If our previous chapters about Atlanta’s food trucks have suggested that I’m still a little confused by them, that’s reasonable. As much as I wish to like the idea of them, something about the way they’re wrangled and rodeoed in Atlanta has left me stumped. It doesn’t help that not a month goes by without some bizarre bit of weird press, usually related to the city of Atlanta or one of the properties upon which the trucks park finding some new reason to inconvenience the trucks’ owners with some new permit or requirement. Continue reading “We Tracked the Food Trucks to Smyrna”
Tag: mexican
Bell Street Burritos in the Irwin Street Market (CLOSED)
Marie and I are occasionally asked how on earth we eat out as often as we do, and the truth is that we honestly don’t, not as much as we may appear. She cooks most evenings – and she cooks amazingly well – and our lunches are frequently either leftovers or deli sandwiches. I believe that what we do differently from many people is that we plan in advance and don’t waste meals on convenience or fast food, and when we do go out, we don’t often revisit a place, even if we enjoyed it. Certainly, there are exceptions – we can be found, many Tuesdays, having our family supper at Cheeseburger Bobby’s – and admittedly, we indulge on road trips, but for our staying-in-Atlanta meals, it’s reasonably simple to come up with four chapters a week and not burst the budget, especially since we often eat at two new places on Saturdays. Continue reading “Bell Street Burritos in the Irwin Street Market (CLOSED)”
Raging Burrito & Taco, Decatur GA
The last Friday in August, I went to have lunch at Raging Burrito in Decatur, and had such a comically awful experience both getting there and coming back that the venerable little joint stood out even brighter as a genuine oasis in a couple of hours of slapstick misery. I wrote it all out in an earlier draft, but it read more like whining than congenial exasperation, so you’ll just have to trust me: everything that could go wrong, short of trips to the hospital, police station or auto repair shop, did, in two hours and fifteen minutes of urban angst so meticulously timed that I started looking for the hidden cameras. Before it was over, I was sorely tempted to return, pay for some more minutes on the meter, and close the outside world away to have another burrito. Continue reading “Raging Burrito & Taco, Decatur GA”
Holy Taco, Atlanta GA
From what I know of Atlanta’s history, the East Atlanta neighborhood was thriving from the 1920s through the 1950s, which is when the building that is home to Holy Taco was built. It’s an old service station and garage that, like its peer on the other side of the street, was abandoned in the late 1960s, around the time that East Atlanta itself suffered the economic strain of white flight to the suburbs. Continue reading “Holy Taco, Atlanta GA”
Del Taco, Smyrna GA
…Atlanta store # 3 for Del Taco opened in the middle of July in Smyrna, at the intersection of Cobb Parkway (US-41) and Herodian. Most recently, the building had been home to one of the nine El Pollo Loco stores that briefly found a home in this region. This is the first of the new stores to directly compete with Taco Bell – there is one across the street and a couple of hundred yards south – and also with a traditional tacqueria. The excellent Tacos La Villa is just another couple of hundred yards north. Continue reading “Del Taco, Smyrna GA”
Mexican Chains on Buford Highway
A few chapters ago, I mentioned my desire to visit more restaurants along the Buford Highway corridor, and sample more traditional and authentic tastes. I figured that Marie and I would enjoy some Asian restaurants together, but I would give some Mexican places a try by myself, as I enjoy traditional tacos and sauces more than she does. So, a couple of Fridays back, I made my way to visit two well-known stores. They’re both outposts of small Atlanta-based chains. El Taco Veloz currently has six stores, and Las Tortas Locas currently has seven. Continue reading “Mexican Chains on Buford Highway”
The Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market
This is Marie, contributing an article about the Food Truck Park, the place that almost didn’t happen. You see, Atlanta laws make it mandatory for food to be cooked in a stationary location. Cooking in a truck that is parked doesn’t count. So practically speaking, the only businesses that can own food trucks are actual restaurants, or businesses that have a relationship with one. There are also restrictions on where the trucks can park and serve food. Luckily, there are events such as Street Food Thursdays downtown or Food Truck Wednesdays in Virginia Highlands, plus the Food Truck Park, but it’s not the same as having a BBQ truck stop by your work parking lot for an hour during lunch time so you don’t have to cross the street to the fast food place you’ve eaten at way too often, or get in your car to drive somewhere. Continue reading “The Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market”
Marie, Let's Eat! 