Where to Eat & Drink in Atlanta Right Now: Part 2

Conveniently located, lively, and fun: El Ponce in Poncey-Highland has a fair trade goods & gift market below the restaurant and the best damn frozen margarita in town

If you don’t already know, I recently submitted some writing tests (food and beverage write-ups centered around local Atlanta establishments) to a publication I was interviewing for at the end of 2023. I didn’t get the job and I didn’t want these restaurant reviews to go to waste. You can read Part 1 of 3 here:

Side note: There were really so many restaurants I wanted to write-up when thinking about how to best showcase my knowledge of food and the city, while adhering to style guides, voice and tone (specific to the publication), etc. But it was really important for me personally to review restaurants that highlight diversity in the community and that have been like a little treat or surprise for Atlanta, which is around 48% Black or African American, 41% white, and just over 5% Hispanic or Latino.

On the short list of places I thought I might want to write up for this, these restaurants were top of mind:

Daily Chew in Piedmont Heights; The Buttery, also in Piedmont Heights; Las Delicias de La Abuela on Buford Highway (Doraville); and Cubanos in Sandy Springs and/or the newer Roswell location. And just FYI, I will write about them here in the near future. <3

A frozen to-go drink on my former rooftop (think it was a Jamaica margarita)

What I ended up submitting as the second part of the exercise (write a full restaurant review with a food rundown) was equal parts honest and nostalgic. Now, you may not know this, but when I moved to Atlanta in the summer of 2020, I lived in a brand new building (the elevator didn’t even work for the first few months) right across La Fonda and Fellini’s on Ponce. Just like a block or so east, I found the perfect place to grab frozen to-go margaritas to enjoy on my rooftop while watching the sunset, which was my favorite thing about that building. I didn't end up living there too long, but I have continued to visit this restaurant over the years, to catch up with friends, eat, shop, and watch the World Cup. Without further ado…

Eating, drinking, and watching the World Cup at El Ponce in 2022 (they were giving out free tequila shots every time

Where to Eat & Drink in Atlanta Right Now: Part 2

El Ponce, Poncey Highland 

Ponce de Leon’s East-West corridor is lined with bars, tattoo shops, crossfit gyms, dry cleaners, urgent cares and, thankfully, some decent places to eat. And while there may be a cluster of Mexican and Latin-influenced restaurants in the area (no, Chipotle doesn’t count), El Ponce stands out not only because it's convenient but also because it’s so lively and fun. 

This is where you should have your unfancy Friendsgiving dinner or that boozy cookie exchange party you’ve been trying to organize for months now. Whether you’re cheering on your favorite soccer team or celebrating Day of the Dead, the wait shouldn’t be too long for seats inside the restaurant or on the street-facing patio, where you can make like a reptile and sunbake for a bit. Happy hour is every day except Mondays, because they’re closed. And those who observe Summer Fridays year round are in luck because brunch is a three-day affair from 12-4pm Friday through Sunday. 

The family and women-owned business boasts weekly specials, and hosts a millennial loteria game night on Tuesdays, in addition to the occasional mezcal and/or chocolate pairing dinner. They’ve also been known to host Bumble mixers where you can collectively discuss the city’s very interesting dating scene and maybe make a few new friends while you’re at it. When looking for the restroom it’s possible you’ll stumble upon Tiendita (formerly El Bar) below the restaurant. The market sells fair trade goods and gifts sourced from North, Central, and South American makers and indigenous-owned brands.   

El Ponce Margarita: Just trust us when we say this is one of the best margaritas in town. Made with real lime juice and quite generous in size, we like the no frills, classic, frozen version best. But the fresh mango, peach, strawberry, and hibiscus flavors pack a fruity punch, too. 

Sopa de Pollo: This homemade chicken soup will warm your soul while simultaneously curing you of that incoming cold. A heaping spoonful of rice, plus avocado, and pico de gallo mixed in make it hearty enough that you might not need to order anything else.   

Tlayuda: Crispy, crunchy, customizable: that’s the kind of alliteration we’re looking for when deciding what to order. The tlayuda here starts with heirloom corn tortillas, which are smothered in a nice, thick layer of beans, Oaxacan cheese, avocado, tomatoes and cabbage. The rest is up to you. Want to add extra veggies, meat, or Impossible Beef? The more toppings the merrier, at least that’s what we tell ourselves. 

Tamales: The proof is in the presentation with this dish. Forget that it’s stuffed with insanely tasty Georgia-grown mushrooms and accompanied by housemade green salsa, which we think is slightly less spicy than the red kind, by the way. Tamales here come swaddled in the banana leaves they’re steamed in so go ahead and unwrap that perfect little present. It’s one that never disappoints. 

Churro Bites with Cajeta: Getting something sweet to end the meal on a high note is usually a no-brainer, but the milky caramel sauce that comes with these churros takes the dessert to the next level. You’ll break your self-imposed “no finger licking” rule for an order or five of these warm, gooey, chewy treats.