Atlanta's Mary Mac's Tea Room celebrates 80 years of serving Southern comfort and hospitality
Mary Mac's Tea Room is celebrating 80 years of serving warm cornbread, collard greens, sweet tea and other beloved staples of Southern cuisine.
The Midtown institution known affectionately as "Atlanta's Dining Room" marks its 80th anniversary Monday with a celebration as classic as its menu: every guest who orders an entrée will receive a complimentary serving of its signature Georgia peach cobbler.
Since opening in 1945 on Ponce de Leon Avenue, Mary Mac's has grown from a single dining room with space for 75 diners into a sprawling 13,000-square-foot restaurant with six dining rooms and a full-service bar. Despite its expansion, the restaurant has held fast to the traditions established by founder Mary MacKenzie and her successor, Margaret Lupo, from baking desserts in-house to snapping green beans by hand.
Fresh from a full renovation, Mary Mac's now welcomes guests with new décor, fresh paint, and updated carpets. The refreshed look reflects a renewed focus on what has always defined the restaurant: consistency, reliability, and Southern hospitality.
"Mary Mac's has always been about family, tradition, and creating memories," said Tina Leftwich, the restaurant's general manager. "For years, long waits were a byproduct of our success, but we've worked hard to make sure today's guests can count on less waiting and more enjoying. The food will be delicious, the hospitality will be warm, and with certainty you'll get a table on time."
Over the years, Mary Mac's has served generations of Atlantans and a host of famous visitors from the Dalai Lama and James Brown to Alan Jackson, the late President Jimmy Carter, and the late Congressman John Lewis. The State of Georgia even honored the restaurant with a special resolution, officially naming it "Atlanta's Dining Room."
Mary Mac's Tea Room is located at 224 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE.