Join ATL Bite Life TONIGHT (Tuesday, July 3rd) from 8pm til midnight for our first ever CASH MOB at the brand new Harold's Chicken & Ice Bar at 349 Edgewood Ave in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood or, as we like to call it, The 4 (S/O to Slick Pulla).  For those of you who don't know, Harold's is pretty much an institution in its' home base of Chicago, IL.  Their whole wings (not wingettes like we normally do down here) coupled with their signature mild sauce is a hometown trademark that I know my Chi-Towners who now reside here in the A have truly been missing.  So, it's only right that Hip Hop's Go To Restaurant Guide welcomes them to the city in proper ATL fashion.

Now, what is a "cash mob"??  It's kinda like the more popular term "flash mob" except there's no dancing involved (*wipes forehead*).  A cash mob is a group of people who assemble at a local business and all purchase items from that business.  The purpose of these mobs is to support the local businesses and the overall community.  In this case, I'm asking all my ATLiens to take a couple hours off from bottle poppin' and section buying at the club to come go to town on some chicken wings and have a cocktail or two.  There's no work tomorrow because of the holiday so we going in!

I'm expecting to see ALL of you tonight.  Tell a friend to tell a friend. 

For more information on Harold's Chicken & Ice Bar, follow them on Twitter - @ATLHaroldsChick -  or LIKE Harold's Chicken & Ice Bar on Facebook.

Happy Eating!

Name: Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint

Website: http://www.sweetgeorgiasjukejoint.com/

Menu: http://www.sweetgeorgiasjukejoint.com/food-and-drink.html

Ever since we put out the season finale of The ATL Bite Life Show with Travis Porter, so many of you have been asking me, "where was that place??".  Well, that place is Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint and it's AMAZING!!!


Located at the corner of Peachtree St and Ellis St in what used to be the big downtown Macy's building, SGJJ is exactly what the city needed.  It's an upscale eatery offering a nice twist on southern cuisine and nightly live entertainment.  Yes, there have been similar concepts that did it with a certain grace before.  Dante's Down The Hatch (when it was at Underground Atlanta) and even Hairston's to a certain degree.  But, these days, NO ONE in the city is doing it like THIS!!!

Juke Joint Wings - $10

On my first official visit after the show taping, I took a few guests with me and told them I was footing the bill.  They took full advantage.  Smh.  We dove right into the menu head first.  Appetizer - Juke Joint Wings.  Personally, I've never been a big fan of grilled wings (at home or at restaurants).  I prefer mine slightly more American Deli-ized.  Alone, these wings were okay.  But, when you smother them in that Juke Joint BBQ sauce, WHOA!!!  Not bad at all.

Shrimp & Grits - $16

Catfish & Grits - $16

Peach Glazed Alaskan Salmon & Garlic Mashed Potatoes - $16

A few of my guests opted to go the seafood route.  So, next to the table came Shrimp & Grits, Catfish & Grits, and a Peach Glazed Salmon with Mashed Potatoes.  Rave reviews all around!!!  You know how when good food hits the table and everyone goes quiet??  That's what happened.  Everyone dug in.  Of course, I took bites off of everyone's plate.  DELICIOUS!!!  Side story: I used to love catfish but once I got into the music industry, everyone was so health conscious that they kinda shamed me away from eating "bottom feeder" fish.  WHATEVER!!!  I'm baik at it (JW voice).  Lol.  That catfish was too good!!! And, that salmon was great too.  That glaze wasn't too sweet or too bland.  It was just right!!!

I think my only complaint would've been that there weren't enough shrimp in the Shrimp & Grits.  However, I notice that that seems to be the thing at most restaurants when it comes to that dish (which is why I don't order it).  Big bowl of grits, 4 or 5 shrimp??  That ain't for me.

Juke Joint Fried Chicken w/ Mac & Cheese + Collard Greens - $17

Then, MY food came.  The Juke Joint Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens.  Of course, my food was the best!!!  Once I bit into the Fried Chicken, I realized 2 things.  One, pretty much anything they FRY is gonna be good.  I don't know what kind of flour, batter, seasoning, whatever that they're using but they got something special.  Both the fish and chicken were light and crispy without being greasy.  The second thing is, I think they used some of that Peach glaze or something on that chicken.  It had a sweetness to it that complimented it so well that it was almost unbelievable.  This is a must order for everyone coming in!!!

Moonshine w/ Pineapple Juice

If you're wondering how we washed all this food down.  Don't.  You know how we do.  We went straight to Foursquare for our answer.  Based on a tip we found, we went for Juke Joint's in-house specialty - The Moonshine.  Be careful though.  They offer the Moonshine as a shot and as a cocktail.  GET THE COCKTAIL!!!  Nothing against the shot but the scene can get kinda loud (you'll find out why below) and if you don't specify CLEARLY, you could end up with a very strong shot on your table like I did.  I cleared it up and they brought me out a Moonshine with Pineapple Juice.  Very good!!!  And, the best part - it came in a mason jar!!!  Love that!!!  Way to stick with the theme, Juke Joint. 

Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding - $7

We capped off our meal with dessert. All I'm saying is - Get the Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding!!!  Fantastic!!!  I may have had more than one.  That's all you need to know.  Light, sweet, moist, tasty!!!  When those four words are used to describe anything, could it ever be bad??

Gritz & Jelly Butter performing live

Last but not least, in a neck and neck competition with the food was the entertainment - Gritz & Jelly Butter.  They performed for a little over an hour and ROCKED IT!!!  They played everything from the O'Jays to Ol' Dirty Bastard.  INCREDIBLE!!!  When making your reservation, you may wanna find out if/when these guys are hitting the stage.  I mean, honestly, the combination of the food and the show was like no other dining experience I've EVER had before.

2 things, you definitely want to keep in mind though.  First, this place gets PACKED on Friday and Saturday nights.  Making reservations is a MUST!!!  I actually had to make reservations for a MONTH out.  No exaggeration.  But, when I got there, the best hostess in the world - Theresa - put me in the best seat in the house.  Ask for her when you get there.  She'll take care of you.  And, make sure you tip her well.  If you're gonna be bout that BITE Life, you need to be bout that TIP Live too.  S/O to all the waiters and bartenders.

Second, there is an Entertainment Fee.  They charge $5 person to every bill for the privilege of watching the show.  When I first heard about this, I have to admit, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way.  I had never heard of that.  But, then again, I'd never been to a spot like this.  However, Gritz & Jelly Butter (and Jimi Cravity who was on when we first walked in) was WELL WORTH IT!!!

No matter what, I highly recommend this spot.  The food was good, the service was great, and the entertainment was just the icing on the cake.  I know that most of our readers are in the 25-35 year old range so be warned - the crowd there can be a little older (those 40 year old's get it in).  But, you won't feel out of place or uncomfortable.  The vibe is so vibrant and the ambiance is so contemporary that you won't even notice.  It's perfect for date night, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

So, pick up the phone and make your reservation today.  Ask Theresa to put my table next to yours.  Lol

Til we eat again!

Ideal For: Date Night, Special Occasion Dining

Yep, we're side dishin' it again!!!  This time, it's with one of the funniest guys I know, comedian Henry Welch - "The Most Feared Man in Comedy"!!!  This guy is TOO FUNNY!!!  Some of my most memorable nights at the strip clubs here in Atlanta (Strokers and Roosters in particular) were on days where he was hosting the party.  Henry is likely to say ANYTHING!!!  And, most of the time he does.  Lol. 

We caught up with my dude at the NOW CLOSED LeRoy's Fried Chicken and we got an incredible interview.  I kinda wish we had just put the entire 30 minute clip on here.  Some of the things that we cut out were downright HILARIOUS!!!  But, we still got some good stuff for you.  Henry talks about being on the road with Mike Epps, becoming a teacher in Birmingham, Alabama (his hometown), and why syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley LIED about filing a RESTRAINING ORDER against him and then STOLE HIS JOKES.  WOW!!!

Side Note: This episode was tough to get thru because the food was not that great.  The people who worked at this place, including the owner, were SOOOOOOO nice to us.  But, even during the taping, we found ourselves looking at each other like "what are we gonna do??"  Do we just get thru the taping and act like it was all good OR do we keep it real on the show??  We chose the former.  But, it also made us install a policy of ALWAYS trying out a restaurant FIRST before we decide to tape there. 

