The Best Meatballs in Atlanta
Eat it on a toothpick. Eat it on spaghetti. Eat it in a skillet covered with cheese. No matter what way you do it, a meatball is a perfect, one-bite (or more depending on the size) option at every dinner. We’ve rolled the whole town over, looking for the best meatballs in the A. Take a look at our list and check off ALL the meatballs as you visit them one by one.
This fancy Phipps Plaza Northern Italian steakhouse really focuses on high quality proteins, and their meatballs are no exception. Served as an appetizer all on their own, they’re made with American Kobe Beef and topped with melted Caciocavallo for an incredible bite. Head to the bar for Happy Hour and a delicious cocktail, then order these to munch on before heading to your table.
Baffi
Chef Jonathan Waxman is a nationally recognized restauranteur who specializes in California-Italian cooking, as exemplified by his New York City restaurant Barbuto and the cookbook named after it. In Atlanta, he opened Brezza in Ponce City Market before it moved to Atlanta’s west side with a new name, Baffi (it means mustache in Italian). At Baffi, they make Waxman’s braised pork meatball and serve it over a bed of grits with a delicious red sauce – a perfect blending of Italian and Southern traditions.
Grana
Chef Pat Pascarelli’s White Bull became a Decatur sensation, thanks to its delicious menu, lively atmosphere and tabletop polenta offering. Now, he’s focused on bringing handmade pastas, Neapolitan pies and more “peasant cooking” to Buckhead. There isn’t just one meatball at Grana, but a whole menu for them – everything from Mommy’s meatball with Grana Padang and basil, to The Crispy Veal with spicy mayo, to the Brasstown Beef with gouda, red onion and black truffle jam. Order the Meatball tasting to try all of those and more at your next visit.
Il Giallo
Sandy Springs has a world class Italian restaurant thanks to Jamie Adams, who focuses on fresh pasta, high quality ingredients and a great atmosphere at his restaurant, Il Giallo. Their polpettes (the Italian word for meatball, if you don’t know) are house made with duck, turkey and beef, braised mixed mushrooms and sweet onions. Order them to start before digging in to Chef Jamie’s incredible veal parmesan.
No 246
Decatur’s long time Italian spot from Chef Ford Fry used to focus on a Northern Italian approach to Italian food, but pivoted to a focus on the Italian we all know and love – the New Jersey grandma approach. Of course, that includes a mouthwatering meatball. The No. 246 meatball is an excellent starter, served with san Marzano tomato sauce (ask for a little melted cheese on top if you want to be overindulgent)
La Tavola
The OG Italian restaurant in Virginia Highlands, La Tavola has been making folks around Atlanta happy for over two decades. A date night staple for anyone in the area, they are your classic Italian restaurant, serving multiple courses that are all crowd pleasers. Their meatballs are made with veal and served with marinara, polenta and parmesan.
Cibo e Beve/Toscano
Chef Linda Harrel and Gianni Betti are co-owners of the popular Cibo E Beve in Sandy Springs, and have been focused on making classic Italian dishes for great date nights and family outings. They recently opened a new restaurant, Toscano in Atlantic Station, focused on a more Tuscan approach to the menu. But at both locations, you can get their incredible meatballs, served with fresh San Marzano tomato sauce and ricotta cheese.
Nina and Rafi
Restauranteur Billy Streck knows how to build a successful business on the Beltline – his Hampton + Hudson gastropub is a hot spot for anyone walking down the Beltline during an Atlanta United game day. He took that experience and opened Nina and Rafi less than four years ago as another Beltline hot spot near the Krog Street tunnel. With a focus on Detroit style pizzas, customers have been lining up to try a pie that’s out of the ordinary. But the meatballs are equally worthy of celebration – they pan fry them to add a special crisp to the meatball, then top it with marinara and house-made mozzarella or ricotta.
Meatballerz
A meatball only restaurant? Yes, it exists and it’s delicious. Meatballerz in Embry Hills uses family meatball recipes to create three main meatballs – the Roma, with ground chuck and ground pork, the Pomepeii, a spicy meatball with chuck, Italian sausage and roasted peppers, and the Skinny Italian, a ground turkey meatball with a touch of fennel seed. You can get all of these meatballs in a hole (sandwich) on a bed (pasta) in a try (just the balls) or on a pizza. Our favorite hack – grab a tray of a dozen meatballs and bring it home to enjoy over a couple of days.
Ammazza
This Decatur pizza spot is well known for the Neapolitan pies, but don’t sleep on the appetizers. The polpette her is made with a house made blend of meat, tomato sauce, parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta, for an extra cheesy meatball experience. Bring the kids and order a glitter pizza to keep them happy, then dig in to Ammazza’s mellifluous meatball for yourself.
