Where do you go for good Southern veggies?
In today’s Go Guide, Southern food expert Wendell Brock went out looking for good Southern vegetable plates and found them at these three restaurants:
- Watershed (pictured at left)
- The Busy Bee Café
- Greenwood’s on Green Street
I’ve never been to Greenwood’s, but have loved the veggies at the other two restaurants.
I’ve also really enjoyed Matthews Cafeteria in Tucker and had a good feeling that the veg plate will come around at Farmstead 303.
What makes the Top 10 for Southern vegetable plates in Atlanta?
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Tweets that mention Where are the best Southern vegetable plates? | Food and More with John Kessler -- Topsy.com
July 9th, 2010
12:18 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wise_Diva and ajcdinecritic. ajcdinecritic said: Where do you go for good Southern veggies? http://bit.ly/aFRHl8 (Food & More blog) [...]
Ford's Poppa
July 9th, 2010
12:25 pm
Carver’s Country Kitchen has great veggie plates, as does Q’s in East Point. It is a bit of a drive, but the veggie plate at 5 Star in Athens is always a welcome treat when I make it to the classic city in time for lunch.
Ford's Poppa
July 9th, 2010
12:30 pm
Haven’t been there in a bit but the veggies at Our Way Cafe were always worth the trip to Decatur/Avondale Estates, especially their creamed corn.
Aquagirl
July 9th, 2010
12:34 pm
Our Way Cafe closed due to a fire. Bummer.
bbb
July 9th, 2010
12:37 pm
5 star and 5 and ten always has a great veggie plate though sometimes it does get a bit ‘high falutin’ with risotto. But often they have great local veggies on the plate. Yes Watershed- I must see you soon
smokewagon
July 9th, 2010
12:43 pm
I always enjoy Anne & Bill’s in Forest Park whenever I’m in that area.
yum
July 9th, 2010
12:44 pm
Wysteria…great vege plate.
Michael
July 9th, 2010
12:51 pm
South City Kitchen Midtown has a delicious veggie plate with tomato mac and cheese, fried okra, butterbean succotash, green beans and grilled asparagus.
Jeff
July 9th, 2010
12:51 pm
There used to be a really good place in East Cobb, I forget the name, but it was really good… a typical southern meat and three place….
Hard to find some good, traditional, family-owned southern cuisine places anymore.
Kenbud
July 9th, 2010
1:14 pm
SOOOOO proud he mentioned Busy Bee. It’s a jewel in this city. Few want to go there bcuz it’s in an alleged “bad part” of town. The food is tremendous, and most importantly, CONSISTENT.
Great desserts too.
Ramblin Wreck
July 9th, 2010
1:15 pm
Bobbie and June’s on 14th serves great veggies.
reservoirDAWG
July 9th, 2010
1:18 pm
Matthew’s.
Lane
July 9th, 2010
1:19 pm
You’ve never been to Greenwoods? Go! It’s excellent. I agree that Watershed has a fantastic vegetable plate. Also good for southern vegetables: Carvers, Garden Produce and Country Store, Matthews, Mary Macs (back to it’s old self), Colonnade, JCT Kitchen,. Manuel’s Tavern has first-rate collard greens and actually has a decent selection of vegetable sides. In Athens: 5 Star, Five and Ten, Wilson’s Soul Food,
insano
July 9th, 2010
1:24 pm
Carvers, Beautiful Restaurant, Collonade, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, Gladys & Rons Chicken & Waffles. I kind of favor Carvers out of that list, but all of them are excellent.
Kim
July 9th, 2010
1:25 pm
Buckners in Jackson GA!
pointedview
July 9th, 2010
1:30 pm
I found Greenwood’s to be highly overrated. They don’t even serve sweet tea, or didn’t when I last visited there about two years ago. Remember in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe when Arthur Dent tries to get the Nutrimatic drink dispenser to try to make a cup of tea, and it ends up producing something that’s almost, but not entirely unlike tea? I feel like Greenwood’s produces Southern food that is almost, but not entirely, unlike traditional Southern fare.
Mr. Papagiorgio
July 9th, 2010
1:33 pm
Amen! Buckners in Jackson.
steph
July 9th, 2010
1:57 pm
busy bee is overrated. I was not impressed when I went. I do like Matthews and have been eating there for 20 years or so.
downtown
July 9th, 2010
1:58 pm
new place on MLK – Jimmie’s. Went this week based on a coworker’s suggestion…..pretty good meat and 3 place for the downtown crowd….had Mac/Cheese, yams, and corn……
reservoirDAWG
July 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
Those tomatoes in your picture look awesome.
Jim
July 9th, 2010
2:14 pm
Carvers, Matthew’s, and Bobby and June’s are you need to know. They are the best. Watershed is overpriced.
jen
July 9th, 2010
2:16 pm
Greenwoods is a must for Fried Green Tomatos….best in the city.
Emily
July 9th, 2010
2:36 pm
Annie’s in Jasper. Best banana pudding you will ever have!
Miss Bernice Rucker
July 9th, 2010
2:38 pm
Whew yeah, I want me a mess of salat and pot likker soaker cornbread.
BeezieB
July 9th, 2010
2:41 pm
Pointedview gets extra internet points for the Hitchhikers’ Guide reference!
Went by Our Way the other day—there’s a construction container/trailer out front, hope that is a good sign.
