Chef Robbie Pacheco is opening a new Italian restaurant in downtown Decatur next month, and it's arriving with a menu built around a 40-ounce dry-aged porterhouse cooked in cinnamon butter. Luga Decatur is slated to open in October at 855 Commerce Drive, inside the Modera Decatur apartment community, giving the fast-growing corridor its most ambitious sit-down dining concept yet.
The restaurant marks a distinct evolution for the Luga name. Luga's official site identifies Berin Islami and the team behind Positano Pizza Napoletana and Giulia Italian Bakery as the local owners and operators of the newest Italian concept. As reported by WhatNow, the Decatur location has a distinct concept from its East Cobb sibling, leaning into a chef-driven menu of rustic Italian dishes rather than the suburban, casual-elegant approach of the original.
Pacheco described the new spot as very chef-driven and intended for people who enjoy food and craft cocktails, per the same WhatNow report. Beyond the showstopping porterhouse, the menu will include gamberi, a shrimp dish served with house-made focaccia, along with handmade pastas and Roma-style pizzas. Luga Italian Eatery notes that the beverage program will lean into spritzes, Italian amari, and zero-proof drinks for guests skipping alcohol.
Florence-Inspired Design Meets Modera's Residential Density
Inside, the restaurant will feature Florence-inspired design elements, including a rustic-style mirror and a decorative arch positioned behind the bar, according to WhatNow's reporting. The space sits within Modera Decatur, an apartment complex, as part of Atlanta restaurant news covered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Diners visiting Luga Decatur will get two-hour parking validation in the Modera parking deck within the same building complex, according to Luga Italian Eatery.
Luga Decatur's hours will be announced closer to opening, per Luga's own launch schedule. The restaurant is slated to shift to all-day service encompassing brunch, lunch, and dinner once it settles into the space.
A Fine-Dining Pedigree Built Across Atlanta
Pacheco's résumé explains the ambition behind the menu. He served as chef de cuisine at Cardamom Hill during the Indian-inspired restaurant's national emergence, which included a James Beard Award semifinalist nod, and later worked as executive chef at Porsche North America's Restaurant 356 in Atlanta, according to his own professional biography on the Robbie Pacheco Official Website.
In April 2024, Pacheco co-founded the Sweet Auburn fine-dining restaurant Auburn Angel with restaurateur Asa Fain, converting the former 1940s Auburn Avenue Rib Shack building after a six-year restoration supported by an Invest Atlanta grant, as reported by Metro Atlanta CEO. WhatNow notes that Pacheco is known for Atlanta restaurants including Auburn Angel, positioning him as one of the city's more prolific chef-operators heading into the Decatur opening.
Decatur's Commerce Drive Corridor Is Booming
Luga Decatur's arrival lands amid a major commercial shift in downtown Decatur, where roughly 11 new businesses are opening near the square, including Muchacho taking over the former Revival space, according to Roots Real Estate. Nearby on Commerce Drive, construction is underway on the AMLI mixed-use development, which will bring 358 residential units, a 642-space parking structure, and 26,000 square feet of retail anchored by a grocery store, the same Roots Real Estate report states.
The growth pattern extends to Modera Decatur itself. Metro Atlanta's dining scene has also seen collaborative efforts this fall.
For now, the open question hanging over Luga Decatur is how quickly it can execute its planned transition from evening-only service to the full all-day model of brunch, lunch, and dinner once doors open next month.
