I decided to take a short weekend trip to Atlanta to visit family and scope out the city as a potential landing spot after graduation. I had every intention to see what the city had to offer from the arts, party scene and of course food. Desiigner’s song Panda had no influence on me making this trip but it was in heavy rotation as I cruised around ATL. Here are some food spots to hit up while in Atlanta for anytime day or night.
1. The Varsity
Photo courtesy of abc news
Located pretty close to the infamous Georgia Tech University, you’ll find another famous city gem, and that’s Varsity. Since its inception back in 1928, The Varsity has been an ATL staple known for its drive thru, Chili Cheese dogs and your run of the mill diner food, including the strange odyssey called a fried pie. I didn’t get a chance to try Varsity because of the crazy drive thru lines, but that just gives me an incentive to make another trip to the Big Peach.
2. Caribbean Delight
Photo courtesy of Yelp.com
Located on the West End part of the city, the biggest thing this restaurant offers is authenticity as you can order anything ranging from Curry Goat stew to Coco bread. The price is pretty light on the wallet as well. I went with the Jerk Chicken meal just to play it safe. Included with the chicken is a good dose of cabbage and a decent helping of Red Beans & Rice. You’re easily stuffed and it ran me about 5 bucks.
3. Marietta Diner
Photo courtesy of Fox 5 Atlanta
Need another late night food place after partying the night away? Look no further than the Marietta Diner. Located in the northern part of the city, this restaurant is 24 hours so you can stumble in at all times of the night. Offering a wide variety of breakfast dishes, you can also opt for other foods like their Stuffed Grapes Leaves. Since being featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives with Guy Fieri this place has deservingly become an ATL hotspot.
4. Chow Baby
Photo courtesy of memoirsofanadventurer.com
Located in Atlanta’s Midtown, this restaurant is known for its Asian-American cuisine and giving the costumer the ability to create their very own stir fry combo. This joint is open from 11:30 am-10:30 pm so you have to find some time during the day to go. This place also offers a vegetarian menu if you’re looking to eat clean before you begin the night’s festivities.
5. Waffle House
Photo courtesy of quickmeme.com
Yes you read that correctly – the ultimate spot to hit up really anytime of the day especially in the south. The restaurant is so deeply rooted in the Atlanta experience that local clothing brand Full Time Levitators did a Waffle House inspired lookbook. While there, I normally opt for a Pecan Waffle because it’s a place known for waffles but definitely don’t sleep on the omelette. It’s open 24 hours so you can pull up anytime.