Varuni Napoli is our go-to spot for pizza. It helps that it's only a five-minute walk from our house, but they do prepare a lovely, made-to-order pizza in a no-frills facility. The three pizza makers are a team: one guy stretches the dough and adds the tomato sauce. The next guy places the toppings and handles the paddle and the baking time, and the third guy ensures it matches the order, places the pizza in the box and shouts out the number of the finished order -- no microphone needed. He's got a voice that carries over all the ambient noise. We each get a pizza, eat half and save the other half for the next day's lunch. We need to try the other Varuni Napoli on Monroe at Piedmont. The oven there is wood fired. The oven at Krog St Market is gas fired. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Varuni Napoli offers an authentic Neapolitan pizza experience that stands out for both its quality and craftsmanship. During my visit, the staff took the time to explain the origins of their ingredients, highlighting the traditional Italian products used throughout the menu. Their passion for authenticity was evident and added an extra layer of appreciation to the meal. Unlike heavier styles of pizza, the Neapolitan crust and high-quality ingredients create a meal that feels satisfying without leaving you overly full. read more

See all

Got the lunch special, which included a margherita pizza and a drink for $15. The pizza was tasty but nothing outstanding. It tasted authentic, not heavy but still filling, and was worth the price compared to the other restaurants. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Service good, Gino very friendly. A quiet time of the day for Beltline dining. Food court clean and quiet. The seats at the counter are not comfortable, feels like you will slide off read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Meatball Sub - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

This pizza was quite doughy and a bit chewier than I would have liked, but it had a great flavor - even if it seemed to be a bit watery. The dough flavor was the highlight of the pizza though, and I liken it to that of Ribalta in NYC (and if you know anything about NYC pizza, Ribalta is on all of those top pizza in the world lists). A solid pizza, though not necessarily something I would get again. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita (Vegetarian) - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

The pizza is absolutely amazing! It took about 5 minutes to revive our food after ordering. It's wood fired and thin crust. An absolute 10! We sat at the bar and ate our food. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I really wanted to like this place, but the pizza turned out to be really soggy and I was not a big fan. The bottom crust of the pizza could've been cooked longer. Pizza chains are honestly better than what I had paid for. This was about $20 including tip. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pako - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

This pizza was not too shabby ! I'm not a big pizza fan but I loved the friendly customer service and watching as the pizza is being prepped and prepare! The sitting is nice and welcoming! The restaurant is clean. The atmosphere is pleasant! I ordered the Bastardo pizza. It's mildly spicy' though I would've loved more spice ! This place is known for its daily made fresh dough and simple ingredients! Check them out if you're a pizza person! read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

Margherita pizza tasted very good but it was so soggy and the staff are honestly just so rude. Also parking is $10 for Kroger Street which is insane read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

We ordered food from Varuni Napoli for the first time, having heard mostly good things. We bought a pizza, which was good, but had a very thin, soggy crust, and an eggplant parm sandwich, which is hard to find in Atlanta. The sandwich was okay, but had weirdly TOO MUCH eggplant on it, and the eggplant was apparently just sauteed, and tasteless. No breading, no seasoning in the sauce, some bland cheese. The bread was delicious but the greasy filling ruined it! Finally, heartbreakingly, I'm from a New Jerseyb Italian family and I've NEVER had a bad canolli before!! I have no idea what the filling was - it was like a vegan approximation of mascarpone, or worse. For some reason pistachios were sprinkled on it, and filling was loose and nasty. I HATE writing bad reviews but I seriously wish I'd read some honest ones before we ordered tonight. read more

I really enjoyed my sandwich from here today. The Eggplant Parmesan sandwich was very big and had lots of eggplant filling. The eggplant, cheese, and toasted bread combination worked really well. The pizzas also looked good, so I would come by to try the pizzas sometime too! read more

