Chops Lobster Bar is opening a location Downtown

Courtesy of Chops Lobster Bar

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group has shaped Atlanta’s dining identity for decades. When founder I. Pano Karatassos launched the company in 1979, he set a new standard for hospitality in the city. The opening of Chops Lobster Bar in 1989 cemented that legacy, establishing a steakhouse that many Atlantans still consider a benchmark of fine dining. In the years since, the group expanded its reach to South Florida, opening a Chops in Boca Raton and spinoff called Lobster Bar Sea Grille in Ft. Lauderdale. But despite its enduring influence in Atlanta, the city hasn’t seen a Buckhead Life opening in years. That changes with Chops Lobster Bar’s upcoming debut at Centennial Yards Downtown. Slated to open in spring 2027, the 13,0000-square-foot restaurant will feel similar to the Buckhead location with some new menu items.

“Chops is all about luxury: luxury steaks, luxury ingredients, and luxury wines,” says Buckhead Life Restaurant Group co-president and culinary director Pano I. Karatassos Jr., son of the founder. “We will continue to bring our signature, top-quality steaks and seafood. We have a lot of confidence in our brand. People love what we do.”

Courtesy of Bites and Bevs

Fresh seafood will continue to be flown in daily, and popular menu items such as filet mignon, crab-stuffed lobster, and Hong Kong-style Chilean sea bass will serve as staples. Other, new items, or South Florida favorites—like lobster risotto—may make it onto the menu. Look for signature cocktails and a “grand selection” of wines. With both lunch and dinner service planned, Karatassos Jr. says he anticipates a mix of business diners, convention guests, game‑day crowds, and families.

Though unaffiliated, the restaurant will reside in the bottom of a hotel, and validated valet parking will be available. Construction begins in August. Expect Chops’s signature coffered ceiling, iconic mahogany columns, and backlit bar with brass shelving. Other elements may be inspired by modernizations, such as the lipstick-red booths added in Buckhead about two years ago.

Courtesy of Bites and Bevs

Chops helped elevate Atlanta’s dining scene once before. Its return downtown suggests it’s ready to help define the next era, too.

“The more we learned about Centennial Yards, the more we could see this would be a great fit for Chops. We’re happy to be a part of it,” Karatassos Jr. says.

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