For many people living inside and outside Atlanta’s perimeter, Norcross—located around 20 minutes north of Atlanta along I-85 —has become a destination worth traveling to for food.

Like many metro Atlanta cities, Norcross benefited from the passage of the Hart-Celler Act, also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which eliminated immigration quotas based on national origin that previously excluded Asians and “non-whites” from entering the United States. The 1996 Olympics also resulted in a boom in business and immigration due to the expansion of construction sector services. Today, 30.2 percent of the population in Norcross are foreign born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Hailing from countries like Vietnam and Cuba, the diverse communities that now comprise the population of this small Gwinnett County city lend a global perspective to its dining scene. In the following profiles, the owners of five restaurants share why they chose to open in Norcross, and what it means to share their food and culture with the community there and people living beyond its borders.

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Mojitos

35 South Peachtree Street

Serving up paella served with plantains, oxtails braised in red wine and spices, freshly made cocktails, and live Latin music is how Cuban American bistro Mojitos welcomes in the weekend. 

Owner Luis Fernandez’s sister was the first in their family to settle down in metro Atlanta, in the ‘90s when she attended Georgia Tech. In 2006, Fernandez followed with his wife, singer Yanin Cortes. They were visiting Atlanta during the July 4 weekend, when they ended up at Old Norcross, a historic block of shops and restaurants along Jimmy Carter Boulevard. 

“We found that tiny little spot, and we decided to open up our first restaurant,” says Fernandez. 

At first, Norcross felt like a sleepy town. But every Friday and Saturday night, Cortes was the featured performer at Mojitos, and brought the house down with her music. “People go sit down, they have dinner, the band starts,” Fernandez says. “An hour into it people are dancing, whether it’s on the dance floor or by their table. It’s just that kind of vibe.”

Fernandez was recently working on a micro food hall in Norcross when the real estate deal fell through. He was planning to attract vendors to serve Venezuelan street food, Mexican fare, and barbecue. 

Still, he never stops moving. Mojitos now has two locations, and Fernandez is always thinking about the expansion of his other restaurant, The Crossing Steakhouse. 

“I can’t say enough how outstanding it is to be in a community that’s so open-minded,” he says. “You see more ethnic restaurants [in Norcross] because there’s more of a market for it.”

—Logan C. Ritchie

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Sabores del Plata

6200 Buford Highway

On a Sunday afternoon at the South American steakhouse Sabores del Plata, you’ll find older men pecking hello on the cheek, diners hopping from table to table, and a line out the door. But they’re not coming from church: “Our religion is soccer,” says co-owner Damian Otero.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the restaurant—located at the Norcross Village complex—was packed with patrons crying tears of happiness as Argentina won the world championship. Argentineans and Uruguayans share many commonalities in language, culture, and culinary arts; Damian calls them the most carnivorous countries in the world. 

Sabores del Plata had been open for five years when Damian and his mother Denise bought the restaurant in 2014. Damian, then 21, had never worked inside a commercial kitchen. “I didn’t even know what a walk-in cooler was,” he says. But the Uruguay-born, Meadowcreek High School alumnus “grew up going to this restaurant. That is a staple of Argentine and Uruguayan people.” 

Diners come from Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina just to eat at Sabores del Plata. “They say, I have been driving three hours to eat here,” says Denise, who runs Sabores del Plata on a daily basis.

Much of the menu has remained the same. So has most of the kitchen staff, including the two chefs who grew up cooking in Uruguay. 

Three dishes make up half the restaurant’s sales: parrillada, a platter of ten cuts of meat including chorizo, blood sausage, and sweetbreads; chivito, the Uruguayan national dish, served as a steak sandwich or plate with ham, mozzarella, bacon, and an egg; and choripan, an Argentinean street food of spicy sausages served in a bun with chimichurri, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. 

“What I really think makes a difference is Buford Highway . . . In our shopping center alone, you have a truly authentic Argentinian kind of vibe, then you have Cuban [food] next door,” Damian says. “On the right, you have Los Ranchos, which is Mexican, and another which is Peruvian. Everybody has been there for over 10 years. Some even longer.”

—Logan C. Ritchie

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Spice the Americas

Food truck operating in North Atlanta 

In 2017, Philadelphia resident Ernie Hines planned to open a food truck called Spice the Americas, celebrating foods in North, South, and Central America. At the time, he was an experienced chef of two-plus decades, exploring the cuisines of wherever he traveled. 

But then Hines’ wife, Nayla, received a job promotion that required a move south to Atlanta. While the couple celebrated her success, the move south came with a catch: “I purchased the food truck in Philadelphia,” Hines says. “And I had it shipped here to Atlanta.” 

Fortunately, Spice the Americas turned out to be a perfect fit for their new home. The food truck launched that August, and currently operates out of a shared kitchen in Norcross, where Hines has found freedom to cook the Pan-American cuisine he’s most passionate about. 