Really great Neapolitan style pizza tucked into the back of the Krog Street Market. To avoid disappointment, it helps to know a few things about Neapolitan pizza. The crust is thin and the sauce is wet. That makes it challenging to pick up the slices. It is not incorrect to use utensils to eat the pizza. That's how this style is eaten in Naples. Due to the thin crust, overloading with toppings is not a good idea. Two is probably the max I would go. The crust is going to be charred in places. That leoparding is the sign of a well made pie. And proper Neapolitan sauce is just high-quality crushed tomatoes and salt, no more, no less. Having said that, Varuna Napoli hits just about every marker. The Margharita uses imported buffalo mozzarella as opposed to cow's milk mozzarella and the taste difference is notable. The mushrooms are oven-roasted creminis, not some slimy canned fungi wannabe. The crust is made from a lievito madre, the Italian version of sourdough, and it has a lovely flavor. Two of us split one pie and it was almost enough for lunch. Two pies would have been (delicious) overkill. If you're lucky enough to be there when the older Italian pizzaiolo is working make sure to engage him in conversation about the pizza. He is very knowledgeable and proud of his work and is happy to talk about it. FWIW, although the pizza oven was built to be wood fired a change in local regulations required them to change it to gas fired. And a final pro tip: Do not take the pie to go. Once you put good pizza in a closed box you will open it to find mediocre pizza at best. In fact, ask them to leave the box open if you're eating in. The staff will look at you funny but the pizza is better for it. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

The flavor of the pizza had depth and balance of spices in the sauce, with plenty of toppings that were notably high quality. However, the crust lacked the texture we enjoy, and was flimsy and soggier than anticipated. The Krog Market overall is busy and has a very lively and loud atmosphere, making it a bit difficult to find seating and navigate through the crowds, especially with tight halls. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pako - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Flowers around the market and try to stop until the food hall. Now you know, this food hall will give you a lot of options and you don't know where to start at, so I wanted to start us something that I've never done before so I stuck with the Italian spot as soon as you walk in the door. There is not a lot of seating here, not at this specific restaurant. They have bar tops but if it's a full crowd you may not get a seat. But they have more than a lot of them other restaurants have because it's in an l-shape so they have more than just one specific bar top area. But still, you may want to look around for their seating in the food hall if you are with a group of people. You will have to wait in line potentially and with that you will have to wait a little while for the food. Now that's not the end of the world at all, but just letting you know. They have a plethora of different pizzas to try and I stuck with one that seemed to resonate with me. Bastardo was cheesy and very flavorful. I was looking for something that had plenty of meat along with plenty of savory cheese and this was a good balance for me. There are a lot of them that were similar though so just paying attention to the fact that they were more like this but this one was a good start for a first time and I will definitely try something like this or something close to it next time. read more

See all

I love the beltline! (And pizza) So I came to try this restaurant. The pizza was amazing! The workers were all very friendly and helpful. The ambiance is great too! I would recommend it for beltline pizza. 5/5! We will be back for more pizza soon. read more

A great pizza! On a recent visit to Krog, I decided to get a few bites of multiple restaurants and there was no way that I was walking out of there without some pizza. While ordering my sushi across the way, I could smell the pizzas coming out of the wood-fired oven and I couldn't pass it up. The Varuni Napoli area of the market really stands out. It seems pretty spacious behind the counter and the dozen or so bar seating is a great place to post up and dig into your pizza. When looking at the menu, I really struggled to figure out what I was going to order. Slices aren't available here, which totally makes sense when you see them prepare each pizza from scratch - no splitting those bad boys up! I feel that, lol. I opted for the smallest size of course. What's the worst that could happen, I go home with leftover, delicious pizza? lol. I decided to go with a small margherita pizza, a classic diet coke (only got it because it was in this cute mini bottle :-/ lol), and a mimosa. The young ladies at the front were so sweet. I was being my indecisive self and feel like I was staring at the menu for like, 10 minutes, no joke. And they didn't rush me at all, so appreciated. My mimosa came out quickly (and strong af) and my diet coke was ice cold, perfect start for my visit. Since Varuni Napoli was my last stop on my foodie tour of the evening, I ended up deciding to get comfy and dig into my bounty. I got comfy on one of their seats and enjoyed my mimosa and a podcast as I waited for my pie. About 10+ minutes later, my number was called and my order was ready at the pick-up station. It was so fresh and smelled SO good, I'm so glad that I decided to stay and enjoy it vs. taking it home. The crust was nice and crispy, the sauce light and flavorful and just, lovely. And it was even better the next day! read more

