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My girlfriend and I moved to the area about three weeks ago from Savannah. I'm looking for a good place to eat in Decatur. We eat out, a lot. We've tried random multiple places in Decatur and nothing we've tried has been good aside from a cracker barrel, chicfla and the Emory dining hall. (and the cracker barrel and chicfla were both just on the side of the road when traveling. (Ahhh..chicfla....damn you Sunday!)
Can SOMEONE recommend a good place to eat. Not looking for any specific type of restaurant, it can be American, Chinese, Japanese, steak, Mexican (well preferably not mexican, unless it's out of this world), anything. I've got some great recommendations for more up-scale dinner locations, but I'm just looking for an every-day regular place to eat. Nothing big, fancy, or expensive, just a good place. We are 19 and 18, but that doesn't mean we're looking for a hip cool spot like the Vortex or something. (That's hip and cool, right?) I noticed a few places grouped together down the road from Emory on...N Decatur Rd. I think. It was The Vortex, along with a cluster of places near it..but I don't know the scoop on any of them. It looked like there was a crowd of people around that area, a younger crowd. So it's either filled with a bunch of hot-spots with live music, or it's just got some really good food.
It also looked like a rocks tossing distance away is a not so good area of town.
It seems everywhere here we've been so far focuses on quantity, not quality.
For instance tonight we went to a place called "The Golden Buddha." off off Cliffton. We were sat immediately, the service was great, and the food came out almost instantly. However...the food was horrible. I even read some reviews on the place before I went, tons of reviews saying "I've been going here for years! I love it!" we actually heard two guys having a conversation as we were walking in saying "Yeah man, I've been coming here for what feels like the past 10 years. It's great." My question is WHAT is wrong with these people? (or is it just me?) Do they get special dishes? Because the garbage we had tonight wasn't material to get us to come back for years to come. We ended up not being able to finish eating it, just paid and left. We got to-go boxes, in hopes the the ducks will like....something. Apparently it's a chain, which is beyond me off of the impression I got of this place tonight.
and nobody serves REAL sweet tea. what's with that? I thought this was the South. I've heard the word ya'll used multiple times. The only place we've found made in house sweet tea is the McDonalds, and they even manage to screw it up. Is there anywhere in Atlanta that makes their sweet tea in house? Not this nestea lemon flavored crap that everybody has been trying to pass off as sweet tea.
Basically I'm looking for just a nice small slow-paced place to eat dinner. That's all that Savannah is, actually. Hah. (so stereotypical, right?) There used to be a place in Savannah that we would frequent called Heiwas. It was a small Japanese place that had maybe a total of 10-13 tables. We could get out of there for under $20 including appetizer and tip. They served GREAT food, and had good service as well. I'm not expecting a cheap place like that, it was just more for my personal nostalgia.
I KNOW there are great places to eat in Atlanta.
I'm getting my bearings...slowly but surly. I found a great place to take my car to get serviced..but that's it so far. GREAT place, especially for you BMW owners. Alan Kidson of German Car Repair in Roswell has made me feel more at home in this place than anywhere else I've been to.
We haven't ventured out too far yet in search of great places to eat, but hopefully by the time this thread gets locked that will change.
These are a few of my favorite 'downscale' restaurants in the Decatur area:
Evans Fine Foods- long-established 'home-cooking diner'; corner of N. Decatur and Clairmont Rds. next to Shell station on corner. You'll get your sweet tea fix there.
Melton's App and Tap - great burgers, sandwiches and 'bar food'; corner of N. Decatur and Medlock Rds., next to Pet Supermarket.
Everybody's Pizza - I love their 'pizza crisps', as I am not a fan of thick crust. N. Decatur at Oxford Rd., Emory Village.
Bhojanic - great Indian food. Clairmont Rd. just above N. Decatur Rd.
Blue Ribbon Grill - another great 'bar food' destination, although my personal fave is their 'Blue Ribbon Salad' with a grilled salmon filet on top. Very friendly atmosphere. La Vista Rd. at Henderson Mill Rd. (Northlake area) next to Michaels.
Skip's Hot Dogs - Great wieners! On E. Howard, between Decatur and Avondale Estates.
A couple of my fave upscale restaurants in the area that don't enjoy a high profile like, say, Watershed but I love nevertheless are Petite Auberge (Toco Hills Shopping Center) and Violette(Clairmont Rd. just above I-85).
Mexico City Gourmet in the shopping center at Clairmont/N. Decatur Rd, near Rainbow Foods is good and would fit your criteria.
In Decatur, Nathalie's Fish House and Cafe Lily and a Japanese place are located at Ponce de Leon Place/W. Ponce de Leon.
In the Loehman's Plaza at N. Druid Hills/Briarcliff Rd the Lettuce Souprise U and Panera Bread are OK.
Fuddruckers in Northlake Festival on LaVista across from the mall.
On Clairmont before you get to N. Decatur there is a strip mall with several small restaurants. I like Pyng's and in the adjacent lot there is a good Greek restaurant and now I cannot think of the name, someone will know.
If you head toward Va Highland at Sage Hill Shopping Center, take the right fork/Johnson Rd --you will come to Morningside Village. There is a good noodle place there and 'Dr. Chey's', I think. It is on the right and there are usually many cars in the small parking area.
Noodles and Thai Me Up on Ponce De Leon.
Athens Pizza on Clairmont (North on N. Decatur Rd.)
(For healthy food) Rainbow at N. Decatur and Clairmont.
Top Spice (on N. Druid Hills)...
Honestly, if you can't find good food in Decatur, you're not trying. Or you're only adventurous enough to go to places like chik-fil-a and cracker barrel
Sorry, but that's just funny.
