Lazy Betty

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Story Behind the Name

Lazy Betty is the Hsu family's love letter to food and community. Chef-owner Ron Hsu grew up a restaurant kid, surrounded by the flavors of his parents' Hunan Village restaurants across Georgia. His mother Betty welcomed guests as if they were family, and that spirit became the foundation of everything here. The name carries her warmth into every service.

Ron's path from that childhood to Peachtree Street is anything but ordinary. He spent seven years at Le Bernardin — the legendary New York City restaurant holding three Michelin stars and four New York Times stars — working his way from line cook to Creative Director. That foundation in precision, technique, and the finest ingredients now anchors Lazy Betty's open kitchen, where diners can watch their meal take shape in real time.

A Kitchen with a Point of View

The menu is modern American with clear French influences — a direct reflection of Chef Hsu's professional training, global travels, and deep roots in Atlanta's local community. The approach is deliberate: exquisite ingredients, a thoughtful hand, and the conviction that every element on the plate must earn its place.

That philosophy extends to Lazy Betty's celebrated special events. Chef-owners Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips — both Le Bernardin alumni — have staged all-seafood tasting dinners that revisit the seafood mastery they developed in New York. Collaboration dinners with visiting chefs bring fresh creative energy into the kitchen while keeping the restaurant's identity firmly intact.

The wine program, overseen by Beverage & Wine Director Gracie Barwick, earned Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 — recognition that reflects the same level of care applied to the food.

Recognition and the Road Ahead

Lazy Betty holds a Michelin star, has been named Atlanta Magazine's Best Restaurant multiple times, and appeared on Thrillist's Best New Restaurant list. James Beard Award recognition — both as a nominee and semifinalist — further underscores the restaurant's place in the wider American fine dining conversation.

Chef Hsu's upcoming cookbook, Down South + East, offers a window into the culinary imagination behind Lazy Betty: cornbread made with lap cheong, char siu pork glazed with sorghum and bourbon, meatloaf finished with soy and shiitake. It's the same instinct that drives the restaurant — finding unexpected common ground between Southern and Chinese pantries, and making something entirely new from it.

The ethos is simple: come together, eat well, and live unhurried.