Georgia World Congress Center – Dining

As one of the largest convention centers in the United States, it should come as no surprise that the dining options offered at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, are as varied as they are plentiful. What may catch some first-time visitors off guard however is just how enjoyable of an experience dining at the Georgia World Congress Center can be.

In addition to typical grab-and-go markets peddling self-serve coffee and assorted snacks, visitors attending an event at the Georgia World Congress Center can also dine at Social Table, a flexible eatery concept serving everything from handcrafted cocktails to artisanal flatbreads, and Southern Roots Café, a homey coffee shop with more to offer than the usual combination of coffee and pastries.

Social Table

Located in Building B, Social Table is one of the Georgia World Congress Center’s newest dining experiences. It opened in February 2017, replacing the aging Terraces Restaurant & Lounge. Terraces never quite caught on with attendees due to its sit-down style of service. Those attending an event at the Georgia World Congress Center typically don’t have the time to spare for a full-fledged meal. So, as opposed to dining at Terraces, visitors would instead frequent other options in or around the convention center.

Social Table features an upscale menu akin to Terraces’ without the wait of having to be waited upon. At Social Table, diners can order their meals cafeteria-style from the quick-service grille station; grab a drink at the 35-seat, full-service bar; explore the many options available at the build-your-own salad bar; or pick up a quick snack from one of the grab-and-go stations. This way they can spend as little or as much time there as they’d like. Though with big-screen TVs, complementary Wi-Fi, and tables equipped with USB ports, most diners are more than inclined to stay a while.

Touted as a “flexible eatery concept,” the offerings at Social Table often vary based on the event or events taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center. Some menu items that make their way onto Social Table’s ever-changing lineup include a grilled chicken breast sandwich topped with Jack cheese and the Southern Plate, a dish piled high with a choice of chopped pork, sliced brisket, or pulled chicken alongside mac and cheese, coleslaw, and house-made pickles. Additional offerings typically include wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and wings. Attendees who fancy a drink to unwind after a day spent shuffling around the exhibit hall floor can look forward to Southern-inspired takes on classic cocktails like the Moscow Mule, Manhattan, and mojito.

Southern Roots Café

Like Social Table, Southern Roots Café recently replaced a Starbucks in order to provide visitors to the Georgia World Congress Center with an improved dining experience. It was designed to make customers feel as if they’re visiting their favorite local coffee shop, despite being in Building A at the heart of one of the largest convention centers in the U.S. These feelings are evoked by the posters of Georgia-born musicians that adorn the walls of the café and the dose of Southern hospitality provided by the friendly baristas who work there. When the weather’s nice, customers can enjoy some fresh air on the attached outdoor patio as they catch up on their emails or simply relax while they’ve got some downtime.

One of the best ways to fuel up before a big day at the Georgia World Congress Center is with a stop at Southern Roots Café. For breakfast, Southern Roots serves homemade pastries and coffee brewed using fresh roasted beans from local coffeehouse chain Jittery Joe’s. Pastry options include everything from chocolate-filled croissants and fresh fruit pies to their “signature” cinnamon buns.

Southern Roots Café keeps customers coming back well into the day with their lunch and dinnertime offerings. These include savory sandwiches like a panini filled with thinly sliced sirloin, Cheddar cheese, horseradish cream, and fresh baby spinach; and flatbreads topped with ingredients like barbecue chicken and apples harvested from Gilmer County, Georgia. Wash it down with a beer from SweetWater, a brewery based right in Atlanta, for a dining experience that’s undeniably Georgia.