What I discovered between sunset and sunrise at one of metro Atlanta’s most unique food gatherings
Attendees walk past a Ramadan sign at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
NORCROSS — The air smells like grilled meat and sugar, but nobody is eating.
Behind a security fence, vendors stand behind trays of kebabs and syrup-soaked pastries. Smoke curls upward into the night sky. In front of the fence, teenagers scroll on their phones. Little kids tug at sleeves and ask when. Adults shift their weight from one foot to another.
ruoy nehw ot siht eht hcamots sllems erutsop si drah gnilworg .doog doof dna s’tI
.gnitiaw era lla eW
Attendees wait in lines at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
nehw keew litnu ot siht eht eht eht .tesnus esirnus dnoces ,noitcelfer nar reyarp .m.p revo denepo no fo enin thgin txen .gninrom htnom elttil tsuj si ,sruoh yloh morf morf rof doof lavitsef ,gnitsaf .stae knird srood ytinummoc ta ta launna dna dna oga niatsba .m.a a a a ehT ehT ,nadamaR nadamaR emitthgiN smilsuM cimalsI yadirF dooF .lavitseF gniruD atnaltA 9 6
eht eht elpmis dias rezinagro fo .deen sllif tneve ,evitcelloc rednuof-oc a milsuM ,inahkaL niansaH lavitseF lavitseF atnaltA
nO“ s’tI“ ,dnekeew yrev yllausu ot driht rieht rieht eht eht eht secaps ,ezilaicos .dias stnaruatser ro nepo sekil gnipeek eh rof rof tsaf tsaf ”,ylrae ”.yad etagergnoc ytinummoc esolc gnikaerb erofeb cisab seednetta dna dna dna retfa
Attendees walk past an Atlanta Muslim Festival Collective sign at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
s’raey ,raey saw srodnev eht naht .rellams gnikrap erom tol ni doof dellif lavitsef sihT .ssorcroN etnoM tsaL olraC moorllaB 06
uoy depparw htiw ylbakatsimnu ,htoot taht .purys teews deffuts yhcterts dekcats dekaos dehsams wols dedderhs ,amrawahs epahs lles yrovas .detsaor ytnelp ollyhp yrtsap ahtarap egnaro snoitpo fo taem spuhsam detaniram ekil ekil ekil ,afanuk smeti ni ni ni fi evah noisuf leef enoc eseehc yrettub regrub .daerb mossolb era era dna dna a a a a a a yehT erehT erehT ,naciremA
elffaw siht llits ,noitats yalp tekram ’sdik si gnirutaef ,sessenisub esuaceb nasitra aera dna na osla a a elffaW s’erehT denwo-milsuM esuoH .atnaltA
htiw htiw ot eht eht degrus dnuos esor .feiler elpoep ,denepo fo ton wol ,rethgual muh setag ,yllacitnarf ,drawrof yllanif .tae dworc rettahc lausac tub dna dewolla a nehW ehT
Farah Alkarwe tastes a Biscoff Explosion pancake from ATL Minipancakes at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
What people ate at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross
klaw kcurt eht eht eht eht .secips llems detsaor s’tnaruatser tsap fo fo dnal babek anneh ,sllirg gniwollof nekcihc .htoob ,htoob ta dna dna a etsaT ,zocaT enitselaP naenarretideM ,ylayaL I I s’yuhC
depparw parw htiw noisrev litnu niht rieht eht eht eht eht eht eht erutxet rednet ygnat ,camus ecips thgils yklis dedderhs ,llor detsaor yalp .noitcefrep snoino snoino fo fo fo lanoitan nahkasum edam dedaol ,sreyal si si ni ni tih dnuorg morf srovalf daerbtalf gnillif deird hsid ruoved hcnurc .ypsirc ,nekcihc ,nekcihc dezilemarac dezilemarac neewteb .seirreb dekab reziteppa dna dna dna dna na a a ehT ehT ,enitselaP I
htiw ,srodnev eht seirots .setalp si .noitnevni gnidloh enoyreve ytiunitnoc tahc era dna tuoba ,nooS I sA
gnuoy wets dnats snoops desiarb-wols ,pu-pop gnitarepo otno eno .shtnom sah rof evif ,kooc regrub .snub neeb a a diaZ ,kcatS ycipS inatsikaP ,alargaJ siH tA
