Loved this place! Very homey with great and quick service. Good variety of food. Fish and grits was probably one of the best I've had and I'm a huge grits fan. Atmosphere was what you would expect from a small, local, diner type of place. Really nice for a family of 4. Worth it! There is paid parking but you can get validation inside. read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Fish and grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I visited Thumbs Up Diner and overall had a really solid experience. The sausage and bacon were cooked to perfection, exactly how breakfast meats should be. The French toast was a standout: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which isn't easy to get right. The cheese grits had a great consistency, smooth, creamy, and well done. The coffee was good and hit the spot. The only miss for me was the potatoes. Even with the onions, peppers, and cheese, they were a bit lacking in flavor and could've used just a little more time on the grill to get that perfect crispy-outside, soft-inside balance. Service was great, friendly, and attentive, which definitely adds to the experience. Bonus points for 2 hours of parking validation, which is always appreciated in this area. All in all, a good place for breakfast or brunch, and I'd definitely come back. read more

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Upon entering the parking lot it states u need to pay for parking. It didn't state that u should come into restaurant for the 2 hour validation but it I paid $4.25 to the thirsty parking company. Bland decor, nice music, host was nice who became server, Isaiah. I ordered the Southwest Farmers Omelette and multigrain toast which was good. Since I can't eat tomatoes I should have told them to omit them since they used a whole one. Coffee was good. Bathroom was clean. Nothing on most of the walls made it seem like they just opened up. No umph in there. My guest had build your breakfast which included 2 eggs, veggie sausage and multi grain toast, which he liked. Isaiah checked on us twice which nice. The parking discrepancy costed a star. Though the music, service, food was nice I can't say I was blown away. 3.5 stars would be my actual rating but I'll round it off to 4. read more

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I'm a Thumb's Up fan, so I have nothing but praise for the experience. We were able to be seated quickly, and the waitress was efficient. We went in on a Sunday morning but beat the rush so the lobby filled up as we ate. The restroom was clean and well-stocked. All of that said, the catfish is my regular go to and it was not as good as usual. The piece of fish was thinner than normal, so the ends were non existent (just breading with a very thin fried crispy sliver of fish inside it). I might need to start branching outside of my catfish comfort zone. read more

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This is arguably the best breakfast in Atlanta. Good 'ol country breakfast with huge portions, low prices, and great customer service. This is one of my favorite places to bring visitors because it never disappoints. We always order the french toast (best in the city) and grits (mandatory). Give this hidden gem a try! read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Thumbs Up Diner in Midtown never misses! Classic family-style brunch, always under $20 and always top tier. No mimosas, no reservations--just good food, free parking, and consistent vibes every time I always get the same order: Ultimate Seaside Breakfast ( A fried fish fillet, 1/2 portion of our Sassy scramble, a small shrimp and grits, and a biscuit or toast. Always a 10/10 Go check them out and tell them I sent you! read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Fast, friendly, and delicious food. Me and my girls visited thumbs up before heading home and it was delicious! The servers were all very nice and we got in and out in no time! Highly recommend read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Belgian Waffle & Build Your Own Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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While visiting Atlanta, I had the pleasure of stopping by Thumbs Up Diner and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As someone who's partial to soul food, I was sold the moment I opened the menu. In addition to the usual breakfast staples, they offered cheese eggs, grits, and fried fish...music to my Southern-food-loving soul! The portions were generous and the prices reasonable. I got two huge pancakes, eggs, and meat for just $15--an absolute steal for the amount and quality of food. Everything was hot, flavorful, and comforting. The service was another highlight. Our server, Mercer (I think that was the name), was professional, prompt, and kept things moving despite the busy atmosphere. Speaking of which, the vibe was lively and welcoming, perfect for a casual breakfast spot. (I ate my food so fast that I forgot to take pictures) read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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This place was a recommendation from the Ritz valet. I was GLAD TO GO HERE! Anne was our server and she was wonderful! The food is delicious and you feel like you are at home. The location is easy to miss so pay attention. I will come back soon!! read more

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Fantastic!!!!! The portions were massive and the flavor was on point. I had 2 pork chops and was nearly done with the first one, so going back with 1 + pork chops. My guests also weren't able to finish theirs either, and they also enjoyed the experience. Oh, and yes, they accept cards now! read more

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I'm visiting my cousin in Atlanta. I enjoy eating at Thumbs Up Diner. The food is consistent. My cousin knows. When I get off the plane. We have to hit up Thumbs Up Diner. I had the fried catfish with stone grits and soft scrambled eggs. My cousin had smoked chicken wings with waffles and a fried eggs. Both dishes were delicious. When you walk inside your greeted with southern hospitality that's timeless.The waitress who brought waters to our table informed us that our waitress had been in a car accident on her way to work. She explained that she is a little shaken up so she would be assisting her. I thought that was a beautiful gesture. The ambiance is layed back. When you visit Atlanta, GA make it your business to check out Thumbs Up Diner. To all my yelpers out there let's continue to eat our way through the world. read more