LOVE LOVE LOVED this pizza!! solid spot in the krog street market. parking is a bit annoying but if you don't mind paying for the lot or driving around to find street parking it's not too bad. pizza was super fresh and i really like the concept of the food market! if you like anticos or amalfis Neapolitan pizza this needs to be your next spot!! read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Loved the pizza! I told the cashier that I want a spicy pizza and she recommended the Porrecca Piccante! It was ready in no time and delivered on taste and spice. The sauce was fresh and the combination of everything was delicious! We ate at the counter seats and they allowed my husband to bring his vegan meal and sit with me. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Menu - pizza options - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

Sampled several eateries in the food hall of Krog Market. Couldn't make the visit without getting a pie from Varuni Napoli. Varuni Napoli stands out visually among the stalls in the market. The giant pizza oven anchors the area. The ordering process is easy. I ordered the meatball pizza. 5 minutes later the pie was ready to eat. The pizza met expectations for this style. There was generous sauce, fresh, gooey, mozz. The crust was thin and carried the wood fired char taste you would expect. A few seats around the stall, but they give it to you in a box to take to the many other locations for eating. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - The meatball pie. - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Went and tried the Margherita and Pako with mom today after doing research on the best pizzas in Atlanta. Marg was a generous 5.7 and Pako a wet 4.6. The glowing reviews raised my expectations that regretfully did not help the pizzeria. As a disclaimer, I've lived in NYC over 15 years and would eat at the top pizzerias on a regular basis. I.e. Una's, Patsy's, Joe's, Motorino etc. Different standards, different opinions. IYKYK. I equate it to my 4 year old nephew rating Chuck E Cheese pizza as #1. I took a couple photos and a video that explains my rating. Definitely wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. Probably even if I was in Krog, would try another option. Kind staff. 5 stars for smiles and kindness. read more

See all

The pizza here is good, the consistency at this location can be better, I've had a couple of instances when my pizza was more burnt to my liking however, when the pizza is on point it is DELICIOUS! I haven't waited longer than about 8 minutes for the pizza even on the weekend. This location is inside of Krog in the back so when it's crowded you have to almost fight your way back there but it is worth it. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - the sign above the counter - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Nutella Calzone-ummm. YUMMM!!! Pizza filled w Nutella and baked in oven. This is so incredible. Hot out of the oven -deliciousness!!!!! read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Nutella Calzone - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I visited Krog Street Market on a Saturday afternoon and got late lunch from Varuni Napoli. I had heard lots of great things so was super excited to check it out! I had the Amore Mio which has mozzarella, roasted artichokes, salami, mushrooms, and olives. It was out super super quickly and the staff was very friendly as I waited. The pizza was super yummy, I loved the crust and how thin it was. The toppings were great and I had plenty of leftovers! Definitely check out if you're in Krog Street Market! read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Takeout box - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

Went to Krog last night for dinner and got the margarita pizza and it was amazing. The best neopolitian pizza around. Very fresh ingredients. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margarita pie. - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Margherita is a great option for beginners. No pizza by the slice here. You're looking at 12" pies or larger. It's a necessary amenity for the market. I'm happy that the pizza is good. And I'm even happier that they use a brick oven to cook it in. They have counter seating but the stools are locked in. There's some tables all around the stall if you have a bigger group. It's counter service only so everything is served to go. It does seem a little wasteful to use a pizza box for every order, but I guess that cuts down on having to wash dishes or lose dishes. You won't be disappointed... read more

My friend and I paid a visit to Varuni Napoli and shared a Calzone with pancetta and mushrooms.  It was fresh, house-made, hot and totally delicious! Tip: This VN location is in a busy section of the Krog Street Market We also shared a Cannoli with ricotta and lemon; it had a crisp shell and was prefectly cooked.  We enjoyed the food we ordered here and wouldn't hesitate to return when next we're in the neighborhood. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

