This Soul Food Restaurant Is Known As 'Atlanta's Dining Room'

Atlanta may have no shortage of soul food restaurants, but in 2011, Georgia's House of Representatives decided it only has one dining room. Mary Mac's Tea Room, the last of the great Atlanta tea rooms, still serves the same beloved soul food dishes as it did when it opened in 1945.

Soul food is that hot, comforting food that warms your heart, and Mary Mac's has no shortage of it. Serving Southern-style collard greens, fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and the quintessential "vegetable plate" you'd see on the menu of any soul food restaurant, it still finds ways to set itself apart from similar businesses. It offers an old-school, cozy vibe, with waiters dressed in bowties and crisp white shirts, the dining rooms eclectically furnished with cozy pictures, wallpaper, and table linens, and the building itself remains largely unchanged aside from some necessary repairs. The number of restaurants where you're served Hoppin' John and a bowl of potlikker next to a picture of someone's grandmother are very few and even further far between.

But while the food is undoubtedly excellent, Atlanta is full of great places to eat. It's Mary Mac's history that sets it apart from the rest of the herd, bringing the time-honored traditions and from-scratch recipes that so exemplify Atlanta's earliest restaurant scene into the 21st century.

Before the swanky steakhouses and swathes of Waffle Houses, 16 tearooms dominated Atlanta's Midtown restaurant scene. As of 2025, Mary Mac's is the last one standing, but it's still one of Atlanta largest, busiest, and well-known restaurants.

Right after World War II, businesswomen weren't allowed to open restaurants, so many opted to open "tearooms" instead. In 1962, Mackenzie sold her business to Margaret Lupo, who made the restaurant not only wildly successful but also one of the first integrated businesses in Atlanta. By 1972, Lupo wanted to expand the business, but struggled to get a bank loan, so she scrounged up money between friends and family to begin building.

Lupo retired in 1994, turning ownership over to John Ferrell, who later sold it to the restaurant group, Fresh Hospitality, in 2020. What started as a one-room, segregated business has since served just about everyone, from Beyonce, to the Dalai Lama, and even Willie B., Zoo Atlanta's beloved gorilla. As of 2025, it boasts 13,000 square-feet, comprised of kitchens, six dining rooms, and a full-service bar ready to serve anyone who comes to town.