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Soul foodOld Fourth Ward
Ria Pell's Memorial Drive diner in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2000 across from Oakland Cemetery with the city's cult buttermilk pancakes and Southern.
OrderButtermilk pancakes with a side of bacon, then shrimp and grits the second visit.
TipNo reservations; line forms by 09:00 on weekends. Walking distance from Oakland Cemetery and Cabbagetown.
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Southern DinerReynoldstown
Home Grown on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown, Atlanta runs a Southern diner with the cult Comfy Chicken Biscuit and country-fried steak since 2011.
OrderThe Comfy Chicken Biscuit (fried chicken on a biscuit with sausage gravy).
TipNo reservations; the line builds by 09:30 weekends. Cash and card.
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SeafoodMorningside
Shaun Doty's rotisserie chicken counter in Morningside, Atlanta runs free-range and antibiotic-free birds with seasonal vegetable sides since 2012.
OrderA quarter rotisserie chicken with two seasonal vegetable sides.
TipCounter ordering. The chicken-pot-pie at lunch is the under-the-radar pick. Family takeaway packs feed four.
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SandwichesInman Park
Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park, Atlanta runs $4 mini sandwiches and the Jack and Coke slushy out of a Bernina Avenue bungalow since 2010.
OrderThree mini sandwiches and a frozen Jack and Coke.
TipCash and card. The patio is dog-friendly. Decatur and Inman Park locations stay latest.
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Food hallBuford Highway
Buford Highway Farmers Market in Doraville, Atlanta houses an international grocery with a 12-stall food court running Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican.
OrderA bowl of pho from the Vietnamese counter, then tacos al pastor from the Mexican stall.
TipGrocery and food court open daily; food stalls run cash and card. Best Saturday morning when stalls are freshest.
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New AmericanBuckhead
Jennifer Levison's Souper Jenny moved from East Andrews to the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead in 2016, with daily-changing scratch soups.
OrderTwo daily soups served sample-style and half a sandwich.
TipOpen Mon-Sat 11:00-16:00, Sun 11:00-15:00. Inside the Atlanta History Center; museum admission not required for the cafe.