See all

I was looking forward to this authentic pizza. Sadly the very center was slightly doughy and super thin. All my topping and sauce fell off. The taste was good it just needs work. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Bastardo Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Varuni Napoli never disappoints--amazing pizza every time! But the real gem is Gino, who's been there since day one. He's incredibly kind and always makes our visits memorable, whether it's sharing dough for the kids or a little taste of salami or cannoli filling. Che uomo straordinario! read more

I had their Eggplant parmesan sandwich for lunch and it was so simple yet so delicious!! Quality ingredients, great flavor, perfectly toasted bread. I was full and happy. Only took about 7 minutes for them to prepare. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Storefront - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Amazing eggplant parm. Sauce is so great, and bread perfectly toasted. Great people too read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Eggplant parm and canoli - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Varuni Napoli specializes in wood fired Neapolitan pizza, as one would expect from a pizza place named for Naples. As I discovered upon overhearing a conversation in Italian during my most recent visit, the owner is an Italian man who seems quite dedicated to making excellent Neapolitan pizzas. His dedication has certainly paid off, as the pizza is everything you want from a Neapolitan pizza: crispy, slightly burnt (in a good way) dough, a fresh tasting tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella, with several variations of toppings available. The stall is located on the far end of Krog Street Market if you walk in at the entrance near the bar, and stretches across the entire middle of the food hall, with the cash register on one end, and a large pizza oven and order pickup on the other. There is bar seating along the edge of the stall, where you can watch your pizza be made (pictured below), which, as an amateur pizzaiolo, is quite interesting. A visit usually goes like this: first, you choose which pizza looks best to you. There's five or so red pies, and five or so white pies, along with the option to build your own. Then, place your order, grab your number, and walk down towards the other end. Maybe take a minute or two to watch your pizza be assembled, and about 2 minutes later, your pizza comes out of the oven steaming hot. Give them your number, and you have a delicious pizza waiting for you. On my first visit, the owner gave me an important piece of advice to best enjoy the pizza: don't take it to go! The pizza is best fresh out of the oven, and this is pizza that deserves to be eaten at its best. My favorite is the Porecca Piccante, particularly because I enjoy a spicy pizza, but you would have a hard time going wrong with any of them, barring a particular distaste for an ingredient (for instance, I don't care for mushrooms). Each of the named pizzas has been assembled with care, with the ingredients each complimenting each other to make a fantastic pizza. The pizzas come in around 12 inches, perfect to split on a date, or for one particularly hungry young man (like myself). There are other menu options as well. Recently they've added additional sandwiches to the menu. If the meatball sub is anything to go off of, the sandwiches are great. Additionally, they offer a couple of desserts, including cannolis and a Nutella calzone (which I've yet to try, though every time I see someone else having one, I become incredibly jealous). All in all, this is probably one of the 5 best pizza places in Atlanta, on par with Antico, the gold standard of Atlanta Neapolitan style pizza. If you are in the mood for pizza at Krog Street Market, you will not regret choosing Varuni Napoli. read more

See all

We stopped by this place on our way to Atlanta, and the pizza was amazing! Everyone was friendly, and the spicy red sauce was delicious. If we ever come back to Atlanta, we'll definitely return to this spot. Also, the Peronis were served in chilled glasses -- that really hit the spot! read more

