Early next month, a “bridge to barbecue” linking the Atlanta Beltline to the backside of Ansley Mall is scheduled to finally open, officials announced today. 

Just weeks after scoring a Bib Gourmand designation in Michelin’s latest American South Guide, Charleston-based restaurant Lewis Barbecue is planning to open its relatively large Atlanta location along the Beltline’s Northeast Trail on Dec. 8. 

The blue pedestrian bridge built as a Beltline connection to Ansley Mall two years ago—and walled off from public use ever since—will officially open a week earlier on Dec. 1, according to mall owner Selig Enterprises. (That follows the opening of another long-awaited Beltline connection, the Ponce de Leon Avenue pedestrian ramp, last week.) 

Lewis Barbecue, a popular concept by Texas-bred pitmaster John Lewis, will operate a space spanning more than 8,000 square feet at Ansley Mall, topped with a 1,600-square-foot facet described as the “world’s first rooftop smokehouse” that overlooks the Northeast Trail. Between indoor and outdoor dining, the meat palace will accommodate around 200 carnivores at once, per project officials. It’ll be open seven days a week. 

Other components will include an outdoor walk-up window for ordering grub a few feet from the Beltline bridge, as well as a private event space with Beltline views. 

Full scope of renovation plans for the backside of Ansley Mall, as served by the pedestrian bridge installed in 2023. Terminus Design Group

Overview of the 1960s mall property layout, in relation to the Beltline's Northeast Trail corridor at bottom, as seen while under construction. Google Maps

Lewis searched for years to find “the perfect spot in one of the country’s top food cities,” per an announcement today. A grand opening—complete with something called a “rib pull” ceremony—is scheduled for the morning of Monday, Dec. 8. 

“We smoke our meats for 18 hours in our custom-built pits because we believe barbecue is all about patience. But, Atlanta, you’ve waited long enough to indulge—it’s salvation time,” Lewis said in a statement. “We cannot wait to share our authentic Central-Texas approach to barbecue right in the heart of ATL.”

As seen in late June, the off-limits, 105-foot pedestrian bridge branching off the Beltline's Northeast Trail to Ansley Mall. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Plans for an exterior walkway between new retail spaces facing the Beltline. Terminus Design Group

For Lewis Barbecue, the Ansley Mall outpost will mark the concept’s third location, following others in Charleston and Greenville (a fourth is now planned in Raleigh as well). Some 3,000 weekly patrons are expected in Atlanta, with a substantial portion of them arriving from the Beltline. 

The restaurant is expected to bring another 100 to 150 vehicles per day to the mall, according to permitting paperwork.   

Selig, which has owned the 16-acre mall property for half a century, installed the 105-foot pedestrian bridge in late 2023. It’s intended to serve as a seamless mall connection for Beltline patrons—and an easier link to the Northeast Trail for residents in nearby neighborhoods such as Piedmont Heights. 

All Northeast Trail segments are now finished between southern Buckhead and Monroe Drive, including a scenic section through Piedmont Park.  

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