Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail Restaurant Guide: Hawkers Asian Street Food Review (Old Fourth Ward)

If you’re looking for a must-visit restaurant on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, Hawkers Asian Street Food in Old Fourth Ward consistently ranks among the area’s most talked-about spots. Known for its pan-Asian street food, shareable plates, and lively BeltLine atmosphere, this popular Atlanta restaurant draws both locals and visitors searching for a casual yet memorable dining experience. In this review, I’ll break down what to order, when to visit, pricing, and why Hawkers continues to stand out among Atlanta BeltLine restaurants.

Contents

Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location: Basic Information

Interior table seating atmosphere at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Front exterior view of Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Entrance of Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Restaurant Name	Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location
Type of Cuisine	Asian street food
Restaurant Address	661 Auburn Ave NE, Unit 180, Atlanta, GA 30312, USA
Restaurant Business Hours	• Sunday–Thursday: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM • Friday–Saturday: 11:00 AM–11:00 PM • Open year-round • No break time (open straight through)
Parking	• No on-site parking. • No validation or reimbursement for nearby parking. • Guests can use the paid StudioPlex parking lot (pull a ticket and pay upon exit), with access to the building from the back entrance or via the elevator.
Seating Capacity	• Indoor seating: wood booth seating (table + bench), standard table seating, bar seating, and a noodle-bar counter. • Outdoor seating: patio tables. • Combined indoor and outdoor capacity: 100+ seats.
Amenities	• Complimentary chilled filtered water • Free Wi-Fi • Indoor restrooms available • Suitable for groups of four or more • Dogs allowed only on the outdoor patio • Complimentary water for dogs • Takeout available • Delivery available • Wheelchair accessible

Hawkers Asian Street Food began in 2011 in Orlando, Florida, as a passion project by four friends—a Malaysian American, a Hong Kong American, a Vietnamese American, and a Florida-born American. Inspired by the vibrant hawker centers they grew up with and traveled through across Asia, they set out to create an Asian street food concept rooted in family recipes passed down through generations.

Headquartered in Orlando, Hawkers currently operates 15 company-owned locations across Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Maryland. Notably, the brand is still not franchised. With recent private equity backing, Hawkers has been positioning itself as a compelling fast-casual alternative, steadily expanding while keeping its original, neighborhood-friendly spirit intact.

“Click to expand / collapse”

For context, the name “Hawkers” in Hawkers Asian Street Food literally refers to street vendors. Linguistically, it’s an interesting word. At first glance, it looks like hawk (the bird) plus -er, which would suggest a falconer. That assumption is understandable—but incorrect.

I happen to love Edward Hopper’s iconic painting Nighthawks. The image of sleepless late-night diners gathered around a bar carries a quiet, haunting depth. The original title, Night Hawks, literally refers to “hawks of the night,” a poetic way of describing night owls. Coincidentally, Atlanta’s NBA team is also called the Atlanta Hawks, where hawks again clearly means the bird of prey.

Hawkers, however, comes from a completely different lineage. The term traces back to the early 16th century in Germany and the Netherlands, where people who carried small goods on their backs and shouted to attract customers were called hōker. That word influenced the medieval English term huckster, meaning a peddler or someone who aggressively solicits customers. Over time, spellings like hauker emerged, eventually settling into the modern English hawker.

Today, hawker commonly refers to a street vendor—someone selling goods by calling out to passersby, often with lightweight, portable items. Without understanding this background, it’s easy to assume that hawks and hawkers share the same root and differ only by the presence of -er, when in reality their meanings and usage are entirely separate.

A similar confusion exists with the word peddler. It originates from the Latin pedarius, meaning someone who travels on foot. In medieval English, peddere referred to sellers who walked from village to village with baskets of small goods. In modern usage, peddler took on a slightly derogatory tone, often describing door-to-door salespeople—and today, it’s frequently used metaphorically to refer to drug dealers. Because of that connotation, street vendor or hawker is now preferred in neutral descriptions. It doesn’t help that peddler sounds deceptively similar to paddle, leading to even more confusion for non-native speakers.

