Instead of having to settle for packaged nuts, protein bars, or airport fast food breakfast options, passengers making their way through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have a more refined option. Ascend the escalator located in Concourse E to find your way to the hidden gem that is One Flew South. Opened in 2008, the restaurant has helped redefine the airport dining experience through a reliable menu of sweet and savory Southern food, memorable cocktails, and hospitality that leave visitors looking forward to their next scheduled flight.
At the time of opening, sushi, reimagined Southern dishes, and higher-end drinks weren’t the typical offerings found inside of airports, but One Flew South’s concept quickly drew attention. Instead of having to wait to reach their final destinations, jet setters could indulge in sage butter-coated steaks and freshly made sushi rolls pre- or post-flight. The airport restaurant has since been listed twice as a nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s awards category for Outstanding Service, attracting the attention of celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage, Ludacris, and Usher. Once the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s new international concourse opened, the menu was recalibrated to offer a plated open-faced meatloaf sandwich, called the Dirty South Sandwich, to those stopping in for a bite.
Airport food never tasted so good
In addition to soups, salads, burgers, and tacos, a deviled egg experience delivers a tray of components including smoked salt, cracked black pepper, bacon jam, and your choice of tuna, poke, or roe to assemble. Collard greens ramen is made with peppered pork belly, and orders of tuna jerky and shishito peppers can fill out a table nicely. Breakfast bento boxes are piled with eggs, pepper bacon, rosemary potatoes, and the restaurant’s version of a BLT serves up bacon, pickled green tomatoes, lettuce, curry mayo, fried eggs, and rosemary potatoes to hungry travelers.
For those who can’t quite make up their mind, an order of “Surprise Me” puts decisions into the hands of the One Flew South team as bartenders pour wine or cocktails to complement sushi and an entrée. Similarly, omakase boxes allow the sushi chef to choose the dishes, and a chilled, canned sake is carried to your table. Cocktails include old fashioneds made with small-batch Uncle Nearest 1884 and brown sugar cubes, and Smoke Signals concocted with mezcal, Avion Reposado, Ancho Reyes, bitters, and agave syrup can keep palates quenched until boarding begins.
Apart from some of the best Southern restaurants in Atlanta, you can also taste some of One Flew South’s offerings without having to visit the airport. Southern-inspired dishes are also plated and served at a second location situated on Atlanta’s Beltline. After visiting One Flew South once, however, you may start to look forward to your next mandated business trip.
