your eggs cooked, add a meat like sausage or bacon, and mix in your choice of potatoes or grits. It all comes in a Styrofoam cup so you can carry it out along with your coffee.
In fact, everything here is served in Styrofoam, including the all-day breakfast items served in cafeteria-style divided plates. The whole feeling here is downhome goodness where no one puts on airs, a nice bonus when you just want a casual breakfast.
Don’t have time to stop but not interested in fast food fare? Pearly’s has a drive-thru where you can order the same food you’d get inside, like the substantial cathead biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, and take it on the road.
Clary’s Café in Savannah
If you travel as much as I do, you quickly learn that some research into the restaurant scene can really snag you a great meal. After all, thousands of Redditors can’t be wrong, right?
That’s how I discovered Clary’s Café, Savannah’s oldest restaurant, located in the Historic District. Urging me along was the online photo of their stuffed French toast, something I never decline when offered to me. And you shouldn’t either. There’s just something about Clary’s thick bread, strawberries, and cream cheese that is only made better with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Then there’s eggs Benedict smothered in hollandaise and The Georgian Sandwich stuffed with eggs, meat, and mayo and served alongside grits or potatoes. Get the picture?
The warmth here is palpable—generational photos line the walls, families fill tables, and country curtains dress windows, reminding you that you’re in the South, y’all.
