Frank Gordy's North Avenue drive-in in Atlanta opened 1928 and remains among the largest drive-in restaurants in the world by daily volume, with chili dogs and Frosted Orange.
Signature dishes: Chili dog, Onion rings, Frosted Orange
Must order: Two chili dogs (called Naked Dogs Walking), an order of onion rings and a Frosted Orange.
Tip: Walk-up counter inside; carhop service paused. Order in Varsity slang for the full experience: 'two dogs walking' = two hot dogs to go.
Address: 61 North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30308
Fred's Meat and Bread at Krog Street Market in Atlanta opened 2014 with chef Todd Ginsberg's burger and sandwich counter. The double cheeseburger anchors the city's burger debate.
Signature: Cheeseburger, Cuban sandwich, Fried chicken sandwich
Order: The double cheeseburger or the Cubano sandwich.
Tip: Counter ordering; pickup at the window. The Bocado burger across town is the spiritual prequel; both run by Ginsberg.
Giovanni Di Palma's West Midtown pizzeria in Atlanta opened 2009 with wood-fired Neapolitan pies certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana since 2010.
Signature: San Gennaro pizza, Diavola pizza
Order: Pizza San Gennaro (with sausage and Vesuvius peppers); the Diavola for spice.
Tip: Communal tables, no reservations. Wine is BYOB at the original Hemphill location. Buckhead and Decatur sister locations take reservations.
Ladybird in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta sits on the Beltline with a summer-camp-themed kitchen and a wide patio. Cast-iron cornbread, smores and burgers run the menu.
Signature: Cast-iron cornbread, Fried chicken sandwich, Smores
Order: Cast-iron cornbread with honey butter, then the fried chicken sandwich.
Tip: The patio is the Beltline's largest; runs dog-friendly. Brunch on weekends is busy; reservations on Resy.
Brick Store Pub in Decatur Square, Atlanta opened 1997 with a Belgian beer focus and pub menu. The upstairs Belgian Bar runs the rare brews; James Beard Outstanding Bar finalist.
Signature: Belgian moules frites, Burger, Beer cheese fondue
Order: Moules frites in Belgian saison, with a Cantillon or Dupont on tap.
Tip: Upstairs Belgian Bar runs rare Belgian beers; downstairs is the casual pub. Reservations on the front bar only.
Leon's Full Service in Decatur, Atlanta opened 2010 inside a converted gas station with a pommes frites bar, a serious cocktail programme and an American gastropub menu.
Signature: Pommes frites, Burger, Cocktail program
Order: Pommes frites with three dipping sauces; the burger; a snappy classic cocktail.
Tip: The patio sits on Ponce de Leon. Reservations on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins with the full menu.
Chef Todd Ginsberg's West Midtown room in Atlanta runs the city's most-debated burger: the double-stack with American cheese on a Martin's potato bun, since 2009.
Signature: Stack burger, Beet salad
Order: The Bocado Stack Burger.
Tip: Reservations on Resy. Closed Sundays. Patio sits on Howell Mill.
