Photos: Paschal’s Restaurant Celebrates being on the Cover of Dining Out Magazine

Paschal's Restaurant for 65 years has been a staple of good food and fellowship within the Black Atlanta community, and now the civil rights legendary restaurant has made the cover of Dining Out Magazine.  To celebrate this fete, the restaurant threw a private party on Tuesday night and invited some of its greatest supporters.

As one of the marketing team members told me, "this is huge.  This is the first time that fried chicken has been on the cover of Dining Out!"  The Paschal's organization has seen its share of success, but it is sweeter this go around because they are being recognized for their food, libations, and atmosphere, and not necessarily for their connection to the civil rights movement.  As the General Manager, Mr Clebert, puts it "(this cover) signals the beginning of a re-branding campaign we are doing for the restaurant."

The Paschal brothers, James and Robert Paschal, opened their first location in 1947 at 831 West Hunter Street in Atlanta, Georgia.  Soon after opening, the brothers decided ‘Fried Chicken’ would be the specialty of the house, and with that mandate, Robert created his ‘secret recipe’.

DiningOut Magazine placed a piece of Atlanta history on the cover of its Summer/Fall 2012 issue when it highlighted Paschal's.  In the article, “A Recipe for Greatness: Paschal’s Turns a New Page in the History of Atlanta,” Ted Gniff highlights the role of Paschal’s Restaurant in Atlanta history – particularly during the civil rights movement.

The two-page, full-color display offers a glimpse of the restaurant’s newly redecorated dining room, where historic wall photos pay tribute to Paschal’s history. The collection includes images of the Paschal brothers and the events of their time, as well as prominent restaurant visitors and well-wishers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, and Jimmy Carter.

Throughout the years, Paschal’s Restaurant became the ‘meeting place’ for some of the most notable entertainers, politicians, and business people, including Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, Vice President Al Gore, and Dr. Martin Luther King just to name a few.

In 2002, James Paschal and Herman J. Russell joined forces to create a 21st century version of Paschal’s Restaurant located in the Castleberry Hill area just across from its AUC roots.  There are also multiple Paschal Restaurants/eateries in the Atlanta Airport.

Now to the age old question... What is the proper way to pronounce Paschal's?  Well the question has been officially solved, for me at least.  You will have to visit the restaurant to ask for yourself.

Have any memories of the old Paschal's Restaurant? Please share them in the Comments!