Had some pretty good/cheap veggies at Eats recently (not the mac-n-cheese which is radioactive orange); as a non-meat eater I can’t do a lot of the traditional stealth-meat veggies like collards & blackeyed peas most places. Sigh. Collards have such a fantastic texture.
Ahnrew Peller
July 9th, 2010
2:43 pm
I travel up to Gainesville occasionally on business and found good veggies at Longstreet Cafe. However, I must add that it is a little pricey.
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
2:51 pm
Listen, I like my okra cooked soft and without so much breading that you can’t even get the okra taste. Question is- where can I find it like that?
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
2:54 pm
P.S. The overly breaded okra I just described is much like the okra in your picture.
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
2:55 pm
You can’t even see green. It’s like eating cornbread balls.
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
2:56 pm
Sorry, okay, I’ll shut up. I’m just passionate about correct okra preparation.
Chronos
July 9th, 2010
2:58 pm
Farmer John’s
Native
July 9th, 2010
2:58 pm
If you were born here, you know about Matthew’s. Don’t say I’ve never done nothin’ for the carpetbaggers.
1164mgc
July 9th, 2010
2:59 pm
OMGosh, my mouth is watering – I live out of state, and I can tell you the only vegetable plates we can get here are either at home or at Cracker Barrell. I’ve been to Watershed on vacation and fell in love with that place. I think I need to go back and re-read the exploding watermelon comments to keep my mouth from watering!
BDJ
July 9th, 2010
3:19 pm
Watershed, hands down. Especially when the butterbeans with cream and country ham are on the plate.
David S
July 9th, 2010
3:43 pm
Hard to put “good” and “Southern Veggies” in the same sentence. Nearly every place you go, so many are cooked with ham, shoulder, fat back, etc. or some beef something or other. All of the frying then puts all the oil and its issues along with eggs and dairy in the batter. I guess its all fine if you consider the pig, cow, chicken, etc. as the important part of your meal. As a vegetarian I have different priorities.
R. Thomas Grill is outstanding for a more conventional restaurant. They do a completely raw dinner that is great. Even better is Cafe Life in Life Grocery in Marietta. But the best is Lov’n It Live in East Point. Nothing but raw vegan. Now that’s the way veggies should be eaten, whether you are in the South or not.
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
3:46 pm
Why go out Dave? Just sit in the garden and eat.
Jim E. Hargrove
July 9th, 2010
3:49 pm
Butterbeans with cream??? What in hades is that ? Sounds kinda gay. And just who came up with the bright idea of putting sugar in cornbread. He should be deported from the south.
Southern Belle
July 9th, 2010
4:19 pm
Family Traditions Restaurant in the Hickory Flat community of Cherokee County has wonderful vegetables and is reasonably priced!
Umm-Umm
July 9th, 2010
4:24 pm
Great topic but I wish the addresses of these places could be posted. It’s a big area you know!
Dunwoody Don
July 9th, 2010
5:09 pm
If you don’t mind spending $20+ for a relatively small plate, Restaurant Eugene prepares a variety of locally grown veggies in ways that are decidedly unique and delicious. Great for special occasions.
Rupricht
July 9th, 2010
5:26 pm
Bobby & June’s closed about a month ago, did it not?
david c
July 9th, 2010
6:07 pm
For $16 I can go to the local Farmers Market and eat for a week. But then, I couldn’t call all my friends while I’m eating to tell them I’m in Decatur having “Southern” vegetables!
Fred
July 9th, 2010
6:17 pm
Any time I see the words “Mary Macs” and good Southern food in the same post I just laugh and move on…………. there’s nothing worth reading in it.
Sue
July 9th, 2010
7:11 pm
Bar-B-Que Kitchen on Virginia Avenue. The have great veggies.
Art
July 9th, 2010
7:44 pm
John, you’ve got to go to Greenwood’s. Bill Greenwood is a larger-than-life character who greets you with a smile and a baseball glove sized handshake. The food comes in humongous portion sizes which is not always a good thing… but in Greenwood’s case, it’s a good thing. The fried chicken is very good as is the roast chicken… There are lots of good sides to pick from and save room for dessert as Bill’s pies are legendary… Greenwood’s has been around for 20 plus years which is a testament to Bill, his staff and some very consistently good food. BTW Swallow in the Hollow, a very good BBQ place is right across the street… another place to try but probably on a different day as the notches on your belt can’t handle both on the same day.
katherine
July 9th, 2010
10:01 pm
I love the Harvest Plate at Farm 255 in Athens – always different, always fresh, always great!
elizabeth
July 9th, 2010
10:23 pm
Weaver D’s in Athens! It is as Southern as you could ask for. Nothing fancy- just like it should be.
Darin
July 9th, 2010
10:29 pm
Someone else mentioned Wisteria and I’ll agree with that rec — their vegetable plate is my favorite fancy-shmancy take on southern food intown.
Also, I’ll mention Daddy D’z. The food can vary in quality, but I’ve generally been impressed with the veggie sides there.
fixer upper
July 10th, 2010
5:18 am
Matthews Cafeteria needs to quit being so cheap and remodel the joint.
Nesbitt for Heisman
July 10th, 2010
5:30 am
Matthews Cafeteria does not know how to cook fried green tomatoes.
But most customers are too lazy to say anything.
Greasy and raw in the middle.