The restaurant scene is heating up for the World Cup. Eater Atlanta dropped its monthly best new restaurants list this week, and the South Downtown entries are the ones getting attention. Broad Street BBQ from Sammy's and Irish Exit from the award-winning team behind New York's Dead Rabbit are both expected to open before the tournament kicks off in June.
The list also highlights Koshu Club, a new spot serving binchotan-grilled steaks, umami-rich vegetables, and a serious sake and wine program. The restaurant has been generating buzz since opening, and Eater's inclusion signals it has staying power beyond the initial hype cycle. For Atlanta diners looking for a new special-occasion spot, Koshu Club is the current pick.
South Downtown's transformation is the throughline. The neighborhood has been the target of the most aggressive redevelopment push in the city over the past two years, with developers and the city betting that World Cup visitors will fill restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. The opening wave of new restaurants is arriving just in time, with Broad Street BBQ and Irish Exit joining earlier arrivals to create a critical mass of dining options in a district that had almost none a year ago.
For Atlantans who have watched South Downtown's fits and starts over the past decade, the current moment feels different. The World Cup is a forcing function, and the restaurant openings are the clearest evidence that the neighborhood is crossing from construction site to actual neighborhood. Eater's list is the scorecard.
