Five miles of strip-mall global food spanning Brookhaven and Doraville. The South's deepest Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican, Chinese and Salvadoran corridor.
Yet Tuh on Old Chamblee Tucker Road in Doraville, Atlanta is the corridor's canonical Korean barbecue room since 2008, with charcoal-grill tabletop service and twelve banchan.
Signature: Charcoal-grill galbi, Banchan spread, Soondubu jjigae
Order: Galbi (marinated short rib) cooked at the table, with the full banchan service.
Tip: Reservations recommended on weekends. The charcoal-grill (sutpul) is the upgrade over gas tables; ask at booking.
So Kong Dong in Doraville, Atlanta's Buford Highway corridor, runs Korean comfort food: soondubu (silken tofu stew) at clay-pot temperature, galbi and bulgogi.
Signature: Soondubu jjigae, Galbi, Bulgogi
Order: The soondubu jjigae with seafood or beef. Order an egg on the side; crack it into the bubbling stew.
Tip: Lunch is busy with H Mart shoppers; dinner is quieter. Cash and card; family-friendly with high chairs.
El Taco Veloz on Buford Highway in Doraville, Atlanta has run a 24-hour taqueria since 1991 with al pastor, carne asada and lengua on hand-pressed corn tortillas.
Signature: Tacos al pastor, Carne asada burritos, Lengua tacos
Order: Three al pastor tacos and a Mexican Coke. Lengua tacos for the adventurous order.
Tip: Open 24 hours; the late-night hot sauce bar runs five salsas. The Cobb Parkway and Roswell locations close earlier than Doraville.
Buford Highway Farmers Market in Doraville, Atlanta houses an international grocery with a 12-stall food court running Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican and Chinese counters.
Signature: Pho, Bibimbap, Tacos al pastor, Empanadas
Order: A bowl of pho from the Vietnamese counter, then tacos al pastor from the Mexican stall.
Tip: Grocery and food court open daily; food stalls run cash and card. Best Saturday morning when stalls are freshest.
El Rey del Taco in Doraville, Atlanta runs Mexican tacos, tortas and aguas frescas out of a 24-hour Buford Highway counter since 2002. Hand-pressed tortillas in-house.
Try: Tacos al pastor
Tip: Tacos al pastor with a side of grilled onions is the canonical first order. The horchata is fresh-made daily.
Snackboxe Bistro in Doraville, Atlanta runs Laotian street food: sai oua sausage, papaya salad and sticky rice from chef Linda Khamphouseane. Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024.
Try: Laotian sausage and sticky rice
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The crispy rice salad (nam khao) is the cult order; sticky rice comes with most plates.
Pho Dai Loi 2 on Buford Highway in Atlanta has run Vietnamese pho and bun since the 1990s. The pho tai (rare beef) is the canonical first order; the broth simmers overnight.
Try: Pho tai
Tip: Cash and card. Open every day; lunch hours quieter than dinner. Pho dac biet (everything bowl) is the upgrade order.
Lee's Bakery on Buford Highway in Atlanta runs Vietnamese banh mi and pastries since 1996. The $6 banh mi remains one of the city's best food values.
Try: Banh mi
Tip: Cash and card. The classic banh mi dac biet (special sandwich) with pate and cold cuts is the move; baguettes baked in-house daily.
Buford Highway Farmers Market in Doraville, Atlanta runs an international grocery the size of a Walmart with 15 food-court stalls: Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican and Chinese counters.
Tip: The grocery is the destination; the food court is the unsung sub-attraction. Open daily; Saturday mornings are busiest.
Unexpected Atlanta's Buford Highway tour runs five stops over 3.5 hours through Atlanta's deepest international corridor: Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican and Chinese counters.
Tip: Drive-along format; meet at the first stop, follow the guide. Better with friends; the format works for groups of four.
Lee's Bakery on Atlanta's Buford Highway runs the city's most-argued banh mi: BBQ pork combo for $6, coconut bubble tea, generous portions.
Try: Vietnamese banh mi sandwich
Tip: Order the BBQ pork combo with a coconut bubble tea. Cash works fastest at the counter.
Quoc Huong Banh Mi on Atlanta's Buford Highway sells ten varieties at $5 each: grilled pork, combo, vegetarian, all on house-baked airy baguette.
Try: Vietnamese banh mi, 10 varieties
Tip: Cash only and closed Thursdays. The grilled pork is the most-ordered; the combo loads on three meats.
LanZhou Ramen on Atlanta's Buford Highway hand-pulls noodles to order: classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup, knife-cut variations, Michelin recognition.
Try: Hand-pulled noodles in beef broth
Tip: Watch the noodle-puller through the window. Order the classic Lanzhou beef noodle soup; it's why the line exists.
Arepa Grill on Atlanta's Buford Highway runs Venezuelan arepas under $13: pabellon with shredded beef, sweet plantain, cheese, plus deep-fried churros.
Try: Venezuelan arepas with stewed meats
Tip: Order the pabellon arepa: shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantain, cheese. The fried churros come three to an order.
El Rey del Taco on Atlanta's Buford Highway runs until 04:30 weekends: housemade tortillas, al pastor with pineapple, agua frescas, no fuss.
Try: Al pastor and carne asada tacos on housemade tortillas
Tip: Order at the counter, sit in the diner booths. The al pastor with pineapple is the move; agua frescas rotate daily.