The Varsity
An institution in Atlanta, the World’s Largest Drive-In has been serving customers since 1928. Locals, travelers, world leaders, and top athletes like Kurt Busch have all stopped at The Varsity to hear the wait staff say: “What’ll Ya Have? What’ll Ya Have?”
The answer is simple, a hot dog and a Coca-Cola. How you have your hot dog is your call, there is the naked dog all the way up to the chili, cheese, slaw dog…and every combination between. The fresh cut french fries are a must and if you’re not a hot dog eater, there are other options on the menu like hamburgers, chicken, salads and sandwiches.
Address: (Original Downtown Location) 61 North Ave., Atlanta, Ga. 30308
(Other locations throughout Atlanta)
Phone: (404) 881-1706
Hours: Sunday-Thrusday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
The Silver Skillet
Mike Bagley, of MRN Radio and co-host of The Morning Drive on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, lives in Atlanta and he proudly puts The Silver Skillet on his list of “Bagman’s Favorites”. This also is a featured restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on FoodTV.
If you are looking for a real southern breakfast a must is the world famous country ham and red-eye gravy, so tender you can cut it with a fork. The Silver Skillet is open for breakfast and lunch with classics like: grilled corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy and the Southern Breakfast: two center cut battered and fried pork chops, two eggs, grits and white gravy with a biscuit.
Address: 200 14th Street, Atlanta, Ga. 30318
Phone: (404) 874-1388
Hours: Monday-Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Other Favorites:
Southern Pit Bar-B-Que
McGhin’s Southern Pit Bar-B-W-Que is exactly what you would expect at a Georgia Bar-B-Que restaurant. Fred and Barbara McGhin started cooking “que” in their house in 1984 and it became so popular they had to open a store in Griffin, Ga. The motto is “when I get hungry, I throw a fit if I can’t eat at Southern Pit.”
The barbecue pork and ribs are the standout; both moist, tender and smoky. Menus are available on small plates for those on a budget or for big eaters there’s the “Smoky Combo Feast” which is beef or pork, ribs and chicken. The traditional “fixin’s” round out the meal.
Address: 2964 North Expressway, Griffin, GA 30223 (just 5 miles south of the speedway)
Phone: (770) 229-5887
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Another “Bagman Favorite”, he says: “While there are a lot of ‘Southern Cooking’ places in The ATL, this is top of the list.”. Michael Stern of RoadFood.com wrote: “We lifted a fried chicken breast off the plate and bit into it. As the crust crunched, juices spurted everywhere. It had been a while since we had dined at Mary Mac’s, and we had forgotten just how moist the chicken is.”
Traditional Southern Cooking starts off a bowl of pot likker (southern style greens and corn bread) and can go in a number of directions. There is meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, roast pork and dressing and no matter what the main course is, the macaroni and cheese (shown below) is a must.
Address: 224 Ponce de Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 876-1800
Website: www. MaryMacs.com
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily