Best meat-and-three (or -two)
Meatloaf, sweet potato souffle and Hoppin' John are just a few of the choices at Mary Mac's Tea Room, an Atlanta tradition and your pick for best meat-and-three (or -two). Photo: Elissa Eubanks, eeubanks@ajc.com
YOUR PICKS
1. Mary Mac’s Tea Room
You say, “Mary Mac’s Tea Room – best for taste, family atmosphere, and value” and “A Southern tradition.”
2. Carver’s Country Kitchen
3. Matthews Cafeteria
4. The Colonnade
5. Busy Bee Café
6. Doug’s Place
The tasty collard greens at Greenwood's on Green Street in Roswell. Staff photo.
OUR PICKS
1. Greenwood’s
The AJC dining team’s specialist in Southern and Neighborhood Fare Jenny Turknett says, “At Greenwood’s, you can’t go wrong — everything on the menu is fresh and delicious. My favorites are the scrumptious pork chops with sage butter served with collards and creamed corn just like my grandmother made.”
2. Home Grown GA
3. Matthews Cafeteria
4. Mary Mac’s Tea Room
5. Busy Bee Cafe
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346 comments Add your comment
Sandy
March 29th, 2011
7:48 pm
Anne and Bills has the best food on the south side!!!
Dawgfan4Christ
March 29th, 2011
8:19 pm
BBQ Kitchen on Virginia avenue near the airport.
Dawgfan4Christ
March 29th, 2011
8:29 pm
Vittles on S. Cobb at Windy Hill
ATLANTA
March 29th, 2011
9:10 pm
`
DEKALB FARMERS MARKET.
betty
March 29th, 2011
10:01 pm
Matthew’s in Tucker uses canned green beans-yuck ~they should be fresh.
carlaroqs
March 30th, 2011
8:53 am
BUSY BEE ON THE SOUTHSIDE! and of course, Mary Mac’s. i have not read all 200+ comments, but if no one has named Busy Bee- long a tradition on M l King, there is a problem. the mac and cheese is delish, they serve Fresh turnip greens and wonderful desserts. a little high, but worth it. small dining area and totally ALWAYS crowded, specially during lunch with the business crowd from nearby downtown. i am in my 40’s and when i was growing up, we would sometimes stop by on Sunday afternoons to pick up dinner. (no more Sunday service though.)
carlaroqs
March 30th, 2011
8:59 am
and also the Blue Willow Inn, has it closed yet? love that place with its 7,8,9, 10 veggies and 5 meats! mmmm, missing the ATL!! there is also a buffet style restaurant up hwy 78, past Snellville, cannot think of the name of it, but it is beside tbe huge walmart, excellent greens and fried chicken and fried fish.
carlaroqs
March 30th, 2011
9:01 am
one more, and i totally agree about that pic– what?? where is the jar of cold iced tea, and who doesnt order cole slaw or potato salad at one of those places in the south?? grin
Typical Redneck
March 30th, 2011
9:48 am
Mr. Food, Midway is great. You are an obvious yankee.
Atl-Marietta Foodie
March 30th, 2011
2:01 pm
My fav is Matthews, but it is only open on Fri night for me to come from Marietta. I didn’t care for Pitty Pat’s or Rexall. Judy’s in Marietta isn’t a meat and three, just a small buffet, but ok. Their desserts are terrible and the commercial boxed type. Priced right, but John Boy’s is BETTER. I think the photo above should have tea and not coffee. My husband is a Yankee and always goes for coffee. John’s on Jonesboro RD. is good. Carver’s is good. I have never had a meat and three at the Silver Skillet, will try it again. Colonnade is good, but inconsistant.
karen
March 30th, 2011
4:53 pm
Foodie, sorry for the delayed response. I do not know about Oga’s honey dipped friend chicken. I have not had it.
Pecked
April 1st, 2011
8:05 am
The Colonnade on Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta.
My favorite “Plus Two” (or three or four) sides:
1) Fresh Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (comes with chopped hard-boiled egg, fresh red onions, and real bacon bits. The Colonnade will bring the hard-boiled egg, onions, and bacon bits separately if you care for just a little bit)
2) Fresh Pole Beans (lightly salted or no salt if you so desire)
3) Fresh Wedge of Iceburg Lettuce with Blue Cheese Dressing and Bacon Bits (your server will bring out the lettuce plain and you can add however many bacon bits or any salad dressing you desire. 1000 Island Dressing is very good, too)
4) Fresh Cole Slaw (somewhat sweet, but not overly so)
5) Real Mashed Potatoes: Plain, not too salty, with or without sauteed onions and/or fresh sauteed garlic and/or shredded cheddar cheese
6) Fresh French Fries (again, not too salty)
Of course, your entree is up to you.
necie
April 1st, 2011
12:02 pm
Sibling’s in Hartwell is great. They make everything from scratch.
Matt
April 1st, 2011
7:35 pm
Fork in the Road in Peachtree City!!!
Libby
April 2nd, 2011
8:07 am
Fork in the Road in Peachtree City is awesome – fairly new, but it is a real family-run place that feels like its been there for decades. Great, delicate biscuits, baked mac & cheese, fried chicken, meat loaf, deviled eggs, green beans, greens, squash casserole, country fried steak, chicken & dumplings. Wow, hungry just thinking about it and I just ate there yesterday!
tim
April 2nd, 2011
9:16 am
Meat & three………a perfect example of why people in the Southern USA have the highest obesity and cancer rate in the country.