Peep the video below.  And make sure you try to catch our boy Henry on the road. 

Peep the video below.  Also, check out The Ray Hitch Show - www.youtube.com/raydarfilms

As always, Happy Eating!

And so it begins!!!  Here is the first episode of The ATL Bite Life Show.  On this one, we hit up BLT Steak Atlanta in downtown Atlanta with one of my favorite artists - 2 Chainz!!!

Now, today is a celebratory day.  So, I won't bog you guys down with the details of what REALLY happened during the taping of this particular episode.  However, if you want to know the full scoop, click here.

As always, happy eating and don't forget to tip your waitress.

This is the LIFE!!!

Name: LeRoy's Fried Chicken
Cuisine: Soul Food / Fast Food
Neighborhood: West Midtown
Address: 1021 Howell Mill Rd. NW Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 872-7888
Website: http://www.facebook.com/leroysfriedchicken
Menu: Pic below

This review pains me because I had the opportunity to meet Chef Julia LeRoy and her staff personally during the filming of our ATL Bite Life Show.  She was sooooooo sweet, her story was so compelling, and her staff was extremely cooperative.  I REALLY wanted to like the food.  I REALLY wanted to brag to all my folks that I'd found this incredible new chicken spot downtown that everyone else wasn't up on yet.  I REALLY REALLY did.  But, unfortunately, I really really can't.

Let me set the scene.  By sheer chance, we ended up selecting my main man, comedian Henry Welch, to come eat with us here at LeRoy's for this particular episode.  So, you can just imagine the pre-dining jokes.  First, Chef Julia is a cute, early to mid 30's white woman so skepticism was HIGH that this chicken wasn't gonna be seasoned right.  Second, one glance at the menu and you will see that the prices are slightly high for some chicken (as opposed to its KFC and Popeyes counterparts).  A 2-piece chicken is $5.95 (chicken only) then the sides are $2.95 a piece.  So, a combo with 2 sides could easily run you $12 WITHOUT a drink.  Smh.  Third, the ONLY thing on the menu is CHICKEN and chicken-based dishes like chicken salad, chicken livers, etc.  So, other than the side items, there are no burgers, sandwiches, etc to fall back on just in case you don't like or just get tired of the chicken (keep in mind that the menu isn't very extensive to begin with).  That brings us to the sides.  If the skepticism about the chicken was high, the doubt about the collard greens, mac & cheese, etc were not too far behind.  We wondered - Would the greens be dry??  Would the mac & cheese be cheesy??  AND, to top it all off, the chicken is fried in LARD!!!  While most of us from the hood are familiar with lard, not too many of us are currently using/eating it in 2011.  We were jokingly overwhelmed.  All the ingredients of disappointment were laid out on the counter like salt and pepper.  But, would we be let down??

YES.  Me and Henry both ordered the 3 piece chicken w/ a side of collard greens and mac & cheese and a biscuit.  While the biscuit was probably one of the best biscuits I've ever eaten, everything else was blah.  The chicken was in serious need of some Lawry's Seasoning Salt.  Even the Texas Pete hot sauce we lathered our chicken in didn't help it much.  The collards weren't seasoned well (but they were juicy) and the mac and cheese was mediocre too.  The food had a very cafeteria-ish quality to it.  I was sooooooo blowed!!!  The worst part was that I had to sit there with Henry and my camera crew giving me the "I told you so" face.  They were relentless!!!

There were a few pluses.  The service was fast and courteous.  And, the walk up counter service kinda gives you a Happy Days feel.  Although, I wonder how this will play once the weather cools down in Atlanta.  Not too many people will want to sit OUTSIDE and eat bad chicken.  The location isn't bad either.  It's directly across the street from Chow Baby on Howell Mill Rd.  It's right down the street from Compound nigh club and Yeah! Burger.  And, it's right next door to the Mexican spot La Fonda that seems to be fairly busy any time I pass by.

Other than that, I don't know what to tell you.  Try the biscuits.  They were great!!!

Grade: D+
What's Great: Atmosphere, Service
What Ain't: Food, Prices
Ideal For: Spring/Summer Patio Dining