Soup and salad$buckhead
Jennifer Levison's Souper Jenny on East Andrews Drive in Buckhead, Atlanta opened 2002 with daily-changing scratch soups, salads and sandwiches at a lunch-only counter.
Signature: Daily soups, Sandwiches
Order: Two daily soups served sample-style and half a sandwich.
Tip: Lunch only Monday to Saturday. Order ahead online; the line moves fast.
Neapolitan pizza$$old-fourth-ward
Ammazza in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs wood-fired Neapolitan pizza out of an Edgewood Avenue space since 2013. The Diavola and Margherita anchor the menu.
Signature: Diavola pizza, Margherita pizza, Burrata
Order: Diavola pizza and burrata to start.
Tip: Edgewood Avenue patio in spring. Reservations on Resy; takeaway hatch on busy nights.
Pizza by the slice$midtown
Fellini's Pizza in Atlanta has run New York-style slices and 18-inch pies out of nine locations since 1985, with the original Ponce de Leon shop the cult favourite.
Signature: New York-style slice, Pepperoni pizza
Order: Two pepperoni slices and a beer; cheap, fast and good.
Tip: Open until 02:00 weekends; the Ponce location stays the latest. Cash and card.
Tacos and tropical$$inman-park
Bartaco's Inman Park location in Atlanta runs taco-and-cocktail service with a Resy ordering tablet. Coastal Latin-American tacos and a serious tequila list.
Signature: Baja fish taco, Pork belly taco, Crispy chicken taco
Order: Baja fish, pork belly and crispy chicken tacos with a paloma.
Tip: Order off the paper menu with a pencil; the tablet works only for the bill. Reservations on Resy.
Texas-style BBQ$$candler-park
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q on DeKalb Avenue in Atlanta has run Texas-style smoked brisket and pork since 2007. Texas-fries (chili-cheese fries topped with brisket) the cult order.
Signature: Brisket, Texas-fries, Brunswick stew
Order: Sliced brisket plate with Brunswick stew and a side of Texas-fries.
Tip: Counter ordering; the Beltline-adjacent patio runs dog-friendly. Closed Mondays.
Korean-Southern BBQ$$buckhead
Heirloom Market BBQ in Atlanta merges Korean and Southern BBQ since 2010: gochujang-marinated pulled pork, brisket and the Korean pork sandwich on a steamed bun.
Signature: Korean pork sandwich, Spicy Korean pork, Brisket
Order: The Spicy Korean Pork sandwich; the brisket Brunswick stew is the secondary play.
Tip: Cash and card. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Get there early; the brisket runs out by 14:00 most weekends.