Five of the Best Atlanta Restaurants for Casual Dining

If you are familiar with the Atlanta area, you already know that it is a city that has no shortage of restaurants. You can find anything you want at any time...no exaggeration. For example, if you wanted to have Mexican food at 4am, you can order a steak fajita from Taco Cabana. If you have a more refined palate, you can go to Landmark Diner and order Fried Lobster Tails or Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. Who is bold enough to serve Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo at 4am? Only in Atlanta.

You can find some of the most interesting places to dine in this city. Many of these places have some interesting food items also. From Sweet Potato French Fries at The Vortex to Bison Pot Roast at Ted's Montana Grill, you can find a restaurant that will serve you just about anything you want. The best part is that most of these places offer a casual dining atmosphere. This means you can eat good without having to worry about dropping food on your fancy clothes.

If you are in the Atlanta area and are looking for a place to dine, you may want to consider the following 5 restaurants. They provide good food in a casual, comfortable atmosphere. You can dine well as you celebrate special occasions like Valentines Day, Anniversaries, and first dates.

The following list contains 5 of the best restaurants in Atlanta for casual dining.

1. Thai Fusion - 2140 Peachtree Rd NW, Ste 130, Atlanta, GA 30309 - As the name states, Thai Fusion specializes in Thai cuisine. It is known for having some of the best Thai food in Atlanta. Every entrée on the menu is under $20 which is very good for the quality of food that is served. Each dish is very well seasoned and every bite leaves an explosion of flavor in your mouth.

As far as restaurants go, this would be considered pretty small. However, there is still plenty of space to sit unless you go on a very busy night. A good amount of parking is available. A very casual and dimly lit cozy place. Their Thai Tea is excellent. Great dishes to try would be the Roasted Duck With Red Curry or the Crispy Catfish with Ginger.

2. Uncle Julio's Casa Grande - 1860 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 - Uncle Julio's is a restaurant that has gotten rave reviews for their fine quality Mexican cuisine. Everything is served fresh daily. When you order food, you are brought a complimentary bowl of salsa and chips. This salsa is made daily and you can actually taste the freshness in the salsa. If the salsa is this good, you can only imagine how good the food must be. Recommended dishes are the Chicken or Beef Enchiladas and the Honey Chipotle Salmon. Their signature drink is called The Swirl.

This is a fairly decent sized restaurant with plenty of seating. They also have a patio area if you would like to sit outdoors. The atmosphere is casual. Plenty of windows so the place is well lit during the day. Also, plenty of parking behind the restaurant. 2 locations in Atlanta.

3. Maggiano's Little Italy - Perimeter Location - 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Space #3035 Atlanta, GA 30346 - Maggiano's is known across the nation for having a great ambiance and great service in a casual atmosphere. This Italian restaurant is a great restaurant to consider if you are looking for a place that caters to children or large groups. The Perimeter location is a large sized restaurant with plenty of seating. 5 banquet rooms are available for private parties and special events. Plenty of parking available at this location.

All of the food is known for being good and Maggiano's is known for serving large portions. You get what you pay for. Recommended appetizers are the Crispy Zucchini Fritte and the Chicken and Roasted Pepper Flatbread. Recommended dessert would be the N.Y. Style Cheesecake with Seasonal Fruit.

4. Caribbean Fiesta - 4000 North Point Pkwy #100, Alpharetta, GA 30022 - As the name states, Caribbean Fiesta will serve you some of the finest island cuisine that you will have in Atlanta. They serve generous portions of some great home-style Caribbean food. Some of their well known items include their Boneless Jerk Chicken, Salmon Cakes, Jerk Pork and Fried Plantains. Vegetarian meals are also available.

This is a small restaurant with not much room to dine. Also, if it happens to be a busy day or evening, there is not much room to park. However, the quality of food makes up for what they lack in atmosphere and convenience. You will feel a lot better spending your money here and getting what you pay for than spending money on atmosphere and getting poor quality food. Most of the meals are under $12 and well worth the money.

5. AMC Fork & Screen - 3340 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30326 - AMC Fork & Screen solves the dinner and a movie problem for people in Atlanta. There is no need to make plans to go to two separate places. This movie theater is also a restaurant with a bar and a wait staff that caters to you while you watch your movie. It is in a very nice atmosphere. They even have table seating that seats two with a dim light that will allow you to read the menu while the movie is playing.

The parking is free as long as you get it validated by the movie theater. If you happen to arrive early, you can sit at the bar and order drinks until your movie starts. Recommended drink would be the Oreo Mudslide and the recommended dessert would be the Peach Cobbler topped with Vanilla Ice Cream. An excellent and convenient place to go for a nice evening date.