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.
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.
Address: 4005 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345
This Is It Southern Kitchen in Cascade and West End, Atlanta runs takeaway-counter soul food: fried chicken, ribs, wings and Southern sides since 1985.
Try: Wings and ribs
Tip: Drive-through and walk-up. The whole wings with a side of mac are the move. Multiple locations across Atlanta.
Thumbs Up Diner on Edgewood Avenue in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta runs all-day breakfast and burritos since 2002. The Heap (potato and egg skillet) the cult order.
Try: Burrito and pancakes
Tip: Cash and card. No reservations; line builds by 09:30 weekends. The Heap with chorizo runs the heaviest breakfast in town.
The Original Hot Dog Factory downtown in Atlanta runs loaded hot dogs since 2017: the Atlanta dog with slaw, the lemon-pepper wing dog and the philly cheese dog.
Try: Loaded hot dogs
Tip: Counter ordering. The Atlanta dog with slaw and chili is the canonical order. Multiple metro locations.
Papi's Cuban Grill in Atlanta runs Cuban sandwiches, ropa vieja and rice plates since 2008. The Cuban sandwich is the marquee item; the cafe Cubano runs as the closer.
Try: Cuban sandwich and ropa vieja
Tip: Counter ordering at the Midtown location; full-service at Buckhead. The Cubano with plantains is the lunch combo.
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.
Try: Lemon pepper wings
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.
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.
