Old Norcross and new Norcross are rubbing up against each other these days. The city has never been more saturated with seafood options (except when it comes to finding a table on a Friday night). The hype is understandable. There’s no place where we’d rather spend a full day of eating—especially when the catch is fresh. Just don’t let all the new spots distract you from the classics that make this city so great.
Happy Valley Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine
$$ | (678) 218-0888 | WEBSITE
Happy Valley Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine is a welcoming restaurant that offers a delightful dining experience. There’s no need to order from a menu here. Instead, the servers—who might be in the middle of refilling waters—will bring you different dim sums from the carts rolling throughout the meal. It could be sesame balls, Hunan tofu, or jasmine tea. But it will be flavorful, and you can eat it in their very spacious dining room, which has a lively atmosphere and feels very family-friendly.
If you want more dim sum, just flag down a cart and help yourself. You’ll pay at the end of your meal.
Mariscos La Riviera Nayarit
$$ | (770) 662-0086 | WEBSITE
Mariscos La Riviera Nayarit is the best thing to happen in Norcross since those food festivals in the ’90s. It’s slightly louder than your typical seafood spot—but still serves the best tilapia in Georgia. There’s nowhere to escape the live music inside, but you can always let the savory flavors wash over you and your crispy French fries. This restaurant has a line out the door (and around the corner) on weekends. You can call ahead for takeout—but only for basic dishes and sides of veggies.
If you want the full experience with drinks (and you do) get there early and plan accordingly.
Ike’s Cafe and Grill
$$ | (770) 559-1579 | WEBSITE
Ike’s Cafe and Grill can trick your brain into thinking you’re in West Africa for an hour and a half. For one, they give you free spiced tea when you sit down. Also, the interior has the look and personality of a lively Lagos eatery. The menu features comforting African dishes served in generous portions. Start with the spicy goat pepper soup. The chicken suya with crispy plantain slices is another starter worth getting on the table. And the beef egusi soup is great.
It easily feeds two or three and comes in a massive clay pot with a big pile of fluffy pounded yam.
The Crossing Steakhouse
$$ | (770) 746-7999 | WEBSITE
You can come to this welcoming family spot for some of Norcross’s best steaks and not spend more than $35 on a satisfying meal. If you’re willing to splurge a bit more, they have premium cuts under $60. We love the Ribeye that comes with perfect juiciness, rich flavor, and a side of your choice. But the New York strip—each bite with a perfect balance of tenderness and char—is our favorite.
Inside, there’s warm wooden furniture, a cozy fireplace in the main dining area, and a spacious pet-friendly patio outside. It’s a comfortable spot perfect for a family dinner.
Ashiana Banquet Halls
$$ | (770) 446-8081 | WEBSITE
This venue is part banquet hall, part catering hub and specializes in very good event hosting. Once you book your spot for a celebration, you can choose a catering package, which you can customize with options like Walia Catering or CB Catering, known for their delicious food and professional service. It might be tough to get a weekend date during peak season, but you can always plan ahead with their superb management team, or just host a smaller gathering.
There aren’t many places left in Norcross where you can celebrate this memorably for under $5,000.
Mojitos
$$ | (770) 441-2599 | WEBSITE
Similar to Mojitos in Norcross, this spot is a good place to have a casual Cuban-inspired meal on a date night. There are several dishes to choose from, but the pulled pork with guava BBQ sauce is the best deal. For around $25, you get tender pork with sweet-tangy sauce, plus a side of yuca fries. And during dinner, it’s the Ropa Vieja for $28, which comes with rice and beans. Stick to the classics, and don’t be tempted to skip the tres leches for dessert, which is muy good and not too heavy.
Service moves smoothly—it feels like a relaxed, friendly evening out.
Dominick’s Italian Of Historic Norcross
$$ | (770) 449-1611 | WEBSITE
Dominick’s Italian, despite its occasional misses, is still a wonderful spot to dig into hearty Italian classics for dinner. Despite the crowds this place draws on weekends, it’s pretty manageable during the week, and many orders are for large groups. It’s a shame, because the experience of eating the mahi-mahi picatta special (in all its lemony, buttery, generous glory) is better fresh from the kitchen.
Even the garlic bread with cheese, which holds up well, is best consumed on-site for the sake of savoring that warm, gooey perfection. The lasagna and chicken carbonara are just as satisfying, even though they never quite sparked the same buzz as that picatta.
Los Portales Mexican Grill
$ | (770) 263-0100 | WEBSITE
Los Portales Mexican Grill is a great place to have a big Mexican meal. It’s not a very subtle dining room, and the bright, colorful murals make you feel like you’re about to see a mariachi band, not eat some very tasty chilaquiles. The menu is a massive greatest hits of authentic dishes, with tamales, seafood, veg enchiladas, and things from the grill. The only hard ordering rule is to make sure you’ve got some cheese dip with jalapeño on the table.
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
$$$ | (770) 849-0600 | WEBSITE
Maybe your days of chasing the perfect seafood platter are behind you. But if you still want to indulge in some classic Gulf Coast flavor—all while feeling like you’ve discovered a hidden gem—head straight to Pappadeaux. If you’re celebrating, order the Salmon Alexander with dirty rice. They bring this beautifully plated dish to the table, where the salmon rests atop creamy dirty rice, then top it with a sauce that elevates the best salmon you’ll taste in Norcross.
They also do one of the area’s most satisfying seafood platters, complete with all the fixings. But even if you go with the blackened catfish and red beans, you’re in for a meal full of hearty, Bayou-inspired dishes that could only come from a kitchen like Chef Eric’s.
Wow Banh Mi N Pho
$ | (770) 558-6168 | WEBSITE
This fantastic Vietnamese spot is compact—except for its generous servings. And if you’re truly famished, you’re heading here for one of the pho bowls with your choice of protein and fresh add-on veggies. The dining area feels like a Saigon cafe—but the prime spots are by the window where natural light streams in. Sit there and you might feel like you’ve found a hidden gem as you watch the world go by. They also have some of the most competitive prices in Norcross, with most dishes under $15.
Las Islitas Mexican Bar & Grill
$$ | (470) 545-2629 | WEBSITE
Las Islitas Mexican Bar & Grill is one of those authentic Mexican gems that makes Norcross feel like a coastal getaway and an essential stop for anyone craving real flavor. The restaurant serves some of the best seafood in Georgia, with dishes like the phenomenal Langostinos that transport you straight to Puerto Vallarta.
There’s truly nothing better after a long day than settling into the lively, vacation-like atmosphere for tacos—whether you go for the asada or pollo—or diving into their spicy red agua chiles. The service is friendly and attentive, with servers who’ll happily help you brush up on your Spanish, making the whole experience feel personal and warm. At around $12-18 for most mains, it’s an inexpensive treat for such quality.
After you’ve enjoyed your meal, you’ll understand why visitors from out of state call this the best food in Georgia—it’s a perfect little escape right in Norcross.
Thai Norcross
$ | (770) 938-3883 | WEBSITE
The list of things we love about Thai Norcross is longer than the menu you’ll spend twenty minutes poring over. On that list is crab fried rice so flavorful you’ll forgive the occasional inconsistency, an atmosphere that does for casual dinners what that novelty service robot does for conversation starters, and warm lighting that makes the entire restaurant feel like one big cozy lantern after dark.
Their extensive menu—heavy on classics like pad see ew, pad thai with three proteins, and green curry—can be a bit overwhelming, but get the Thai Fried Rice if you’re feeling adventurous, and the Thai Iced Tea is always a safe bet.
