You’d be forgiven for not expecting this stretch to have the name Buford (especially in Georgia).
But it’s trueBuford Highway has long been one of Atlanta’s greatest experiences.
It’s a glorious, kaleidoscopic destination where global cultures and ethnic identities can be tasted through delicious cuisines.
The noodle soup at Pho Dai Loi #2 is beloved for its rich and fragrant broth, which is topped with proteins like beef or chicken.Credit: Cedric Angeles
Buford Highway is much more than a corridor; it’s better described as a community.
They don’t simply coexist; they thrive together.
But it is best known for a 10-mile section where many of its highlights are concentrated.
Buford Highway.Credit: Cedric Angeles
The modern roots of today’s Buford Highway are in the automotive industry.
“The places here mean so much to the local communities,” Pabian says.
This is not one and doneyou take it; you leave it.
A meal enjoyed at LanZhou Ramen.Credit: Cedric Angeles
This is the bread and butter of the area."
Pabian’s family heritage connects her to Buford Highway.
Her parents grew up in Taiwan and moved the family to the corridor in 1979.
When Debbie Benedit and her late husband, Eddie, opened Havana Sandwich Shop in 1976, it was the first immigrant-owned restaurant on Buford Highway.Credit: Cedric Angeles
“We’re building relationships because we want people to tell us their stories.
It helps them, because their number one priority is to create new lives and survive.”
“Food bridges that, if you allow it to,” she explains.
True to its name, Havana Sandwich Shop is known around Atlanta and beyond for its simple yet satisfying Cuban sandwiches. The family recipe hasn’t changed in decades.Credit: Cedric Angeles
It started very casually, Allen remembers.
If anybody wants to carpool, meet at the studio.
Otherwise, join us at the restaurant.'
Locals and visitors flock to the Buford Highway location of Pho Dai Loi, a chain of family-run Vietnamese restaurants, for steaming bowls of pho, spring rolls, and more.Credit: Cedric Angeles
Sometimes 5 people would show up, sometimes 25.
You never really knew what was going to happen," he says.
“It’s really, really good.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
I kept going there and noticing a nearby store called Super H Mart.
One day, after eating at Shoya Izakaya, I decided to walk in,” he says.
Now I go there about once a month to buy things like bulgogi and kimchi."
Chef and co-owner Fu Li Zhang has perfected the art of hand-pulled noodles. In addition to ramen, the Doraville restaurant offers steamed buns, dumplings, and rice dishes.Credit: Cedric Angeles
“Go out there, and eat.
I now have my 10 spots that I love.
To me, it’s just so cool,” he says.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
Havana Sandwich Shop
It’s hard to missHavana Sandwich Shop.
Debbie Benedit is the owner of Havana Sandwich Shop.
Her late husband, Eddie, came to the U.S. with his Cuban family in the 1960s.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
Shortly after they were married, she found herself unexpectedly wedded to a family of restaurateurs.
It grabs your attention," Benedit says.
“People are drawn to this buildingthe chaos, the loudness, the laughing, and the wonderful smells.
Banh mi places abound in the Atlanta area, but the crunchy yet light baguettes baked by John Lê and his wife, Lucy, make their sandwiches a cut above the rest.Credit: Cedric Angeles
We’re at the beginning of Buford Highway.
We lead the way, so to speak.”
“The mid-seventies were a very difficult time,” she recalls.
Plaza Fiesta is more than a shopping destination. It’s just as popular for its Latin American food court, where vendors sell everything from tacos and arepas to baked goods and snacks.Credit: Cedric Angeles
“We had a new President, and there were a lot of unknowns plus high inflation.
“They just decided we were gonna bring Cuban food to Atlanta.
And then he said, ‘You watch.'”
Credit: Cedric Angeles
It features thinly sliced ham and white American cheese because she says Swiss cheese is too overpowering.
“But a Cuban sandwich is really all about the bread.
It’s toasty and crunchy on top yet soft on the inside.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
If you don’t use the right kind, you’ve got a Subway sandwich.”
havanaatlanta.com; 2905 Buford Highway NE.
Luong no longer oversees the famous pho that is prepared behind the wood-paneled walls of the dining room.
He stepped away from the restaurants in 2017, reportedly following a shoulder injury.
Seven days a week, the dining room is predictably busy.
Cilantro, bean sprouts, vibrant basil, jalapeno slices, and fresh lime are accompanying enhancements.
Regardless of what you order, a meal here can turn customers into a communityat least temporarily.
At Pho Dai Loi, the large crystal chandelier steals the show amid ceramic-tile floors and adrop ceiling.
The flavor ofLanZhou Ramen’ssoup is symphonic.
You don’t need both dinner and a movie when the cooking is this entertaining.
“We’re doing the things we know we can do better.”
And he has lots of praise for Zhang’s noodle brilliance.
“He’s been doing this for 20 years.
The ones he makes are a lot more tender than the regular kind.
We call them ‘cute.’
When you eat overcooked noodles, you don’t get that same feeling,” he says.
He believes the clarity of the broth is critical.
“That’s the most important thing.
If you see a creamy soup, they didn’t do it right.
When it’s tea colored, that’s the best,” he notes.
There are also subtle signs that service is taken seriously.
Lay down your laminated menu, and one of the waiters will immediately appear.
Imagine heaven in a savory, cheeseless quesadilla.
Yang’s confidence extends outward.
“I think it’s great.
They’re going to attract more customers.
Good restaurants are surviving.
It’s really very simple.
If we’re not trying our best, we’re going down.
I love itthe more, the better,” he says.
One bite and you’ll understand what the hype is all about.
It’s an incredibly light and airy bread that somehow remains crunchy from the first to the final chomp.
“The banh mi is very popular.
(Lee is the Americanized spelling of the surname Le.)
Lucy says they aren’t bothered by their customers’ Western-leaning tastes.
John has even become famous among repeat customers for performing tableside magic tricks.
That touch of personalized servicealong with the soups and sandwichesis the heart of the restaurant’s success.
Families stroll through the halls, scanning and considering everything from car-stereo subwoofers to princess-inspired dresses.
Jorge Gomez is the marketing director for Kennedy Wilson, the real estate investment company that operates Plaza Fiesta.
“Basically, they came to lend a hand where needed,” Gomez says.
Plaza Fiesta’s 280-plus shops draw nearly 50,000 visitors weekly, Gomez says.
“This is notTex-Mex,” he insists.
“The flavors are like back home.”
“That is my favorite,” he admits.
“I eat that a lot with a salad that has avocado and tomatoes.
There’s so much good food that I have to watch my diet.”
You’ll notice that atmosphere right away.
“It is a fun place.
When anyone calls and asks if we have certain stores, I just say yes.
If you come here, you won’t regret it,” he says with a laugh.
