Banshee – the coolest restaurant in East Atlanta Village

Visit the restaurant with the best menu in East Atlanta! Banshee features excellent cocktails, bites and a terrific patio!

Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think. That’s the motto at Banshee, a sort of “seize the moment”  statement.  You can’t miss it as it screams at you in neon letters, a striking contrast to the charcoal walls. Little did I know the irony of that motto, as it would be the last restaurant I’d dine at before the Covid lockdown began in early 2020.

Scrolling through old photos and came across these beautiful food pics from Banshee. I distinctly remember it because it was one of those gorgeous early spring days  where the weather was perfect and the restaurant had its patio doors open. Plus, they have lovely cocktails at Banshee like the one below – The Stately Hag, a Tequila based cocktail. 

I also remember it because it was the last restaurant I dined before we had total lockdown from the rona. Do people still call it that? No one really knew about the spread of the virus, so all the servers and bartenders were wearing gloves. Masks weren’t yet mandated and little did I know how I’d long for the time when we could see a smile on someone’s face. 

When I visited the menu was limited with six starters and six entrees. They’ve paired that down a bit more to just four starters and five entrees. But even at that, I had a hard time choosing what to get. 

When you visit the Fry Bread is delicious. Think of it like a Naan, but with a butter dipping sauce that has a pepperoni flavor etched into it. Protip: Banshee sells the Pepperoni butter by the pint ($10). 

Another dish I tried and loved was the calamari. But this isn’t your ordinary calamari which a marinara dipping sauce. Oh no. For starters, it comes with olives and fava beans But here’s the part that I enjoyed most – the ‘nduja spread (this is a type of sausage) is just a tad spicy and perfect to compliment the unfried calamari. 

For my entree, the duck was no brainer, since it had just about everything I love. The generous portion came over a puree of parsnip, plus there was a pink peppercorn creamy dressing on top that I dabbed each piece of duck in, carefully conserving the sauce so there was enough puree and sauce for each bite of duck. 

What is a budino? Similar to a flan, it is like the Italian version of it. In fact, “budino” is the Italian word for “custard”. To me it was a like chocolate mousse, but better. And don’t sleep on those molasses doughnut either, friends! 

The restaurant closed for a while but is once again open. If you go, they have a lovely dining area near the bar, that, when the weather is nice, they open up the doors and let all the sunshine and warmth in. And it’s glorious. I hope you’ll go visit Banshee and love them as much as I do! Plus, make sure to snap a few photos by the walls outside. They are perfect for your instagram worthy pics. 

Don’t feel comfortable dining in? Banshee even has a to go menu (yes even cocktails) you can have at home and you can pick up your meal via drive through. What ever you do, please keep supporting local businesses!

Watch the Banshee video here