South Downtown's case as a restaurant destination just got considerably stronger.
El Tesoro, the Guerrero-inspired taqueria whose original Edgewood Avenue location regularly draws lines around the block, is opening its third and largest location near Hotel Row, about two blocks south of Underground Atlanta.
The space
According to South Downtown redevelopment leaders, El Tesoro will redesign a vacant, 3,600-square-foot, one-story building at 171 Mitchell St., a block east of Hotel Row. Plans call for a large outdoor patio, with a design that blends the restaurant's rustic character with elements drawn from the neighborhood's history.
The building sits directly across Mitchell Street from 170 Mitchell, the former Newport US headquarters and another property in the Atlanta Ventures portfolio, which now operates as Atlanta Tech Village's Terminus Hub. A restaurant with a patio facing a working coworking hub is a specific kind of bet on daytime foot traffic.
Third location
The downtown taqueria joins El Tesoro's original Edgewood location and its outpost at West End's Lee and White district. Opening is expected sometime next year.
Founder Alan Raines said in a statement that the team is excited to be part of revitalizing the historic neighborhood, and to build a space for everyone working, living, celebrating, visiting and studying in it.
The company it keeps
El Tesoro lands in a district that has been assembling a food and drink roster in real time. Tyde Tate Kitchen and Spiller Park Coffee are already operating. Crates ATL and Delilah's Everyday Soul are both set to open soon.
For a stretch of blocks whose problem has never been architecture and always been occupancy, a restaurant known for a line out the door is close to the ideal tenant.
Original reporting by Josh Green for Urbanize Atlanta, published March 2025.