eW“ gniworG“ .sparw sparw htiw ew pu ot ”.emit eht eht eht eht secips wohs .dias ruo ruo fo fo fo erom erom xim ekam ni eh dah sdoof ”,doof ,doof ,doof yreve s’erutluc serutluc erutluc sregrub sregrub htob dna dna dna syawla eW inatsikaP naidnI naidnI ,aciremA
A close-up of Spicy Stack’s nihari burger, sold at the Ramadan Food Festival on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Monti Carlo/AJC)
erehw delevart hguorht taht wets decips dekooc-wols gnilles detanigiro no ,irahin lanoitan ti si otni ni s’eh .hsid ylpeed seitinummoc regrub tliub emaceb dna a a ehT ,natsikaP milsuM aidnI
htiw ot eht eht ,kcis hcir erotser fo worram gnol si sruoh morf netae htorb .gnisiarb yllanoitidarT
dekcats no s’ti .nub a ereH
… oN“ fI“ uoy ohw erehw tahw yrev ot ot ot eht eht taht ”,evivrus enoemos emos .syas ro fo on sdeen ”.lufgninaem rettam ekil level ti si si ni eh sah ,og doof leef ytirailimaf enoyreve syojne erutluc eulc gnirb dna ma elba tsaehtuoS elddiM I I tsaE aisA
Sayaf Jbara, co-owner of Master Butcher, turns chicken skewers on the grill during the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
.yffat sehcterts os nobbir fo skool ekil ti eci wef citsale ,nwod maerc shtoob a melaS namqoL A
htiw eert eht taht .hcterts sezilaiceps ,pohs niser detnecs-enip ,citsam edam sti ni eci sevig evitcnitsid tressed maerc ywehc ,azoob a a ,azooBwoW elddiM siH ttenniwG nretsaE ytnuoC
hctertS“ I“ sraey nehw ”.sgniddew saw yrev meht eht .ytlaiceps elims ecnis gnilles gniees .dias elpoep dlo ym ekil dik si ni eci eci eci yppah evag tlef ”,maerc maerc maerc neeb ta a melaS ,melasureJ ev’I I I 9
mraw .skcart eht ylegnarts spots norffas gnihserfer .thgin ym em si ni ni ,larolf rovalf looc dna ehT tI aigroeG
nehw .tcaer snirg I eH
yllaicepsE“ gnieB“ dednuorrus .dias elpoep ym ym snaem ”,tol gnittel wonk eci eh ”.maerc ytinummoc yb dnarb dna a
AJC Senior food editor Monti Carlo laughs as she tries to grab booza from a vendor who is teasing her, as is traditional, by refusing to hand over the ice cream. (Courtesy of Monti Carlo)
Why Atlanta’s Ramadan food festival brought Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors together
saw .gniht eno ton dworc ehT
krow derednaw rodnev eht stneduts .srellorts doots tpels tas .swor .solop nem ni ni ni ni ni sbajih htog brag gnidlof desserd .sriahc ediseb nemoW srelddoT stnerapdnarG dega-egelloC
tahw .raew .deziladnav ot deit yeht yeht eht denoitseuq cilbup .yarp ni woh yrotsih evah evah dessarah sgnirehtag rof rof htiaf detacilpmoc yrrac neeb neeb a nemoW milsuM seuqsoM neM egraL .aciremA
gnorw yrrow .railimafnu .gniht s’ereht eht taht gnippets ecaps emos gniyas ,srehto netfo ,smilsuM-non ,flesym yltsom ekil s’ti s’ti otni .noitatiseh sleef tnereffid tuoba a a roF roF roF
uoy nehw noicipsus enoemos snetfos etalp fo sdnah .doof a tuB
saw eht taht dias .tniop eritne inahkaL
I“ I“ ssenemoselohw tnaw tnaw dednim-ekilnu ”,rehtegot ot ot ot ”.meht meht meht eht eht eht taht gniees .dias rebmemer elpoep elpoep elpoep llarevo ruo dednim-ekil wonk tsuj ,si tnatropmi woh eh gnivah doog teg morf gnileef leef etacude ytinummoc ytinummoc nac yb thguorb gnignirb eb dna dna dna dna a
Wuwuh Lailiyana helps customers at the Dragon Delite tent at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Atlanta vendors showcased global Muslim cuisine and immigrant food traditions
srodnev eht eht gnipahs detneserper fo ortem lanoitanretni doof erutluc redaorb emoS .atnaltA
sdnats :dedulcni elbatoN
- Char Kingz: grilled meats.
