Where To Eat With A Friend Who Greets You With “Grand Rising”

We all have those friends who swear by Andre 3000’s flute album—so much so that they downloaded the sheet music to play with their rainstick. And while you’re not quite ready to join them on annual week-long sound bath retreats, you do enjoy their company—just in smaller, easy-to-manage doses. So next time you get a text invitation to accompany them for a vortex healing in Hiawassee, suggest meeting for a meal locally instead. Here are a few great wellness-centered restaurants that'll match their body-and-soul vibrations.

Tassili’s Raw Reality Café

You can’t talk about Atlanta’s holistic lifestyle scene without acknowledging Tassili's. The West End house-turned-restaurant regularly host events like camping trips and raw food classes. It's an OG in the rawist community, pioneering cool twists on veganism with funny names for their delicious customizable kale wraps that are the size of a junior league football. The Punany, stuffed with spicy avocado and mushrooms, and Dat Ish, which is best with the seaweed wrap, are prime examples. There's always a slow line here, which is great if you really want to hear more about your friend's mushroom foraging adventure (and if not, make sure to order ahead online). While you wait for your spicy South of The Border wrap with Moroccan couscous, peruse the outside vendors selling things like healing teas and sea moss.

Juiceheads ATL

Your friend would claim that gossiping is a low vibrational act, but they probably wouldn't press the issue because sharing messy rumors feels far less toxic when you’re swinging in hanging chairs and sipping spirulina smoothies. That's why Juiceheads ATL, a juice bar in Lindbergh, is a top choice when you want to catch up with mates for a long conversation— there’s also an adjoining low lit hookah lounge if (and when) the topic of discussion spills over in a new direction. And when you need food to get through a juicy convo, order the mildly spiced vegan chili or hearty lentil burger, which has a nice zing from the pickles.

Wadada Healthy Market & Juice Bar

Wadada Healthy Market & Juice Bar has also been a shining star in Atlanta's West End community for years. It's earned its reputation as the place in the metro to get thick, great-tasting smoothies—so good that they're usually finished before we even leave the store. The Maca Veli smoothie, a blend of banana, cantaloupe, and sea moss is a standout, but you can't go wrong with anything on their expansive drink menu. For a quick, light lunch, pair your drink with a savory option, like their $5 flaky Jamaican patties filled with creamy seasoned spinach or spiced ackee. And while your smoothie is being made, browse the back shelves for natural body products and other knickknacks your crystal-collecting buddy can happily add to their junk drawer.

Sevananda Natural Foods Market

Chances are your earthy comrade knows this store very well because the vegan-friendly co-op market has been a Little Five Points staple since the ’70s. So join them on an herbal haul, and then hit up Sevananda’s small but solid hot bar near the back of the store. They serve breakfast every day and rotate their well-seasoned vegan and vegetarian lunch/dinner selections based on cuisines: think African stews on Saturday, Asian stir-fry on Monday, and Caribbean curries on Friday. It's all pretty good. And once you try one of their famous, super moist spelt biscuits, you’ll likely jump at the chance to join in on all future Sevananda runs.

Local Green Atlanta

Local Green in Vine City offers vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian options, so it’s a great meet-in-the-middle spot for different dietary restrictions. The counter-service restaurant has hip-hop-themed sandwiches like the tasty Bubba Sparxx packed with tangy BBQ jackfruit, and the Rappers Delight (our favorite)—a warm toasted hoagie stuffed with grilled salmon, mushroom, onions, and melty vegan cheese. Beat the AUC students in line and grab one of the few countertop seats facing the street. While you sip on a refreshing cucumber and cilantro lemonade or their blueberry-heavy Cell Therapy, the busy street view is a good place to zone out while your pal explains how Mercury retrograde made them late.

MoreLyfe Juice Co

MoreLyfe in Cascade Heights is a juice bar with sweet, velvety smoothies and a best-in- town savory lentil patty. The MoreJoy smoothie earns its name since the summery mix of mango, pineapple, sea moss, and ginger feels like it enhances the sunlit shop’s breezy energy. You'll be tempted to kick off your shoes and lose track of time on the spacious outdoor patio (until your sage companion starts preaching about the power of earthing).