Sho Nuff
April 2nd, 2011
9:25 am
John’s on Jonesboro Rd definitely has the best. You can also have your meat cooked to order if it is not on display.
melissa's mom
April 2nd, 2011
9:27 am
I vote for the #1-Colonnade #2-Matthews Cafeteria. Or maybe it should be #1-Matthews Cafeteria and #2-Colonnade.. Ok, let’s say Matthew’s for lunch and Colonnade for dinner! I love them both :-p
panic
April 2nd, 2011
9:29 am
Doug’s in Emerson, not only do they have great food but on Friday evenings they have different country and bluegrass bands.
Granny
April 2nd, 2011
9:30 am
Granny loves “Eats” on Ponce! And Granny knows good cookin’!!! When I don’t cook for myself, this is where I get good “Eats”.
Granny
April 2nd, 2011
9:31 am
Tim…one piece of meat and 3 veggies is a very healtful diet!
Dwan Hubbard
April 2nd, 2011
9:35 am
No one does it Like Busy Bee. The food is great!!! From the Fried chicken thats cooked in peanut oil to the delicious fried corn to the tasty collard greens and let not forget the mouth watering peach cobbler and a tall glass of sweet tea to wash it all down…..I failed to mention the piping hot corn muffins…just like grandma use to make
Nancy
April 2nd, 2011
9:36 am
OK Cafe
Maria P.Turner
April 2nd, 2011
9:38 am
FOX BROS ON DEKLAB AVE, HAS THE BEST COLLARD GREENS, MAC N CHEESE. THE BARBECUE IS FINGER LICKING GOOD. PLEASE TRY THE SMOKED WINGS….
Butch
April 2nd, 2011
10:03 am
Barbeque kitchen is so good that I once took a friend from Ct there,dude weighs about 375 and knows food. He was still talking about that meal 2 years later!
Collonade is great but too high.
Mary Macs is for tourists.
Ann
April 2nd, 2011
10:22 am
Definitely, The Colonnade. And just to be fair – although it has been in operation at it’s current location since 1962, The Colonnade was closed a few years ago for several months to rebuild after the fire.
Glenn
April 2nd, 2011
10:35 am
Granny says . . . “Tim…one piece of meat and 3 veggies is a very healtful diet!”
Great to hear! My choices are chicken fried steak with country gravy, mac n cheese, mashed potatos with more gravy, and deep fried okra. I can feel those excess pounds just falling away after a meal like that.
Glenn
April 2nd, 2011
10:36 am
Oops – forgot my dinner roll with butter.
SouthernBelle
April 2nd, 2011
10:48 am
John Boys? I am sorry, but a Chinese person does not a good meat and three make.
Im with the Blue Willow Inn crowd. I really would love to try Matthew’s though!
nothanks
April 2nd, 2011
10:58 am
Colonnade!! Of course! YUM
JEM
April 2nd, 2011
10:58 am
Doug’s in Emerson
N-GA
April 2nd, 2011
11:14 am
#1 – The Colonnade (Roast Pork on the bone, lima beans, fried okra, taters, yeast rolls, iced tea!)
Ron
April 2nd, 2011
11:15 am
Matthews in tucker!
N-GA
April 2nd, 2011
11:16 am
#2 – The Colonnade (Fried Chicken, green beans, fried green tomatoes, mashed taters, corn bread, sweet tea)
Heels4Real
April 2nd, 2011
11:16 am
Hannah’s Home Cooking in Lawrenceville is cheap and good. Nice people who run it too.
AlohaGator
April 2nd, 2011
11:23 am
Marietta Diner !!!
Don Griffin
April 2nd, 2011
11:26 am
Ditto on Barbeque Kitchen in College Park on Virginia Ave. They have been family owed since the late 50s, I believe. I have been eating in there since 1971 at least. Always consistent. Great daily menu of a variety of meats and veggies, cobbler and banana pudding.
Personal all time favorite – the collards!
The Real South
April 2nd, 2011
11:30 am
Q Time is real down home cooking
JohnS
April 2nd, 2011
11:35 am
Yeah the Colonnade, if you are over 65 and love overpriced food! BBQ Kitchen, Baby!
klonghall
April 2nd, 2011
11:41 am
John’s Fine Foods in Forest Park rocks! Their banana pudding is seriously the best ever! But, once it’s gone, it’s gone for the day, so I always county myself lucky when I find some still there. And, their staff is so warm & friendly.
chris o bomb
April 2nd, 2011
12:33 pm
1. The Rusty Nail on buford hwy
2. bbq kitchen on Virginia Ave. near the airport.
3. eats on ponce.
Hester
April 2nd, 2011
12:49 pm
state og ga cafrteria
truthbtold
April 2nd, 2011
1:05 pm
The Blue Willow Inn (Social Circle). Tasting is believing!
GoDOGS#1
April 2nd, 2011
1:10 pm
Matthews is about as good as my high school cafe…they both suck! Matthews has THE worst cornbread.
Lotts Crossing GA
April 2nd, 2011
1:20 pm
My Momma’s kithchen in Douglas, GA. She is the best cook anywhere. There is no camparison to these other places although they are all good. It is not open to the general public but if you are hungry and needy, she will feed you. Love you Momma.
annabelle
April 2nd, 2011
1:35 pm
kimbo’s in monroe! awesome veggies!!!
Jenn Perry
April 2nd, 2011
1:41 pm
Matthew’s Cafeteria in Tucker, Carver’s in Atlanta
Big K
April 2nd, 2011
1:47 pm
Carvers by far. Other favorites are The Colonnade, Mary Macs, Soul Food by Miss Mae, Paschals.
Big K
April 2nd, 2011
1:47 pm
Beautiful Restaurant is also amazing.
Eugene
April 2nd, 2011
4:28 pm
In Athens – Strickland’s on Atlanta Hwy hands down. Weaver D’s in over rated & over priced