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Never a bad meal from Thumbs Up Diner. I'll go out on a limb and say that this diner is a staple and well known diner amongst ATLiens. The food is always served hot and fresh, as it is cooked to order. If you choose to visit any location on a weekend, be sure to pack your patience as they can get busy. Nothing negative in any of my experiences. Just go, eat, and be merry. Btw, I sat at the bar... read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Pancake, added pecans - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Food was fresh, hot and delicious Tip is a great host This establishment highly recommended! read more

I was visiting ATL from LA and wanted some good breakfast food and was told to try Thumbs Up. I ordered bacon, eggs with cheese & onions, grits and toast - it was FIRE! And also very affordable! Can't wait to come back! read more

Great food, service and ambiance. Great customer service also. I will be back. I'm looking forward to visiting again.

Customer Service was off today with cashier need better training on how to dialogue with customers I WILL NOT BE BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!

The food was very good. I had Banana Nut French Toast and Sausage. I will say the sausage was a bit overcooked for my taste. The French Toast was great though. Very large portions to the dishes here so be aware. Service was very quick. It is a busy diner so they are not as chatty as some other places but they do check in on you often and get things and bill for you with near perfect timing. It has an old school diner feeling to the place which is very nice. It is what diner lovers enjoy and look for. read more

Great breakfast spot! Quick seating, friendly service, and amazing food. The egg white omelette with homefries and chicken sausage was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Egg white omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

extremely tasty! love a true diner experience and that they aren't cash only anymore. cozy spot, get here before 9:30 for a chance at a table on the weekends. shrimp and grits were VERY tasty, some of the best i've had in atl. the sassy scramble (eggs with with lox, dill, and cream cheese) was also delicious! i love to get a pancake on the side. coffee is hit or miss in my opinion, but is always usually pretty strong (which i prefer for diner coffee) we sit in Kya's section every time and love her! go to spot near downtown for sure read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Shrimp & Grits, Pancakes, omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Great food and super friendly staff. We had strawberry French toast (simple and good ), meat/egg sandwich (simple and good, chicken wings ( great) and the sassy scrambled eggs (tasty) read more

Delicious!! My friend and I were visiting from LA and the local uber driver from ATL recommended this spot and baaayybbeeee talk about some good southern breakfast chiilllleee. I forgot what I had tbh but it was fire lol and my friend had some BOMB catfish that she only let me get a lil piece of because she was stingy but it taste so good I couldn't even be mad! Next time I'm back in Georgia, I'm going here every day. read more

Great good! They were very busy so a bit slow. Many vegetarian options, even veggie sausage. I always bring my out of town guests here. Very close to the MLK historic sites. Perfect if you're craving brunch! read more

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I have never been disappointed with my food here. This time my pancakes were not cooked all the way through (they were mushy in the middle) They were obviously cooked too fast because the outside was a nice brown. Hopefully this was just a one time thing. I will return, because my food has always been good in the past. I love thumbs up diner! The rest of my guests enjoyed their food except the one other person who had pancakes. read more

If you're looking for breakfast anywhere near Downtown or Midtown, you can't go wrong with . Amazing diner food, service is on point with that traditional southern hospitality and the interior feels like it came right out of the 50's. And if you want a special treat, get Lou's coffee -- Hot Chocolate mixed with their signature coffee topped with whipped cream. Yum read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Low Country Heap. Eggs over medium with extra vegetables - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My new favorite breakfast spot! Quick, friendly service. Classic breakfast done right, and the potatoes were perfectly crisped with onion and peppers! read more

Hot coffee, crispy bacon, fluffy pecan waffles, good music, great service (Thanks Kyah). Damn good indeed!

I always have a great time here. Tables turn pretty quickly and you cannot beat the prices. No longer cash only!! I went on Sunday around 11am and only had a 20 minute wait. The waffles are sooo good and the smoked wings too! Highly recommend this spot read more

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We had brunch today at Thumbs Up Diner for the first time at the Atlanta downtown Marietta location. Boogie was our server and she was super nice and efficient! We sat in a big red comfy booth and had our coffees within five minutes of arrival. We had the following: Southwestern Omelets- filled to the brim and delicious! French toast- super fresh and grilled with yummy warm syrup. Cheese grits- just the right amount of cheese and not too salty. Tofu and veggie scramble-sautéed seasoned tofu with grilled veggies on a bed of fresh spinach. Super healthy and filling. I asked for salsa to add to it and it was no problem. The only problem we had was loading g their menu on the phone... was slow to load so I used yelp's menu. Will come back again to order the waffles next time! read more

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We visited on a Saturday around 2pm. We were greeted and seated immediately. Not long after ordering, we received our food. My sister and I both ordered the fish and grits. She swapped her grits for "spuds". The fish was fried perfectly. The food was delicious, however, the service was lacking. Our server Tippy was very quick and short with us. Overall 4/5. read more

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This place holds a special place in my heart for brunch food. You really just can't go wrong with any of the food on this menu, and I have never been disappointed. Be warned, this place is cash only and it can be a pain to get a table on the weekends but it is so worth!! Always start off with a cup coffee, the basics. For the main meal, I am huge fan of the skillet meal with bacon and it is just cheesy, potato and egg goodness. The biscuits are also amazing and I highly recommend them with honey and butter. Absolutely in love with this place and it tastes just as good to go!!! You really can't go wrong here as everything is amazing. 10/10 only wish it was easier to get a table and served. read more

Thumbs Up Diner - The Skillet Heap - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Updating my review because they have entered the 21st century. The food has always been great. The service has always been amazing. When we arrived we put our name in using the Yelp waitlist. It only took like 15 mins to get seated. We sat outside because it was nice. Highly recommend Thumbs Up Diner. You can join the waitlist before you arrive and you can pay with a credit card now. read more

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3/5 starts. Cute place, with a long wait and a very nice waiter. The wait was 30 minutes to get a table & 30 minutes for food. Objectively we did come at noon on a saturday. The food was just okay. read more

Waited for what seemed like forever but that's expected on a Sunday afternoon. The people were really friendly, food was fresh, good and inexpensive. I had the chicken strips and waffles, I definitely recommend it. It's a huge portion! read more

They don't miss. The service (minus one or two at each location who seem like they don't like people). The food (especially the catfish). The value. I always enjoy a visit to Thumbs Up. read more

I've ordered twice from this location through Uber eats. During the most recent visit, I ordered potatoes, cheese grits, a pancake (huge!) and veggie sausage. The potatoes and grits were under seasoned. I had to add some salt and pepper. Also, there were too many little burnt odds and ends in the potatoes. Don't get me wrong--I love those and they add a little razzle dazzle, but these were the type that you couldn't chew through or break. Definitely ruined the potatoes for me. The pancake wasn't the best, either. Could've been slightly undercooked. I'm not sure about this location, but what I do know is the one in Old 4th is pretty solid! Overall, it's still one of your best bets for breakfast, and Ill probably revisit. read more

Easy checkin service. Friendly staff. Good food at reasonable prices. Great portions! You get your food quick! So many good options. The tables were clean. Not your average diner but better! If you're in the Atlanta area definitely worth trying! Parking can be very tight but we ended up paying to park in a separate parking lot. read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Fried Catfish Fillet, Sassy Scramble, and grits special. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I don't know if thumbs up diner has gotten better or if this location is just better. It's been a few years since I've eaten at a thumbs up diner. It's always been fine but this time it was phenomenal. The server was incredible. She was one of the nicest servers I ever had, was punctual, very good, and knew the menu like the back of her hand. I thought they had a lot of unique scrambles here and I got the Philly scramble. There's very good portion size which was surprising considering how low the prices are. The whole thing was absolutely delicious. Eggs as well as peppers are both things that are not good if cooked too long or too short and a quick serve restaurant it doesn't always come out great. They absolutely nailed it here. Eggs are soft and fluffy and cooked consistently throughout the entire dish. Peppers were softened and starting to caramelize without being overcooked or charred. The meat was tender and easy to chew with great flavor. Lastly I got a multi-green biscuit as well which was unique and also delicious. Not a single complaint or thing wrong here. read more

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I like Thumbs Up in West Midtown and now that they take credit card and are not cash only I feel there is zero reason not to pick them over something like Silver Skillet. Go here if you want French Toast or their cast iron Skillet Heap. Their breakfast potatoes really hit the spot. The last time I was there I snagged the Ultimate Seaside breakfast and it was delicious. In fact, I got so much food and got so full that I boxed the catfish and had it for lunch while at work which is impressive because I am a big eater. Great food at great value. read more

I was excited to try this place because of what the locals have told me. I purchased the shrimp and grits from Uber Eats. It wasn't my favorite. It tasted like soup on top of grits. To me it wasn't seasoned really well. However, the shrimp was cooked to perfection! I will give it another try, but maybe something else next time read more

Thumbs Up Diner - Shrimp and Grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

First 2 hours ARE FREE PARKING. FRENCH TOAST huge slices. The smothered potatoes... I could have gotten an order to go. Ketchup and hot sauce plez. CAsSH ONLY. They have an ATM on site read more

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