Business & Tech

Two Sandy Springs Nightspots Symbolize Longevity as Dante's Down the Hatch Closes

Sandy Springs has two long-running establishments that have made their mark on the metro Atlanta area – Café 290 and The Punchline.

 

In the 1980s it was common for Atlanta newcomers to be asked, “Have you been to Dante’s Down the Hatch yet? No? Oh you have to go.”

It was a must to experience dinner on the ship, see the crocodiles below in the water and taste the fondue.

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Many are reminiscing this weekend over the closing of Buckhead’s legendary restaurant, in March. The restaurant first opened in Underground Atlanta in 1970 and has been on Peachtree Road in Buckhead since 1981. Few establishments have such a long life-span.

Sandy Springs has two long-running establishments that have made their mark on the metro Atlanta area – Café 290 and The Punchline.

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Set across the parking lot from each other in the Balconies on Hilderbrand Drive, the two nightspots have been open for more than 30 years. The likes of Eddie Murphy, Jon Stewart and countless others have entered The Punchline doors and performed on stage, and you never know who’s going to play or dine at Café 290. It could be Atlanta's Francine Reed, Freddie Cole or Clint Eastwood.

When many other nightspots have come and gone, Cafe 290 and The Punchline has remained a draw for longtime Atlantans.


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