Restaurants in Fulton

Once a dining party slides into a smoky-blue booth under hanging green lights, it's not long before the group is joined by the stars of the evening––stuffed dishes of tandoori chicken and fish cured in the heat of a charcoal clay oven. Black-and-white portraits of historical figures look on with jealousy as patrons kiss scoops of vegetarian and lamb curry dishes, sopped up with warm naan or whole-wheat roti. Meals move from savory to sweet with fruity yogurt drinks and traditional Indian desserts such as the delicate dumplings of gulab jamun—spongy milky balls soaked in a rose-scented syrup with the same sugar content as a baby's giggle.

As its name suggests, Downtown Diner is a down-home diner nestled at the center of downtown. Visitors can dine in or take their meal to eat with the lonely bill on the steps of the Capitol building. Breakfast is served all day, with selections ranging from stacks of fluffy pancakes to create-your-own omelets (egg white substitutions are also available); lunch options dance across the American palate, from philly cheesesteak sandwiches to Cajun-chicken salads. An array of homemade pies changes daily.

After 30 years of curating and perfecting recipes, founders Linda and Julie unleashed their culinary powers to create a Roly Poly menu of more than 50 rolls and sandwiches, plus a tempting selection of desserts. Slinging sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the sandwich artisans envelop a variety of inventive ingredients inside warm, floury tortillas, from scrambled eggs to pesto chicken to mustard-splashed tuna. Customized sandwiches may also be rolled to suit various diets, preferences, or carbo-loading competitive mimes.

Cafe Berlin fills its kitchen with vegetables, coffee, dairy, free-range eggs, and other natural and organic foods from local farms, including Patchwork Family Farms, Green Hills Harvest Dairy, and Lakota Coffee Company. Breakfast, which is served all day, includes dishes such as Turkish-style eggs, french toast, and pancake burritos—a large pancake that enfolds two scrambled eggs and Patchwork bacon, served with maple syrup. Black-bean quesadillas, burgers with local, organic beef, and housemade soups crown the lunch menu and pair with an array of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.

Plastic dinosaurs and Godzilla figures dot the sunny dining room, where they hang from the rafters, sit on the counter, and gnaw on table legs. Patrons can gaze at the eclectic decor while listening to live music or tales from the Porch Light storytelling series.

Seated among framed photos and wood wainscoting, visitors to The Gathering Place Café munch on hearty servings of daily specials that range from beef burritos to chicken-fried steaks. Serving up kansas city strip steaks every Saturday night and biscuits and gravy each morning, The Gathering Place continuously satiates diners with all local beef and farm-fresh, free-range eggs that wander into the kitchen.

The Copper Kettle’s menu is a throwback to simpler times. Country-fried steak, fried chicken, and beef pot roast are just three of the kitchen’s dinner specialties. Each comes with macaroni and cheese or potatoes, plus a trip to the salad bar. If they still have room, diners can finish the meal with one of six homemade pies, including apple, lemon, and sugar-free banana crème. Breakfast—from biscuits and gravy to fluffy flapjacks—is served morning or night. The Copper Kettle also has a kid’s menu, featuring chicken strips and grilled cheese to keep tykes from stealing bites off their parent’s plates or chewing off their own arm.