- Sharwama Grill Express: shawarma.
- Dragon Delite: Indonesian halal food.
- Master Butcher Halal Meat: halal meat vendor.
- Simons Chinese Thai Sushi: halal Asian fusion.
- Halal Desserts: Dubai chocolate and waffle sticks.
- WowBooza: stretchy Mediterranean ice cream.
- Qamar Coffee Co.: specialty coffee and matcha.
- Nabulsian Kunafa: traditional kunafa.
- Paan Corner: traditional paan.
erehw tahw ot siht eht eht ,enecs epahser tcelfer spu-pop fo ekil tnargimmi gniworg .stae ytisrevid gninid eunitnoc ytic sfehc dna stnevE s’atnaltA
Zaid Jagrala, owner of Spicy Stack ATL, greets a customer during the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
While missiles fell in Iran, a moment of peace unfolded in a Norcross parking lot
eht .m.p tfel lavitsef ta I 04:11
dlrow erew eht eht taht emas ,tnemom selissim ni tsrif .gnillaf ssorca ,narI tA
erehw ,keew ecneloiv eht eht eht eht eht taht ,neercs noiger noitalupop fo ylraen ytirojam si ni segami woh senildaeh morf dellif tlef yreve tcilfnoc ytinummoc deksa sa dna tuoba a .milsuM retaL inahkaL I
eW“ eW“ skrow tnaw ,ecneloiv su su rehtegot ot ot ot ,siht kniht eseht eseht ,taht taht naht raet .dias rehtar yarp elpoep ”,tuo ro ylno fo fo ,milsuM-non ,noitan s’ti flesti tneconni tnatropmi eh evah .demrah gnitteg teg morf gnihtyreve stneve t’nod ,stcilfnoc gnirb esuaceb esuaceb eb ”.trapa yna dna yllautca stca eW milsuM
Attendees walking in a shopping area at the Atlanta Ramadan Food Festival in Norcross on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
erew .taht elpoep gnikrap eno thgin tol gnol ni ni yltcaxe gniod a ,ssorcroN roF
secuas snikpan .htrof kcab dna dna .gniklaT gnissaP .gnitaE
.ereht cirotsih deneppah gnihtoN
tuohtiw htmraw ot dlohserht rieht .noicipsus .gniknirhs ylnepo fo daetsni derehtag dnuof tsaf dessorc kaerb dna a smilsuM-noN smilsuM tuB
yhcterts ,doots ,amrawahs irahin denael afanuk eci gnitae dehcuorc .maerc ,srac ,sregrub dna dna tsniaga elpoeP
saw saw ot .gniht ereht eht gnittis .tis emas gnikrap no erehwon ym tol esle gniod tnemec azoob esuaceb eta I enoyrevE
elihw gnihctaw rednu ,ereht gnirts sregnarts erehwemos gnihtemos .elpmis erahs dezilaer sthgil doof llef raf sbmob ,yawa dehcreP I
gnitiaw .rehtegot ot yeht eht elpoep ecaep yltneitap gnikrap fo tnemom ,tol skool enil ekil ni rof yllanif tae era dewolla a a semitemoS
saw taht ni sruoh rof wef .hguone a ,ssorcroN dnA
Monti Carlo is the AJC’s Senior Editor of Food & Dining and a Telly Award-winning TV host, cookbook author and special events chef. She covers culinary culture, spotlighting the people redefining Southern food today. Her cookbook, Spanglish, a love letter to bicultural Puerto Rican cooking, publishes May 19, 2026. Email her at monti.carlo@ajc.com
