American Deli on Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta runs the city's canonical lemon pepper wings since 1989. Counter ordering; the order is wings and a side of fries.
Tip: Order 'lemon pepper wet' to upgrade to butter-tossed; the canonical Atlanta order since the Donald Glover TV episode put the city on the map.
Address: 180 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
J.R. Crickets has run wings and burgers in Atlanta since 1981. The Walton Street downtown shop is the cult choice for after-work wings and beer; the Buckhead and Tucker locations later.
Try: Lemon pepper and hot wings
Tip: Wings and fries combo with a beer at the bar is the order. The hot-fire sauce is the upgrade for spice. Cash and card.
J.R. Crickets has run wings and burgers in Atlanta since 1981. The Walton Street downtown shop is the cult choice for after-work wings and beer; the Buckhead and Tucker locations later.
Try: Lemon pepper and hot wings
Tip: Wings and fries combo with a beer at the bar is the order. The hot-fire sauce is the upgrade for spice. Cash and card.
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.
Eddie Hernandez's Taqueria del Sol in Atlanta runs Southern-Mexican tacos and chiles rellenos at counter speeds. The West Midtown location opened 2003; pivotal for the city.
Try: Tacos and chiles rellenos
Tip: The fried-chicken taco with peach salsa and the chiles rellenos with corn pudding are the cult orders. Counter ordering; no reservations.
The Varsity at North Avenue in downtown Atlanta since 1928 runs chili dogs, onion rings and Frosted Orange at a drive-in counter format. The original location runs the longest hours.
Try: Chili dog with onion rings
Tip: Order in Varsity slang: 'two dogs walking' = two hot dogs to go. The onion rings and Frosted Orange are the standard upsell.
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.