“What I am excited about in North Atlanta is the fact that I can bring diversity,” Hines says.

Menu standards include peach Sriracha wings, a jerk pulled pork wrap, a Peruvian chicken skewer on flatbread, and the “Lomito Completo”— his take on the Cuban sandwich. But Hines especially takes pride in making “the best empanadas in the city,” whether stuffed with lobster and shrimp; or featuring quinoa, vegetables, and saffron. His shredded lamb and lentil empanadas are particularly popular, served with a zesty, herb-packed aioli. 

“I am a man of color and I take pride in being able to offer my people Latin cuisine. . . . I’m happy to be able to surprise them,” he says. 

Hines brings Spice the Americas all around Norcross, to businesses like Cultivation Brewery and the Social Fox, and the city’s July 4 celebrations. 

Spice the Americas may have been conceived in the North, but it was born in the South. Speaking on the food diversity of Buford Highway and the welcoming nature of Norcross natives, Hines “just got a really good vibe from the place.”

“It just felt like the space I needed to be,” he adds.

—Jack Rose

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The Blaxican

Food truck operating across Atlanta 

Will Turner originally came to Norcross nine years ago for the inexpensive rent, ocean of business opportunities, and unique cultural diversity. The restaurateur soon found an outlet for both his culinary and charity goals in the community, opening the Blaxican in 2017.

Operating out of a shared kitchen in Norcross, and billed as “Mexican soul food,” the Blaxican food truck frequents parks, festivals, and shelters, serving collard green quesadillas and blackened fish tacos, a favorite of actor Robert Downey Jr.

Serving his food to the unhoused is particularly important. “We would give them a taste of dignity to help them in the process of dealing with whatever they’re dealing with,” Turner says. All of the tips paid to the Blaxican go into an account used to cover those meals, along with everything from meals for shelters like My Sister’s House and to free bicycle drives for local kids. 

But as Turner lifts up his community, he also faces post-COVID inflation, rising rents, and changing markets. “In 2018, a gallon of mayonnaise was $6.50. Now I’m paying $20.” By comparison, Turner has only increased the cost of three tacos by less than 20 percent, from $8.50 to $10. 

Many chefs pursue food trucks for their flexibility, relatively low start up costs, and the ability to reach a wider range of people. But municipal red tape and strict regulations on vending opportunities often make food trucks as restrictive a business as traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants. While these restrictions have loosened since 2022, thanks to a bill passed by the Georgia House of Representatives, many regulations continue to stymie efforts to open and operate food trucks profitably. 

Due to rising business and living costs in America, and a love for Mexican culture, Turner is now considering selling the Blaxican and moving to Mexico to retire with his wife. 

“My grandma used to tell me, charity is the rent that you owe God for your blessings.” Turner says. “If I’m 54 and have 25 summers left, how do I enjoy the time I have left?’” 

—Jack Rose

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Nam Phuong

5495 Jimmy Carter Boulevard

From 1997 to 2017, Phú Nguyen and his mother, brother, and brother-in-law opened and operated several restaurants in California’s Bay Area—their version of the American dream. But California’s food scene was feeling crowded. “In California, there would be four or five of the same restaurants close together,” Phú says.

The Nguyens moved to Atlanta in 2017 because they “saw a bigger [Vietnamese] population moving to the area,” Phú says. Then six months ago in 2023, the family seized an opportunity to own and operate an established restaurant in a bustling community: Nam Phuong, which opened 15 years ago on Jimmy Carter Boulevard. At 360 seats, Nam Phuong is the largest restaurant the Nguyens have owned and operated. But they were up for the challenge. ”We always wanted a big place, and this was perfect for us,” Phú says. 

Phú says the formula for greatness was already there: “The chef, Sam, had been here for many years, and he was doing a great job.” The restaurant’s menu also remains the same. The Three Delights family meal comes with grilled shrimp on a sugarcane skewer, minced pork sausages, and beef wrapped in betel leaves. Other popular dishes include lotus root salad and Vietnam’s iconic noodle soup, phở ($9-$16).

But, after some remodeling and a renewed focus on quality service, Phú estimates Nam Phuong’s business has gone up 10 to 15 percent since the Nguyens took over. “The restaurant was already established, but we worked to make it a family-oriented atmosphere where people can meet their friends and enjoy a cozy, friendly atmosphere,” Phú says.

Phú admits that doing business in the Bay Area is easier than in metro Atlanta. “Everything in California is close—15 minutes is far,” he says. Still, the family move to Norcross has paid off: “Here, there’s more opportunity.”

—Cathy Cobbs

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Editors: Christina Lee and Beth McKibben

Fact Checker: Julianna Bragg

Canopy Atlanta Reader: Ada Wood