With hanging black-and-white images of civil rights pillars who are actual former patrons and the O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money” coming through the speakers, this Castleberry Hills classic now helmed by the family of trailblazing businessman Herman J. Russell paints a soul-soothing scene. But just when you start to settle into your catfish, candied yams, and cornbread, a Snoop Dogg song comes on. And wait, is that really a robot dropping off the plates? Yep, it sure is.

With black-and-white images of civil rights pillars like Coretta Scott King towering over the tables and the O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money” coming through the speakers, you think you know what’s in store at this ATL classic—a soul-soothing scene filled with catfish, candied yams, and cornbread. Wait a second, is that Snoop Dogg you hear now? And is that really a robot dropping off the plates? Yep and yep. Thankfully, this mix of trendy and traditional works because the food is so damn tasty.

Brothers Robert and James Paschal ran the most popular restaurant in Atlanta serving black patrons in the ‘60s. Still a thriving business today, Paschal’s serves signature soul food dishes, like their classic fried chicken, which dates back to the 1940s. In 1961, the Freedom Riders met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. here en route to their final destination in New Orleans. “Robert and James hosted us for dinner that night, once again demonstrating their commitment to the Movement.”

Paschal’s Restaurant serves up history alongside classic Southern eats: it stood as a spot where Civil Rights leaders could eat and discuss plans for the future of the movement. Enjoy ‘Paschal’s famous 1947 fried chicken’, macaroni and cheese grits or Chef Banks’s gumbo.

With a storied history going back to 1947, Paschal’s has cemented a legacy in Castleberry Hill as one of Atlanta’s foremost destinations for fall-out-of-your-seat fried chicken. After you pick yourself up off the floor and calm your nerves with their award-winning peach cobbler, immerse yourself in the restaurant’s civil rights heritage where it served as the central meeting place for the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson and more leaders of the movement.