This is why English is best understood through history and culture, not just vocabulary lists. Knowing where words come from explains not only what they mean, but why they’re used the way they are—something that adds real depth when you’re telling the story behind a neighborhood restaurant like Hawkers.

Located near the famous Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine, in the heart of Old Fourth Ward, Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location is one of the neighborhood’s most popular Asian street food spots.

The restaurant originally opened on June 3, 2019, in SPX Alley, but a fire in the summer of 2021 forced it to close for nearly three years. After extensive upgrades—including an improved ventilation system, a refreshed interior, and the addition of new menu items—the restaurant officially reopened on April 1, 2024.

Seasoned travelers will immediately recognize the inspiration behind the concept. Across Southeast Asia, destinations like Lau Pa Sat in Singapore or Gurney Drive Hawker Centre in Penang, Malaysia are iconic food hubs. These “hawker centers” are essentially clusters of street food vendors—similar to night markets or pocha-style food streets. In Korea, unlicensed street vendors have largely disappeared due to stricter regulations, though you can still catch traces of that atmosphere around Myeongdong or tucked into certain alleys of traditional markets.

Three of the four founders of Hawkers Asian Street Food are Asian American, and the restaurant’s DNA reflects that background. The menu draws directly from traditional hawker centers across Asia, combining pan-Asian street food classics with family recipes passed down through generations, all reinterpreted through a modern, approachable lens.

As one of the BeltLine’s go-to dining spots, reservations are not accepted for dine-in. Guests must join the waitlist on-site. That said, this is a large restaurant with over 100 seats, plus outdoor tables available when the weather cooperates. During the daytime, waits are usually manageable. Evenings tend to get busy—especially with guests lingering over drinks—so arriving before 6:00 PM is strongly recommended. If the wait looks long, takeout or delivery is a perfectly practical alternative.

Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location: Menu & Prices

Latest menu board at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Menu	Prices (USD)
Dim Sum	• Roti Canai🌶️ – $9.5 • Soup Dumplings – $13 • Yi-Yi’s Chicken Dumplings – $10 • Golden Wontons – $9 • Chili Crisp Wontons🌶️ – $11
Rolls	• Chicken Egg Rolls – $8 • Spring Rolls – $7 • Shrimp Summer Rolls – $8
Bao Buns	• Roast Duck Baos – $13 • Seoul Hot Chicken Baos🌶️ – $12 • Pork Belly Baos – $12 • Chinese BBQ Pork Baos – $11
Veggie-ish	• Vietnamese “Goi Gá” Salad – $13 • Chili Crisp Cucumbers – $8.5 • Chili Garlic Edamame🌶️ – $8 • Hawker’s Delight – $12 • Crispy Tofu Bites – $8
Banchan (3 for $8)	• Spicy Kimchi🌶️ • PICKLED DAIKON & CARROTS • SICHUAN TOFU🌶️ • SPICY PICKLES🌶️ • BLACK PEPPER & BEAN SPROUTS • GARLIC SPINACH
Meats	• Bulgogi Steak – $17 • Korean Twice Fried Wings🌶️ – $16 • Pok Pok Wings🌶️ – $13 • Satay Chicken – $16 • Coconut Shrimp – $12
Hong Kong BBQ	• Hong Kong Sticky Ribs – $18 • Crispy Pork Belly – $11 • Chinese BBQ Pork – $11
Noodles	• Singapore Mei Fun – $15 • Curry Duck Noodles🌶️ – $16 • Yaki Udon🌶️ – $16 • Pad Thai🌶️ – $16.5 • Lo Mein – $15
Noodle Soups	• Hong Kong Wonton – $15 • SICHUAN TONKOTSU RAMEN – $16 • Curry Laksa Ramen🌶️ – $16
Rice & Curry	• Po Po Lo’s Curry🌶️ – $16 • Chow Faan – $16 • Bibimbap🌶️ – $16 • Steak and Kimchi Fried Rice🌶️ – $16 • Jasmine Rice – $4
Sweets	• Jo-Hé Bag O’ Donuts – $8 • Banan Spring Rolls – $11 • Hawkers Soft Serve – Cup $6 / Waffle Cone $7.5
Happy Hour (Half off Baos & Beers. Plus $3 off all spirits and $5 select small plates.) *Pricing, hours, and availability may vary by location.	Seoul Hot Chicken Baos🌶️ – Chinese BBQ Pork – Pork Belly Baos – Roast Duck – Spring Rolls – Chili Garlic Edamame🌶️ – Korean Fried Chicken🌶️ – Japanese Fried Chicken – Hawkers Wings –
Craft Cocktails	• Margari-Thai – $13 • O.G. Pain Killer – $13 • Tiger’s Tail – $12 • Malaysian Mule – $12 • Hibiscus Fizz – $13 • Capri-Fun Cooler – $12 • Gin Rickshaw – $13 • Tacky Tiki – $15 • Lemongrass Mojito – $13 • Five-spice Old Fashioned – $14 • Viet-Spresso – $12 • Thai Basil Paloma – $13 • Domo Arigato Mezcal Roboto – $15 • Yuzu Spritz – $13 • Frui-Tea Fizz – $8 • Matcha Lychee Lemonade – $8 • Thai Iced Tea – $6
Sake	• Bushido Ginjo Genshu “Way of the Warrior” Can – $16 • Kikusui Funaguchi Nama Genshu “Gold” Can – $17 • Kunizakari Nigori Sake Cup – $14 • Tozai Junmai “Living Jewel” – Glass $8 / Bottle $65 • Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu Honjozo “10,000 Ways” – Glass $8 / Bottle $70 • Momokawa Nigori “Pearl” – Glass $8 / Bottle $60
Japanese Whisky	• Mars Iwai – $9 • Akashi Ume Plum – $10 • Suntory Toki – $12 • Mars Iwai Tradition – $16 • Nikka Coffey Malt – $19 • Hibiki Harmony – $24 • Kaiyō – $17 • Yamazaki 12 year – $35 • Yamazaki 18 year – $75
Craft Brews	• SAPPORO – Draft $7 • CREATURE COMFORTS TROPICALIA – Draft $8 • MICHELOB ULTRA – $6 • KIRIN LIGHT – $8 • ASAHI SUPER DRY – $7 • SINGHA – $8 • LUCKY BUDDHA – $9 • THREE TAVERNS UKIYO – $7 • PABST BLUE RIBBON – $5 • NEW REALM TROPIC DREAM – $7 • THREE TAVERNS SEASONAL SOUR – $8 • SCOFFLAW BASEMENT – $8 • MONDAY NIGHT SLAP FIGHT – $8 • NEW REALM HAZY LIKE A FOX – $7 • TUCKER GEORGIA RED – $8 • KIUCHI HITACHING NEST SEASONAL – $14 • TUCKER BREWING SEASONAL – $8 • SWEETWATER BREWING SEASONAL – $7 • HEINEKEN – $8
White Wine	• Bex – Glass $9 / Bottle $36 • Ca’ Bolani – Glass $10 / Bottle $40 • Raimat – Glass $10 / Bottle $40 • Whitehaven – Glass $13 / Bottle $52 • Alexander Valley Vineyards – Glass $11 / Bottle $44
Red Wine	• Murphy-Goode – Glass $10 / Bottle $40 • Prophecy – Glass $9 / Bottle $36 • Alamos – Glass $9 / Bottle $36 • Hahn Family – Glass $11 / Bottle $44
Sparkling & Rosé	• Bisol – Glass $10 / Bottle $40 • Whcliff – Glass $7 • A to Z – Glass $11 / Bottle $44
Booze Free	• Acqua Panna (500ml) – $6 • Topo Chico (12oz) – $6 • Vietnamese Coffee – $5 • Unsweetened Flavored Iced Tea – $4 • Rishi Hot Tea – $4 • Fever-Tree – $4 • Fountain Soda – $4

Hawkers Asian Street Food offers a broad, well-balanced menu spanning dim sum, rolls, grilled meats, rice dishes, curries, noodles, and desserts—making it easy to sample a wide range of flavors in one visit. The standouts are clearly designed for sharing. Crowd favorites include roti canai with curry, Korean-style double-fried chicken wings, soup dumplings, hot chicken bao buns, pad thai, yaki udon, pork belly, and Singapore mei fun noodles. Vegetarian options such as seared tofu and Hawker’s Delight are also available, and portion sizes are intentionally share-friendly, which works especially well for groups.

The beverage program is more thoughtfully curated than you might expect from a casual street food concept. The beer list features familiar Asian labels like Tiger (Singapore), Kirin Ichiban, and Asahi, alongside Japanese whiskies such as Yamazaki and Hibiki. There’s also a notably diverse sake selection—including canned sake, which is still relatively uncommon at Korean restaurants—plus an easygoing lineup of Georgia-friendly casual wines.

Where Hawkers really shines, though, is its Asian-inspired craft cocktail menu. Drinks like the Lychee Martini, Grapefruit Sake Spritz, Ginger Mango Mule, and Yuzu Margarita lean heavily into tropical fruit and Asian aromatics such as lime, coconut, and chili. A quick look around the dining room makes it obvious: cocktails are the most frequently ordered items, and for good reason—they’re visually striking enough to feel tailor-made for social media.

From Monday through Thursday, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Hawkers runs a happy hour with $3 off cocktails, which explains why the place stays lively even on weekday afternoons. It’s a strong value window and one of the best times to experience the menu without the evening crowds.

Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location: Real Customer Reviews

Interior entrance atmosphere of Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Bar seating area at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Overall interior dining area with table seating at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Noodle bar seating atmosphere at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Wood booth table seating at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

We stopped by Hawkers around 5:20 PM after a walk along the BeltLine and were seated immediately with no wait at all. Seating is divided between indoor and outdoor areas, but with Atlanta’s current cold weather, outdoor tables weren’t very practical. Inside, there’s a good mix of wooden booth seating (tables with bench-style seats), standard tables, bar seating, and a noodle bar counter, so you can choose based on your mood. Most diners seem to prefer either the wood booths or the regular tables.

Once seated, our server brought over the menus. We were dining as a party of two and ordered the Chinese BBQ Pork Bao ($11), Yi-Vi’s Chicken Dumplings ($10), Sichuan Tonkotsu Ramen ($16), FruiTea Fizz ($8), and Jo-He Bag Donuts ($8)—five items in total, which turned out to be a comfortable amount to share.

While we were deciding, our server poured water for us. At first, I assumed it was standard tap water, but there was no noticeable odor and the taste was clean and refreshing—likely filtered. It wasn’t ice-cold, but it was nicely chilled and genuinely pleasant to drink. What stood out was the attentiveness: the water glasses were quietly refilled throughout the meal without us having to ask. By the time we paid and left, that level of service alone earned an extra $5 tip.

Unlike many parts of Europe, U.S. restaurants generally provide complimentary water with free refills, often referred to as tap water. While this isn’t mandated by federal law, it’s a deeply ingrained custom. In Georgia—and Atlanta specifically—there’s no explicit state statute requiring it, but food service health codes emphasize access to safe drinking water, which has effectively established the practice of serving free water or ice water. In practical terms, once you sit down at a restaurant here, staying hydrated is rarely something you need to worry about.

Chinese BBQ Pork Bao and Yi-Vi’s Chicken Dumplings at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

Our dishes didn’t arrive all at once. Instead, they were brought out as each item was finished, which suited the sharing-style menu well and kept the pace of the meal relaxed.

The bao bun came out first—soft, warm, and pillowy. Inside, the char siu pork was moist and glossy, carrying a gently sweet soy-based flavor with a subtle hint of char. One bite delivers a nice balance between the sweetness of the sauce and the rich, savory fat of the pork, without feeling heavy.

Next were the chicken dumplings. The wrappers were thin and silky, with a clean bite, while the filling leaned light and restrained—tender chicken accented with aromatic vegetables and mild spices. They’re approachable and well-balanced rather than aggressively seasoned.

Sichuan Tonkotsu Ramen at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

The most intriguing dish on the table was the Sichuan Tonkotsu Ramen, a name I hadn’t encountered before. In context, it makes more sense than it first appears. Ramen itself traces its roots back to Chinese noodle culture, and Sichuan is the birthplace of dan dan noodles, which heavily influence Japanese tantanmen. This bowl feels like a crossover: a rich tonkotsu pork broth layered with Sichuan-style heat and numbing spice. The soup is deep and savory, with a lingering chili oil aroma that coats the palate, while the noodles have enough spring to stand up to the broth.

That said, ramen—much like Pyongyang-style cold noodles—has a devoted fan base with very strong opinions. This isn’t a bowl that declares itself as the definitive version. Instead, it’s best appreciated for what it is: a creative interpretation you can enjoy in Atlanta, in a lively BeltLine setting, rather than a purist benchmark.

Jo-He Bag Donuts at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

The donuts closed the meal on a very American note. After the spices and richness of the savory dishes, the sweetness worked nicely as a palate reset. The exterior was lightly crisp, the inside soft and pleasantly chewy, with a sugar coating that blended well with the subtle aroma of frying oil to create a classic donut profile. Served warm, the fragrance is especially inviting, and the sweetness is restrained enough that eating more than one doesn’t feel excessive.

Final receipt showing total with tax and tip at Hawkers Asian Street Food – New Atlanta BeltLine location

We didn’t order any alcohol this time—we’ve been working out regularly—so the meal moved at a relaxed but efficient pace. From seating to checkout, we were in and out in about 40 minutes. When we paid, we left a $5 tip, bringing the total to $62.71 ($53 for food, $4.71 in tax, plus tip). At current exchange rates, that works out to roughly $45 per person, which is a fair snapshot of just how expensive dining out in the U.S. feels these days. With the strong dollar, it’s no surprise that many Koreans living here have cut back on eating out and cook most meals at home.

Still, every so often, getting out matters. A meal like this isn’t just about food—it’s about stepping outside, seeing other people, and briefly changing the rhythm of everyday life. Atlanta is often dismissed as a “boring” city, and to a certain extent, that reputation isn’t entirely undeserved. But spending more time walking the BeltLine lately has shifted my perspective. These days, value isn’t found in loud nights or excessive drinking, but in settling into a city, maintaining a steady routine, and letting life feel a little more natural. In that sense, dining out becomes a small but meaningful reward at the end of an ordinary day.

Atlanta’s dining scene can sometimes feel repetitive—heavy Southern comfort food and fried dishes dominate—but slipping in a meal of Asian street food every now and then is refreshing. It even softens that familiar tug of wanting to go back home. If you’re visiting Atlanta, or already living here and planning to explore the BeltLine Eastside Trail, Hawkers Asian Street Food is well worth a stop. The atmosphere is lively, the food is enjoyable, and it fits naturally into a casual BeltLine stroll.

Recommended Menu Picks

For first-time visitors, these menu items are highly recommended:

1. Chinese BBQ Pork Bao – Soft, pillowy buns with sweet-savory char siu and a subtle smoky finish. Approachable and well-balanced.

2. Sichuan Tonkotsu Ramen – Not a purist ramen, but an interesting cross-cultural bowl that blends tonkotsu richness with Sichuan-style heat.

3. Jo-He Bag Donuts – A solid, comforting finish that pairs well after spicy or richly seasoned dishes.

Final Verdict

Hawkers Asian Street Food on the Atlanta BeltLine delivers exactly what it promises: a lively, shareable Asian street food experience in one of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods. The food is approachable rather than hyper-authentic, but thoughtfully executed, and the atmosphere fits naturally into a BeltLine stroll. Prices reflect current U.S. dining realities, yet the overall experience—service, variety, and setting—makes it feel like a worthwhile occasional indulgence rather than an everyday spot.

💡 Pro Tip:

Arrive before 6:00 PM to avoid long waits, especially on weekends.
Take advantage of weekday happy hour (Mon–Thu, 3–6 PM) for discounted cocktails.
If the wait gets long, takeout travels well, and it’s an easy option to enjoy along the BeltLine.
Come with at least one other person—the menu shines brightest when shared.

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