There's plenty of real sweet tea, the fountain stuff is the minority.
Golden Buddha is terrible, as are most take out chinese places (unless you're into takeout chinese food). I know I get a craving for it sometimes.
Oh and go try a burger at the Vortex, who knows, you might like it
My girlfriend and I moved to the area about three weeks ago from Savannah. I'm looking for a good place to eat in Decatur. We eat out, a lot. We've tried random multiple places in Decatur and nothing we've tried has been good aside from a cracker barrel, chicfla and the Emory dining hall. (and the cracker barrel and chicfla were both just on the side of the road when traveling. (Ahhh..chicfla....damn you Sunday!)
Can SOMEONE recommend a good place to eat. Not looking for any specific type of restaurant, it can be American, Chinese, Japanese, steak, Mexican (well preferably not mexican, unless it's out of this world), anything. I've got some great recommendations for more up-scale dinner locations, but I'm just looking for an every-day regular place to eat. Nothing big, fancy, or expensive, just a good place. We are 19 and 18, but that doesn't mean we're looking for a hip cool spot like the Vortex or something. (That's hip and cool, right?) I noticed a few places grouped together down the road from Emory on...N Decatur Rd. I think. It was The Vortex, along with a cluster of places near it..but I don't know the scoop on any of them. It looked like there was a crowd of people around that area, a younger crowd. So it's either filled with a bunch of hot-spots with live music, or it's just got some really good food.
It also looked like a rocks tossing distance away is a not so good area of town.
It seems everywhere here we've been so far focuses on quantity, not quality.
For instance tonight we went to a place called "The Golden Buddha." off off Cliffton. We were sat immediately, the service was great, and the food came out almost instantly. However...the food was horrible. I even read some reviews on the place before I went, tons of reviews saying "I've been going here for years! I love it!" we actually heard two guys having a conversation as we were walking in saying "Yeah man, I've been coming here for what feels like the past 10 years. It's great." My question is WHAT is wrong with these people? (or is it just me?) Do they get special dishes? Because the garbage we had tonight wasn't material to get us to come back for years to come. We ended up not being able to finish eating it, just paid and left. We got to-go boxes, in hopes the the ducks will like....something. Apparently it's a chain, which is beyond me off of the impression I got of this place tonight.
and nobody serves REAL sweet tea. what's with that? I thought this was the South. I've heard the word ya'll used multiple times. The only place we've found made in house sweet tea is the McDonalds, and they even manage to screw it up. Is there anywhere in Atlanta that makes their sweet tea in house? Not this nestea lemon flavored crap that everybody has been trying to pass off as sweet tea.
Basically I'm looking for just a nice small slow-paced place to eat dinner. That's all that Savannah is, actually. Hah. (so stereotypical, right?) There used to be a place in Savannah that we would frequent called Heiwas. It was a small Japanese place that had maybe a total of 10-13 tables. We could get out of there for under $20 including appetizer and tip. They served GREAT food, and had good service as well. I'm not expecting a cheap place like that, it was just more for my personal nostalgia.
I KNOW there are great places to eat in Atlanta.
I'm getting my bearings...slowly but surly. I found a great place to take my car to get serviced..but that's it so far. GREAT place, especially for you BMW owners. Alan Kidson of German Car Repair in Roswell has made me feel more at home in this place than anywhere else I've been to.
We haven't ventured out too far yet in search of great places to eat, but hopefully by the time this thread gets locked that will change.
Wow, long post.
my favorite place is right off memorial drive it is called This Is IT best home cooking next to mine
The Vortex is wonderful. Great burgers and interesting atmosphere (leave the kiddies at home).
For Mexican, I recommend Taqueria del Sol. It's actually "Mexican - Southern fusion". The fried chicken tacos are great, not to mention the margaritas. Dinner Menu (http://www.taqueriadelsol.com/dinner.htm - broken link)
Honestly, if you can't find good food in Decatur, you're not trying. Or you're only adventurous enough to go to places like chik-fil-a and cracker barrel
Sorry, but that's just funny.
There's plenty of real sweet tea, the fountain stuff is the minority.
Golden Buddha is terrible, as are most take out chinese places (unless you're into takeout chinese food). I know I get a craving for it sometimes.
Oh and go try a burger at the Vortex, who knows, you might like it
Emory is very unforgiving in terms of the work load, so our time to venture out and try places is somewhat limited. I've only seen the Vortex driving past it, I never said I didn't want to see what the hype was about!
It's a big change of scenery for my girlfriend and I. We both have lived in Savannah for me, all of my life, and her, the majority of her life. Savannah is as big as my thumb. Not very many places to go, especially compared to the volume of restaurants in the Atlanta area! So many places to choose from, it's exciting. Once I get acclimated to the area, the chances of me making wrong turns will decrease significantly, making our search through this area for places a little more enjoyable.
You can never go wrong with Chicfla! I swear, it has to be one of the best places in the world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by queenlisa
my favorite place is right off memorial drive it is called This Is IT best home cooking next to mine
"This is IT best home cooking"...hmm, we'll check in to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by grneyedmustang
The Vortex is wonderful. Great burgers and interesting atmosphere (leave the kiddies at home).
For Mexican, I recommend Taqueria del Sol. It's actually "Mexican - Southern fusion". The fried chicken tacos are great, not to mention the margaritas. Dinner Menu (http://www.taqueriadelsol.com/dinner.htm - broken link)
Like I said, that cluster there does interest me. Oh well.
I've comprised a list of places based off of the recommendations that everyone has provided so far. Thanks!
It'll all be explored, one place at a time. We'll be here for a while.
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