The best calzone in Atlanta still belongs to Varuni Napoli. I've yet to find a better calzone. And their pizza is pretty good too, among the best Neapolitan-style pizza joints in the city. I'm definitely a fan of this place. This is the second location of Varuni and it opened inside Krog Street Market in May 2017. Their original location in Morningside (https://bit.ly/2SX2yiE) opened in April 2014. All of the stalls at Krog Street are unique and Varuni may have the most distinct one of them all. Their stall wraps around two corners and features an open kitchen with a handmade Stefano Ferrara wood-burning brick oven imported from Naples, Italy. It's the same style of oven used at the Morningside location as well as Antico and other Neapolitan pizza restaurants in the Atlanta area. You can sit at the counter and watch pizza, calzones, and other food get made from scratch. Pizzas only take a few minutes to prepare and bake. I think it's neat to see the calzones assembled and placed in the deep fryer. It's interesting to see how everything comes together, from the raw mounds of dough to the hot and wonderful-smelling finished products. Krog Street Market has limited surface lot parking at the corner of Lake Ave and Waddell St. I recommend street parking along Lake, Waddell, or any of its offshoots. It's free. Inside the market, Varuni's storefront sits across from Makimono (facing Krog St). It looks nice. Along with the open kitchen, it's got a brick and tile design with stone counters and Edison lighting. If you dine in, you have to bus your own table. Varuni's fried calzone is known as the "KSM (Krog Street Market) Special" ($12). You can customize your own red (margherita) or white (bianca) pizza starting at $12 and add up to two toppings that cost $1-3 each. All pizzas are 12 inches and "individual" sized though two people could easily split one. If you don't want to build your own pizza, they have five reds and five whites with preset ingredient combinations that you can choose from ($15-16 each). They also offer $9 salads, a $10 meatball Parm (sub sandwich; we saw one of these and it looked terrific), and arancini (rice balls), three for $6. We visited for dinner and had: * KSM Special ($12) - fried calzone with fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, basil, and two toppings; we got Italian sausage and prosciutto di Parma (there was a $1 upcharge for the prosciutto) * Porecca Piccante ($15) - fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, hot soppressata, cherry tomatoes, Calabrian peppers, Pecorino Romano, basil * Oro Bianco ($16) - fresh mozzarella, bufala ricotta, Taleggio cheese, pancetta, Pecorino Romano, basil, black truffle oil, black pepper * San Benedetto Artesian Water ($3) - 16.9 fl oz glass bottle The food was excellent. Varuni uses 00 pizza flour (also known as doppio zero flour or double zero flour, a special classification for a very fine flour milled in Italy), Italian DOP-certified extra virgin olive oil and San Marzano tomatoes (DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta which translates to Protected Designation of Origin), and mozzarella made from the milk of water buffaloes. You can taste the difference in the quality of the ingredients in both taste and texture. The calzone is still my favorite thing to get from Varuni and I recommend it to everyone who comes here or the Morningside location. It's hard to go wrong with fried dough and their version is spectacular. This time, I got Italian sausage and prosciutto di Parma in my calzone and both were great additions. I was a little skeptical at first about how prosciutto might taste in a calzone, but it turned out nicely. Varuni's prosciutto is high quality and authentic. The pizzaiolo was generous with the sausage and packed our calzone with lots. The morsels were savory and flavorful. Both the Porecca Piccante and the Oro Bianco were very good and I recommend them too. The Porecca Piccante and another red pizza, the Bastardo, are the only pizzas listed on the menu with "hot" ingredients. I love spicy food and didn't find the Porecca Piccante to be spicy at all; maybe a little bit when I bit into the Calabrian chili peppers (they're yummy). This was a satisfying red pizza with copious amounts of mildly spicy soppressata (Italian dry salami, similar to pepperoni) and cherry tomatoes that burst with flavor. I like white pizzas and I really enjoyed the Oro Bianco. The highlight of this pizza for me was the bufala ricotta. I love burrata and the bufala ricotta reminded me of burrata in terms of its freshness and light and soft consistency; very fresh and "clean" tasting. The Taleggio cheese was the opposite and provided a nice contrast. Overall, this was a tasty and robust pizza that was quite gratifying. Varuni didn't have tap water so that's why we got the San Benedetto Artesian Water. It was fine. Service was good. The cashier and other staff were friendly and one of the pizzaiolos greeted us with a smile. Our order came out fast. read more

