Having lived in Atlanta for almost six years now, you would think that we have been to every “go to” restaurant suggested by friends, magazines, etc.  But given all of the restaurant love that Atlanta has to offer, we’ve sadly not come close to visiting them all.  We’re going to make an effort to get to more, and we started this quest with none other than Mary Mac’s.

This place is epic and legendary.  Living here, you learn quickly that the people standing outside in line to get in to Mary Mac’s are true devotees, or at least aren’t giving up without a fight in their battle to taste the greatness.  They do not take same-day reservations, so you have to plan ahead.  At times, the waiting area is probably packed, given that you can see 20 or more people standing outside waiting to get in to the restaurant.

Imagine our surprise when we showed up on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30 (with Trey’s parents, who were visiting) and had less than a 15-minute wait!

Once we sat down, we knew we were in for a good meal.  They offer family style (with no doggie bags), but we all started making our own decisions on the menu.  While they have a good variety, we were told to try the fried chicken.  Who knew that all four of us would order, of course, the fried chicken!

We won’t let this serve as a full, nitty-gritty review.  Just know that the staff were courteous and helpful to us newbies.  The fried chicken was amazing.  Simply put.  It rivaled homemade, and Trey’s mother has a pretty tried-and-true fried chicken recipe.  The sides were great too, and we had a variety of them to savor, from tomato pie to cheesy grits, and whipped potatoes with a gravy that was salty to perfection!

P.S. – they have cinnamon rolls that are to die for.  You get some with your meal, along with cornbread and yeast rolls, but you can also grab two dozen to go!

 

If you haven’t been to Mary Mac’s, please go soon; you’ll quickly realize you’ve been missing out on a true piece of Atlanta history and a kick-ass meal!!!