Name: Woody's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks

Menu: N/A

After months of hearing about this place, riding by it, and then finally seeing it pop up on Scoutmob, I decided to pop into Woody's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks yesterday and check it out.  SOOOOOOO glad I did.  The service was fast and courteous and that sandwich was was one of the best I'd ever had!!!

Places like these are what prompted us to create ATL Bite Life.  Small mom & pop shops nestled in cool metro neighborhoods serving incredible food.  Woody's has quite a few things working in its' favor.  First, it sits right on a busy Monroe Dr in between 9th and 10th St in full view of traffic.  Piedmont Park is a hop, skip, and a jump away as well as Midtown Art Cinema and Grady High School.  The other plus is that it stays open til midnight Sunday thru Thursday.  Then, on the weekend, the place is open until 4am.  All my Bite Lifers who are part of #TeamNoSleep or who just want to avoid Krystals or Waffle House after the club, THIS is the place to go!!!

The inside of Woody's is fairly small.  It almost puts in the mind of Ann's Snack Bar in terms of size.  But, have no fear.  There's a little more elbow room than Ann's with what I remember to be around 8 old-school vinyl booths.  There's also a decent sized covered patio that allows for more seating. The biggest plus is that there's no old lady fussing at you to step outside or to get off the phone.  Even with a reasonable line of people inside, the 3-person staff was cool, helpful, patient, and fast.  I may have waited about 7 minutes for my food to come out piping hot.

But, it's not the size of the building or the patio or even the service that's gonna bring me back to Woody's.  I'm coming back for the cheesesteaks!!!  Now, I usually get my cheesesteaks from Publix.  I think I've been very clear on my stance that Publix has the best sandwiches around.  However, I know that many people have pointed out that the bread there can be harder than you'd normally prefer.  THIS is what makes Woody's version my new hands down favorite. 

The bread for their cheesesteak is soft and fluffy like it was prepared in the finest bakery.  But, it didn't crumble or fall apart under the weight of the meat and toppings of the sandwich.  And, believe me, I tested it.  I asked that my sandwich be dressed down with EVERYTHING minus lettuce and tomato.  I had mushrooms, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, light mayo, and it already came with a filling amount of meat and cheese.  INCREDIBLE!!!  It was so good without being ridiculously greasy as you know cheesesteaks tend to be. 

Honestly, the only downside that I could find with Woody's is that busy location.  The traffic getting over to Woody's, especially on a weekend, could potentially make you say "F it" and just grab something else perhaps on Ponce.  And, as with anything in the downtown/midtown area, the parking situation isn't great.  On my count, I only saw 8 spaces and 2 of those were marked for handicapped persons.

Either way, if you're willing to brave Atlanta's stop and go and then potentially park down the street, the Philly cheesesteak at Woody's is WELL WORTH IT!!!  Add some chips and a drink to it and then couple it with your Scoutmob discount and you'll REALLY feel like you got over.  I know I'll be back and I'm hoping I run into some of our Lifers too.

Til we eat again!

Name: Chinese Buddha

Website: N/A

Menu: N/A

Atlanta's foodie purists will probably bite my head off for this but I'm gonna just go ahead and say it - Chinese Buddha has the best Chinese food in the city!!!  Yeah, I said it.  You wanna make something of it??  Sure, I'm familiar with the big names and the big chains that populate the city offering Asian cuisine.  I also haven't forgotten my hood roots on Candler Rd in Decatur (s/o to China Cafeteria - how have you stayed open so long??).  But, if given the option, 9 out of 10 times, I'm gonna find myself at the corner of Spring St and 10th St.

Main Dining Room

I can already hear some of you now in your whiny baby voices - "How could you say that??  Chin Chin is the best.  All the critics agree on that".  Well, you know what I say to the critics. . . F the critics!!!  Lol.  The critics have never been to Club Primal on a Friday night and gotten hungry at 3am. The critics never had $8 bucks in their account and wanted a non-fast food meal that wouldn't require overdraft protection.  And, on top of being open late and also being affordable, the food is really good!!!

Egg Rolls

I've had several items on the menu but I'm very partial towards the Sweet & Sour Chicken combination plate.  For $9.95, you get a quite hearty helping of sweet & sour chicken, white or fried rice, an egg roll, and your choice of soup (a slightly smaller serving of this meal is offered for lunch for $6.75).  Most people end up taking the some food home with them.  Me, I knock mines out in one sitting like a man.  Lol.  I mean, why wouldn't I??  The sauce on that chicken is fantastic.  I prefer mine SMOTHERED in it.  And, the mixture of onions, peppers, and pineapples with the sauce make it even better.  The egg rolls are very tasty.  Spend the extra couple of bucks to get 2 egg rolls if you can.  There have been times when I've stopped by JUST for egg rolls when I didn't wanna get a burger and fries as my fourth meal of the day. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken w/ Fried Rice

Oh, and don't flex on the soup.  The hot & sour soup is amazing!!!  Don't ask me what's in it.  I didn't cook it.  But, that combination of spicy and tangy is INCREDIBLE!!!  And, it's the perfect prelude to the meal that is to come.

Hot & Sour Soup

The only downside to me is the parking.  Anyone who's ever been to Chinese Buddha knows of the potential dangers of that rear parking deck.  First, getting in and out can be quite messy.  The corners within it are very sharp and narrow and drivers are, shall we say, less than cautious when maneuvering through.  When leaving, God forbid you try to make a left onto 10th St.  The exit point puts you right at the 10th/14th St exit on 75/85 and cars are whizzing by at quite a pace.  Finally, I've always been a little leery of walking to and from the restaurant and my car.  There's a little side alley that's right up against the exit that's kinda dark and is just perfect for an evening mugging.  I know my crew has been guilty of bringing firearms into the Buddha on several occasions.  Gotta do what you gotta do, right??

Overall though, I HIGHLY recommend this place.  Yeah, there's a little element of danger.  But, isn't good food worth a walk on the wild side??  It's affordable, it's amazing, and open after hours.  It doesn't get much better than that. 

Til we eat again!

Ideal For: Lunch, Late Night