Buford Highway Basics

by Jonathan Baker - Citysearch Editor - 221 Reviews - 111 Lists

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Updated: July 08, 2009

Atlanta doesn’t have a Chinatown or Little Italy like NY or San Francisco, but we do have an ethnic Mecca just above the perimeter known as Buford Highway. This oft-avoided strip is not nearly as dicey as we snooty ITPers think; some of our city’s culinary jewels make up this string of awesome real-deal ethnic eateries. From Atlanta’s best sushi to late-night taco stands, we’ve outlined the best of Buford Highway.

Ethnic Adventure Eating

  1. 1 3.5 Star Rating: Average Eighty Eight Tofu House
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    5490 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340 (map)

    TOFU SOUP: Skip the typical barbecue grills and go order the namesake at this 24-hour "Korean Waffle House." Tofu soup, spicy and gently laced with buttery-soft, flavor-packing tofu tastes like Thai coconut soup ran headfirst into Vietnamese pho. We prefer the seafood option, stuffed with in-shell clams, shrimp and baby scallops.

  2. 2 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended El Taco Veloz Inc
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    5084 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340 (map)

    TACOS: All you who love Taqueria Del Sol, get ready to have your mind blown. While you won’t find Memphis barbecue or fried chicken tacos at this stand, El Veloz does tacos the way they were meant to be served: corn tortilla, meat, onions, cilantro, tin foil plating. The cow tongue might be a bit much, but the barbacoa or carnitas (both delicious pork versions) will make you a believer. So will the $1 price tag and the refreshing horchata beverage.

  3. 3 Hanil Kwan
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    5458 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30340 (map)

    KOREAN BARBECUE: Atlanta has a plethora of Korean barbecue joints--the ones that boast giant upside woks on the table for self-grilling--but only one uses charcoal rather than gas, Hanil Kwan. So that’s how we’re rolling. Pork belly, short ribs, and kimchi highlight the usual suspects but it’s the charcoal that really sets this place apart. A warning: Prepare yourself to be super-full. You drinkers must try the soju, a stiff Korean cocktail that tastes like the smoothest vodka imaginable.

  4. 4 La Churreria
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    3336 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 (map)

    CHURROS: What the hell are churros? Let me explain. Churros are fried dough shaped like dynamite sticks and taste like beignets reinvented in Mexican cylinder form. Lightly dusted in sugar and served hot with a creamy dipping sauce called cajeta, they are greasy, chewy and just about perfect. The best churros are not lodged in the churros-warmer contraption, but come fresh, so ask for a hot batch. Take a gander at the self-serve display case and snag a few pastries (pan dulces) to take home.

  5. 5 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Lee's Bakery
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    4005 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 (map)

    BANH MI SANDWICHES: If you don’t travel to NY or SF, this Vietnamese street sandwich might be new to you. Let me explain. It’s a housemade, crispy baguette with the right tooth and crunch, warm spice-scented grilled pork, cucumbers, pickled veggies, jalapeno and cilantro. It has a wonderful combination of spice, texture, and crunchiness. Think of it as a really tasty Asian sub sandwich. The to-go version at Lee’s Bakery only costs $2.50. Eat one. Love it. Take one back to your coworkers. Save the day.

  6. 6 4 Star Rating: Recommended Sushi House Hayakawa
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    5079 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30340 (map)

    JAPANESE/SUSHI: This is true sushi paradise. Hayakawa flies in their fish from Tsukiji, the largest fish market in Tokyo, injecting authenticity that's risky but worth the shot. The shiny-skinned Japanese gizzard shad is prepared the traditional way with the skin intact, Red Snapper is torched gently and worth ordering twice, and ponzu-sauced monkfish liver tastes like the best tofu you've ever had. And the brains behind the place? Art Hayakawaya is as endearing as he is entertaining.

  7. 7 3.5 Star Rating: Average Wan Lai Chinese Restaurant
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    4897 Buford Hwy Ste 104, Chamblee, GA 30341 (map)

    PORK BELLY CASSEROLE: Whoa! Chinese casseroles? Who knew?! While Wan Lai has a long list of both casserole and casserole rice (there IS a difference, one has rice in it), to get the marble-y pork belly, you have to ask since it’s not on the menu. Arriving in a steaming clay bowl, this traditional Cantonese dish is chocked with perfectly cooked pork overlaying taro root that instantly makes you wonder why you’ve never had this before. Do NOT, however, get the bitter melon beef dish. It was, indeed, bitter and not very good.