TV Restaurants

What Happened to Soul Vegetarian After Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 8 Atlanta, Georgia

Current status

Closed

As of October 2026, Soul Vegetarian has closed — confirmed via roughdraftatlanta.com, June 24, 2026.

What the source shows: Rough Draft Atlanta reported on 2026-06-24 that the restaurant would cease operations, and UATL reported that the 47-year-old restaurant served its last meal on 2026-07-12. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

"The Best Thing I Ever Ate" (Food Network) featured Soul Vegetarian in its "Big Cheese" episode (S8E9), spotlighting the restaurant's vegan soul-food menu. Soul Vegetarian, later operating as The New Soul Veg Restaurant & Cafe', was a vegan restaurant on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in Atlanta's West End, opened in 1979 by members of the African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. The restaurant had originally opened downtown before relocating to the West End in the early 1980s, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. Rough Draft Atlanta reported on 2026-06-24 that the restaurant would cease operations, citing the building's aging infrastructure, and UATL reported that the 47-year-old restaurant served its last meal on 2026-07-12, with UATL crediting the closure to the building's aging infrastructure rather than any change in ownership.

The episode Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 8

Episode 9
Air date not confirmed
Title: Big Cheese · What was featured: A vegan soul-food dish, part of the show's 'Big Cheese' episode

Also in Season 8 Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season 8: 63 of 80 still open · 5 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 8 episodes →

Nearest open restaurants By distance from 879 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard SW

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Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 2 references

  1. roughdraftatlanta.com https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/06/24/new-soul-veg-closing/
  2. uatl.com https://www.uatl.com/food/2026/07/soul-veg-atlantas-pioneering-black-vegan-restaurant-closes-after-47-years/
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Record btiea-0611 · checked by Cal Marchetti.