How Atlanta Explored selects the city's best businesses
The five-step route every Atlanta Explored ranking takes, from research across the city's neighborhoods to verification, selection and regular updates.
Exploring takes time, and most people don't have any to spare when the AC quits in July or they need a pediatrician by Monday. Our rankings do the groundwork in advance. Here's the five-step route every Atlanta Explored list follows, first when it is built and then every time it gets a refresh. Think of it as the trip we take so you don't have to.
Inside the city, end to end
Every list starts by identifying who offers the service across Atlanta, from Buckhead and Midtown to Southwest Atlanta, East Atlanta and the Westside. We deliberately look past the obvious districts, because some of the city's most dependable businesses sit in neighborhoods visitors never see, along roads like Cascade or Memorial Drive.
Staying power
A business that has kept its customers through years of Atlanta's rapid growth has proved something. We give weight to that long-term standing and look for consistency, while taking a wait-and-see attitude toward anyone riding a fresh wave of attention until they have shown they can last.
Verify before we publish
We confirm each business is open, that its address, phone number and hours are right, and that it actually serves Atlanta. Anything closed, relocated or listed twice is removed, because in a city this spread out, a wrong address can easily cost you an hour in traffic.
One trade at a time
Rankings compare businesses only with their direct peers: roofers with roofers, soul food kitchens with soul food kitchens, immigration attorneys with immigration attorneys. The businesses that clearly stand apart are the ones we keep, and if only a handful make it, the list stays short.
Regular return trips
Lists don't sit untouched. On a set rotation we return to each one: closed businesses come off, deserving newcomers are added once they have built a following, and contact details are refreshed. Atlanta changes fast, and a list that stood still would soon lead you in the wrong direction.
Point us somewhere new
Know a place we should explore, or found a detail that is out of date? Email info@atlantaexplored.com. We check every tip before updating the guide, and many of our best additions start with a reader's message. If you own a business we list, the For Businesses page is where you update it.