Atlanta Magazine • Atlanta Magazine August 2025 • Debut

In the heart of Midtown, upscale flash collides with cultural warmth at La Santa Tacos & Bar. Papel picado hangs in between sleek lighting fixtures, a marble bar features a statue bust graffitied in pink and gold, and above orange banquette seating and black booths, a neon sign reads “cheves tranqui,” shortened Mexican-Spanish slang for “Let’s go for a few chill beers tonight.”

That’s the intention of the restaurant for partners Pablo Casas, Fernando Jimenez, and Jesus Perez, in the old Rwby space at Juniper and Eighth streets. La Santa is a tribute to an iconic club in Mexico City, where Jimenez and Perez hail from (Casas is from Colombia). Perez blends his experience from both casual and upscale Mexican eateries (Red Pepper Taqueria and the now-closed Escorpión, respectively) to define La Santa’s offerings.

The menu is drinks first. On the cheaper side are $5 beers and $9 margaritas, but there’s also the option of going with Mexican artisanal, family-owned tequila in tasting flights or signature margs. Fernanda’s, named after Perez’s daughter, is a tangy and refreshing margarita: Lalo Blanco, a small-batch Jalisco tequila made by Don Julio’s grandson, with cucumber, lime, and pineapple.

There’s nothing too flashy on the food menu, but La Santa does the classics right at a kind price. For starters, esquites con chicharron, corn kernels with mayo and chili powder topped with fried pork rinds for dipping, is typical Mexican street food that La Santa lands with all the smoky, sweet, spicy, and tangy notes desired. A slight deviation from Mexico City is the ceviche de pulpo: Octopus, tomatoes, onions, and fresh lime juice make for a glorious bite on a chip.

For tacos, try the ricas carnitas and pollo asado in adobo for savory staples. There are also uncommon options such as the chuleta ahumada, which contains juicy, smoked pork chop topped with crunchy grilled cacti and onion. “It’s the kind of dish you’d find being grilled on the side of the road in Mexico,” says Casas.

The star of the mains is the quesabirria. To define it in a word: generous. Huge portions of slow-braised beef barbacoa are stuffed in a grilled corn tortilla between Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheeses, all to be dipped in consomme. Finish the meal off with a sticky caramel flan topped with whipped cream and strawberries, or a rich chocolate cake with tart berries for balance.

Still hungry? Go to page 137 for a small Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs that’s big on gnocchi, eggplant parmesan, meatballs, and more.