Atlanta’s family restaurant landscape is built around Southern comfort food institutions that have served multiple generations of Atlanta families and around neighborhood establishments where the combination of welcoming atmosphere, broad menus, and reasonable prices creates a reliable environment for family dining. Mary Mac’s Tea Room has served families in its Ponce de Leon Avenue location since 1945, making it one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in Atlanta and a defining Southern family restaurant institution. The Flying Biscuit Cafe has developed a strong family following across its multiple Atlanta locations, with a playful atmosphere and broad menu that works for multiple ages. The Silver Skillet, operating since 1956, serves the classic Southern meat-and-three format that has been a Georgia family restaurant tradition for generations.
When evaluating a family restaurant in Atlanta, the combination of menu breadth, atmosphere, and pricing creates the relevant framework. A strong family restaurant should have enough variety to satisfy different ages and preferences without requiring everyone to compromise significantly. Portion sizes should be generous, as families typically value value. Service pace should be attentive but not rushed, since family dining often involves more table time than solo or couples dining. A child-friendly environment does not require a dedicated kids’ menu, but it does require a tolerance for the noise and activity that families generate and a kitchen capable of simple preparations that accommodate picky eaters. Southern family restaurants have a natural advantage in the Atlanta market because the tradition of shared Southern sides and ample protein portions maps naturally onto family dining dynamics.
Top Family Restaurant Companies in Atlanta
1. Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Address: 224 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 876-1800
Website: https://www.marymacs.com
Founded: 1945
Services:
- Traditional Southern family-style dining
- Fried chicken, pot roast, and Southern plates
- Extensive selection of Southern side dishes
- Sweet tea and Southern desserts
- Lunch and dinner service
- Catering and large group dining
About: Mary Mac’s Tea Room has served Atlanta families since 1945, earning designation by the Georgia House of Representatives as Atlanta’s Official Dining Room, a recognition that reflects its role as an institution where generations of Atlanta families have gathered for Sunday dinners, celebrations, and everyday Southern meals. The restaurant’s format of generous Southern plates with extensive side dish options mirrors the family-style Southern dining tradition at its fullest expression. Mary Mac’s has maintained its relevance through changing Atlanta food trends by remaining true to the Southern cooking tradition that its founder established eight decades ago. The Ponce de Leon location has become as much a historical Atlanta landmark as a restaurant, and the consistent quality of its fried chicken, pot roast, and Southern sides has built a multi-generational loyal following.
2. The Flying Biscuit Cafe
Address: 1001 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (Midtown); multiple Atlanta locations
Phone: (404) 874-8887
Website: https://www.flyingbiscuit.com
Services:
- Scratch-made biscuits with organic flour
- Breakfast and brunch served all day
- Creamy dreamy home fries and Southern sides
- Vegetarian-friendly menu options
- Kids eat free Monday-Thursday 4-8 PM
- Multiple Atlanta metro locations
About: The Flying Biscuit Cafe has built a strong family following across its multiple Atlanta locations by offering a playful, welcoming atmosphere paired with a menu centered on scratch-made biscuits and Southern breakfast and brunch preparations that appeal across age groups. The restaurant’s Kids Eat Free promotion on Monday through Thursday evenings, available during dinner hours, reflects a deliberate commitment to family dining that distinguishes Flying Biscuit from restaurants that tolerate families rather than actively welcome them. The menu’s strong vegetarian options alongside traditional Southern meat preparations ensures that families with mixed dietary preferences can find satisfying choices without compromise. Flying Biscuit’s original Candler Park location built the brand’s reputation, with subsequent Atlanta-area locations extending the family-friendly breakfast and brunch model across the metro.
3. Silver Skillet
Address: 200 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 874-1388
Website: https://www.thesilverskillet.com
Founded: 1956
Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30 AM-2 PM, Saturday-Sunday 8 AM-2 PM
Services:
- Classic Southern breakfast and lunch
- Meat-and-three Southern lunch plates
- Chicken fried steak and Southern standards
- Lemon icebox pie (voted one of 5 Best Pies in USA by Life Magazine)
- Historic filming location for movies and TV shows
- Morning and midday service
About: The Silver Skillet has operated since 1956, serving Atlanta families with classic Southern breakfast and the traditional meat-and-three lunch format that has defined Georgia family restaurant culture for generations. The restaurant’s lemon icebox pie earned recognition from Life Magazine as one of the five best pies in the United States, and its Southern breakfast preparations including chicken fried steak have maintained the quality standard that has made it an Atlanta institution across nearly seven decades. The Silver Skillet’s vintage decor has made it a popular filming location for movies and television productions, adding a distinctive local celebrity dimension to the dining experience. Current owner Teresa Decker, who grew up in the restaurant her parents George and Louise Decker purchased in 1967, represents the family continuity that has preserved the Silver Skillet’s character through multiple generations of ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes Southern family restaurant dining in Atlanta different from other regional traditions?
A: Atlanta’s Southern family restaurant tradition centers on the “meat-and-three” format, where a protein is served with three choices from a rotating selection of Southern side dishes including collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams, black-eyed peas, cornbread dressing, and similar preparations. The format encourages sharing across the table and provides variety within a single meal that families with different preferences can all engage with. Sweet tea is the default beverage rather than a specialty item. Portions are typically generous by design, reflecting a Southern hospitality tradition that equates abundance with welcome. Mary Mac’s Tea Room and the Silver Skillet both exemplify this tradition at its most authentic.
Q: What does a family meal cost at Atlanta family restaurants?
A: At Mary Mac’s Tea Room, adult plates with protein and sides run $16-$24 and children’s portions are typically $8-$12. At The Flying Biscuit Cafe, brunch plates are $12-$20 and the Kids Eat Free promotion on Monday through Thursday evenings eliminates the cost of children’s meals during those hours. At the Silver Skillet, breakfast plates run $10-$16 and lunch meat-and-three plates are $14-$18. A complete family meal at Atlanta’s established family restaurants typically runs $50-$90 for a family of four, representing strong value for the quality and portion size.
Q: Do Atlanta family restaurants accommodate large groups?
A: Mary Mac’s Tea Room has hosted large family gatherings and private events since 1945 and has the capacity and experience to accommodate large group reservations with advance notice. The Flying Biscuit Cafe’s multiple locations allow flexibility in accommodating groups that might not fit at a single location. The Silver Skillet, with its more compact format, works best for smaller family groups. All three restaurants handle catering orders for family events, celebrations, and community gatherings.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s family restaurant scene is anchored by Mary Mac’s Tea Room’s eight decades of Southern family dining tradition, The Flying Biscuit Cafe’s multi-location family welcome with Kids Eat Free promotions, and the Silver Skillet’s nearly seventy-year classic Southern breakfast and meat-and-three institution. Each represents a distinct and genuine dimension of Atlanta’s family dining culture. Contact these restaurants directly for group reservations, catering inquiries, and current hours.