See all

Great Neapolitan pizza! Rivals Fred's as one of the best options at Krog. I was very impressed that I was able to get my pizza in a matter of minutes. The crust was perfectly chewy, and it had a nice char to it. I got the Margherita pizza and the sauce and cheese were spot on. I would have appreciated a bit more basil. Overall, a solid pizza option. read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Varuni Napoli serves up my favorite Neopolitan style pies in the city, and the pizza from their Monroe Drive location features regularly on me and my fiance's takeout rotation. We appreciate the well fermented, pillowy crusts and quality, tasty topping combinations this pizzeria offers. Because the other location is so close to our apartment, we've never been to the Krog Street outpost. Recently, Varuni gave me a reason to check out their market location: sandwiches. As a displaced Philadelphian, I've had my fair share of lackluster hoagies/subs in Atlanta. Often, the bread I get in the South is sweet and kind of squishy than crusty and flavorful. The sandwiches at Varuni, in contrast, arrive on exemplary bread. Varuni gets their bread from a bakery in New Jersey, and the rolls here arrive with a thin, crackly crust and chewy crumb that makes a wonderful vehicle for sandwich fillings. It's markedly superior to the lackluster loaves at a more popular sandwich stall in the market that I won't name but rhymes with "Red's Heat and Lead." I've thus far tried only their Goodfella, a take on the classic Italian sub, and it was good enough to nearly make this homesick Philadelphian cry. It provided an authentic taste of home yet was stuffed with the quality toppings (fresh veggies and Italian meats and cheeses) I expect from Varuni. If you're a sandwich fanatic, the offerings here are definitely worth a taste. I sincerely hope the Varuni crew brings their delicious sandwiches to the other location, but in the mean time I'll certainly deal with the inconvenience of Krog Street Market to get some of that deliciousness on heavenly bread. read more

I have been coming to Varuni Napoli for over 8 years and all I can say is Gino is the heart and soul of this place! He is truly one of the most amazing and genuine human beings I have come across. He puts his heart into the food and truly wants every one of his customers to enjoy their meal! I highly recommend coming by! My kids literally ask to come just to sit and watch them make the pizzas fresh and talk to Gino! The staff here is the cherry on top of the delicious food! read more

Pizza was fantastic and came out very quickly. The price was a bit high but that's to be expected in a spot like this read more

Varuni Napoli - Krog - two pizzas in boxes - Pizza Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Varuni Napoli is our go-to spot in Krog St Mkt now. The pizza is fantastic and very consistent. For us, the sleeper hit is the eggplant parm sandwich. It is solidly in my Mount Rushmore of sandwiches. It's super indulgent, flavorful, the bread is incredible...I have never had such a good parm sandwich in my life. read more

**1st Krog visit review** Why did I wait so long!?!?! There are so many lunch options to choose from, but Varuni Napoli had me at Eggplant Parm Sandwich. Seriously. I was stopped in my tracks and knew that I HAD to have it for lunch. You can either make it really well or really bad. The sandwich took a few minutes, which is GREAT because it takes time and love to make a great eggplant parm sandwich. when it came out, OMG, I was IN LOVE! This thing weighed so much and was as long as my arm. I thought to myself "great! I have 1/2 for now and 1/2 for later." Nope. I sat there and ate the WHOLE thing in one sitting. Was I full, overly full? YES! Did I feel like I needed to loosen my pants? Yep. Was I so happy that the smile was permanently planted on my face? HELL YEAH!!! read more

I stopped by Varuni Napoli Pizza at Krog St tonight for a quick bite before closing. I knew I was cutting it close, walking in at 8:53 PM, so I asked an employee -- in front of the chefs and the manager, Gino -- whether they were still taking orders. He said yes without hesitation, so I proceeded to the counter. After waiting for a few minutes, Gino approached and told me, "We shut the kitchen down." I responded, "But you just told me to come over and order." He looked at me, said nothing, then gave me a dismissive shrug before walking away. His attitude was rude and apathetic, making the entire experience feel alienating. As two minorities trying to get a meal, this kind of treatment was disappointing. I'm particularly troubled by Gino's behavior as a manager. It was not just unprofessional, but also disrespectful. The image of a bald, white male manager shrugging off his customers is hard to ignore, especially in a city like Atlanta, known for its diversity and open-mindedness. Restaurants and businesses in such a vibrant, inclusive city should reflect that respect and kindness, especially from their leaders. This experience was far from that. read more