Cheap Eats in Atlanta

[maf]

I know this is a site for gastronomes, but how about your favorite place to eat in the Atlanta area for under 10 bucks? I'll start by nominating Havana Cafe on Buford Highway near Druid Hills; great cheap cuban food in a place with a sense of history if not spotlessness.

[Holly Moore]

Garden gnomes maybe, but not always gastro(g)nomes. All manner of gullets hereabouts.

I'd head to the Varsity Drive-In for my MDR of grease, and the Busy Bee Cafe for a heaping plate of some of the best fried chicken anywhere and equally as good sides.

[tryska]

the vortex for burgers.

or einsteins if the ambience suits you.

[Felonius]

1. The Varisty

2. The Varsity

3. The Varsity

[tryska]

do y'all actually LIKE the food at the Varsity, or is it just a rite of passage?

[therese]

The Varsity? Ewww. Tryska and I both live here and I get the distinct impression that she likes it about as much as I do.

Lots of cheap eats in Atlanta. My favorites are generally ethnic, and include...

Zyka for Indian non-veg.

Madras Saravana Bhavan and Indian Delights for Indian veg.

88 Tofu House for Korean tofu soup.

Pho Bac for pho.

Dim sum at either Happy Valley or Canton House.

Dekalb Farmers Market for cafeteria-style everything.

[Holly Moore]

The Varsity is my first stop when visiting or passing through Atlanta. A riteof passage, perhaps, but one requiring frequent booster visits.

[Andrew Fenton]

The Varsity is my first stop when visiting or passing through Atlanta. A riteof passage, perhaps, but one requiring frequent booster visits.

And many trips to the restroom, afterwards...

[Holly Moore]

The Varsity is my first stop when visiting or passing through Atlanta.  A riteof passage, perhaps, but one requiring frequent booster visits.

And many trips to the restroom, afterwards...

It's all in the conditioning. My gullet is a finely greased machine. Can handle most anything. Never even a burp after lunch at the Varsity.

[therese]

Glad to hear that somebody's keeping The Varsity busy, as it is an institution and it would be a shame to see it go under.

[Andrew Fenton]

It's all in the conditioning.  My gullet is a finely greased machine.  Can handle most anything.  Never even a burp after lunch at the Varsity.

Holly, have I mentioned recently that you're my heeeeeeeero?

[Holly Moore]

It's all in the conditioning.  My gullet is a finely greased machine.  Can handle most anything.  Never even a burp after lunch at the Varsity.

Holly, have I mentioned recently that you're my heeeeeeeero?

Not often enough.

[Felonius]

The Varsity? Ewww. Tryska and I both live here and I get the distinct impression that she likes it about as much as I do.

You may live there, but please don't tell me you were born in Atlanta! For native Atlantans, not liking the Varsity is a sacrilege of the highest level - almost as bad as ordering a Pepsi.

I've been eating at the Varsity since before I can remember, so I suppose it was a right of passage for me. I also happen to really enjoy their food when I'm in mood for it. Nothing else in the world tastes quite like a glorified burger (with pimento cheese of course), an all-the-way dog, and vidalia onion rings. All washed down with an FO (frosted orange drink). Damn I love those FO's! If you're really ambitious, there's always a fried peach pie for dessert.

I've taken several friends from out of town to the "Greasy V". Some liked it, others hated it. No one loved it like I or my childhood friends do. I guess it must be a genetic defect for those of us born in Atlanta.

[Gifted Gourmet]

The Varsity? Ewww. Tryska and I both live here and I get the distinct impression that she likes it about as much as I do.

I guess it must be a genetic defect for those of us born in Atlanta.

A genetic defect indeed!! It is part of the "historical tapestry" that is Atlanta and nothing can diminish its prominence in all of our lives here!!!

Edited January 21, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[therese]

True, not native born (though born in the south). But even my native-born friends who still live here (there are a few of them around) don't get all excited about the Varsity. When compelled to eat there by circumstances I get onion rings---pretty good, but not difficult to stop eating after the first three or four. The chicken salad sandwich isn't bad, but that's not what most people are talking about when they talk about the Varsity. My kids won't touch anything there except for a frosted orange.

[tryska]

i like the frosted orange. and well....everything else is digestible, but not stuff i actually LOVE. now chik-fil-a - that's a horse of a different color.

anyways - i agree on the ethnics as well.

[maf]

For the record, I am among those who think the Varsity is great. Not the food, of course, but the place. When I pass through a town and want to eat, I hope to stumble on its version of the Varsity- some place that’s been around forever, has some character, maybe a quirky signature food. Institutions that often leave you wondering how they managed to survive so long but also leave you with a better feeling for the town that supported them. In Atlanta, in addition to the Varsity, I would place the Majestic and the Silver Skillet in that category (but only for breakfast; I have some standards).

I know nothing of dim sum in Atlanta- are these places on Buford Highway? Does either do the cart?

[Gifted Gourmet]

I know nothing of dim sum in Atlanta- are these places on Buford Highway? Does either do the cart?

Although this is rather old, much of it is certainly still applicable to dim sum in Atlanta today:

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/d...2/12dimsum.html

and the restaurants listed are still in business and cranking out their varied dim sum offerings ... of course, the weekend dim sum is certainly well represented by all of them!

Edited January 21, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[therese]

Both are on Buford Highway, with Happy Valley being closer in to town (in Plaza Fiesta, the old Burlington Coat Factory Shopping Center), just the far side of Clairmont.

It's cart city at both on the weekends. Both also offer weekday cart service, but with limited offerings. If you want something that you don't see at Happy Valley you can ask for it, and they can often oblige; don't know if Canton House offers the same.

[maf]

Thanks for the link on dim sum; I'm now ready for a trip to the big city.

I also concur on the DeKalb Farmers Market, which is often the reason we visit Atlanta in the first place. We would eat ten times better if we had consistent access to that place.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Both are on Buford Highway, with Happy Valley being closer in to town (in Plaza Fiesta, the old Burlington Coat Factory Shopping Center), just the far side of Clairmont.

It's cart city at both on the weekends. Both also offer weekday cart service, but with limited offerings.

I actually did go to Happy Valley with a friend for dim sum once on a weekday, and, while it was nicely done, I really rather imagine that the weekends are superlative by comparison ...

Thanks for the tip on one's ability to request certain items not already available on the carts!

[LoveToEatATL]

Greatest cheap eats in Atlanta:

Taqueria Del Sol

I could eat there everyday.

If you hate the lines around the building, try and grab a seat at the bar. You can bypass all that standing in line nonsense.

[tryska]

on that note - osteria del figo ain't bad either.

or kool korners for cubans.

[Dave the Cook]

On that stretch of Beaver Ruin (for those of you ouside Atlanta: yes, that's really the name of the road) between Indian Trail and Buford Highway, there's about half a dozen carneceria/groceries. Most of them have small kitchens in the back, and serve stuff from tacquitos to rolled flank to braised pigs' feet. The quality varies from store to store, and even from day to day, but at the worst, you'll get more and better food for your five bucks than Taco Bell could dream of.

[sput]

Harold's BBQ...

If you gotta ask where it is... here's a clue

Next time you are going to a Braves game, you can almost here the fireworks from there...