Food: Atlanta cult faves

On my trip to Atlanta, I encountered a couple of restaurants with loyal followings. These are the kinds of places where the locals eat - tasty food, not too expensive, can't find them anywhere else...

Fat Matt's Rib Shack

For any barbecue place to stay in business, it has to get the basics right. If your ribs aren't good or your potato salad sucks, no amount of frills or regalia will save you. Fat Matt's Rib Shack, near midtown Atlanta, does it up right, and has been for over twenty years.


I thought the chopped pork sandwich was a tremendous value; there's nothing quite like getting a mouthwatering wad of smoked deliciousness on a bun for only $4. My favorite side was the macaroni and cheese, which had the cheesy, you-know-it's-bad-for-you creaminess that makes you ignore the main course for awhile.

So the food is squared away, there's a nice patio to sit in, and there's live blues music:



What's not to like?

3/4 stars

SunO Dessert

At first, I thought SunO Dessert was an ice cream joint. Then, I thought it was a boba tea place. Or was it a crepe factory?

Turns out, SunO does all of those things and more. Sure, the specialty is the snow-like shaved ice (I like mine with pecans and blueberry/chocolate syrup), but there's a confection for practically any taste - from hot lavender milk tea to custard wheel pies. Some are better than others, but you'll never run out of things to try.

Only downside is that the place is a little pricey. The treats are pretty good, though, which probably explains why there were long lines for the fifth anniversary giveaway:



2/4 stars