13 Restaurants for the Ultimate Cheat Meal in Atlanta
Written by Chloe Guillaume and Trisha Pintavorn
We know eating healthy is hard, but when you get a cheat day, it’s time to treat YO SELF! Here are 13 restaurants where you can indulge in the ultimate cheat meal! Try not to make your cheat day turn into a cheat weekend…. Or do!!
Beetlecat’s Nashville Hot Chicken Glazed Donut Sandwich
Donuts are already one of those items that will put you right into a food coma, no matter what. And damn, does Beetlecat make some amazing, sugary, decadent, glazed ones for brunch. But if you really want to go all out for an artery-clogging cheat meal, you will have to try their glazed donut Nashville Hot chicken sandwich, topped with a fried egg. It’s so good it hurts.
Big Dave’s Cheesesteak’s Philly Cheesesteak Eggrolls
There aren’t many Atlanta restaurants that have as passionate as a following as Big Dave’s Cheesesteak’s, and it’s for great reason! Derrick Hayes first opened up this spot in a Shell gas station, but now he’s got his own brick and mortar spot downtown that attracts lines everyday. We love his classic cheesesteaks of course, but something that’s also fantastic are his cheesesteak eggrolls, a wonderful and decadent creation that takes eggrolls to a whole new level.
Birria El Gordo’s Quesatacos
When eating Mexican food, it’s already tough to stay healthy and not indulge in allll the queso and tacos. But Birria El Gordo adds another level of decadence with their quesatacos, a sort of hybrid between quesadillas and tacos in which the tacos are layered with cheese and deep fried. Lordy lordy are these tacos bites of heaven–and well-worth the drive no matter what part of town you gotta come in from.
Bourbon St. Po Boys’ Beignets
If you’ve been searching in vain for great beignets in Atlanta–we will NEVER name names, but there are some questionable “beignets” out there for sure–we’ve got you covered. Bourbon St. Po Boys, a new ghost kitchen/pick-up and delivery only spot in the West End, has a classic beignet that’s deep fried and airy yet pillowy and just perfect all around. They add a slight twist which makes this even more cheat meal worthy by drizzling it with caramel and pecan bits. It’s a welcome addition. Find them on most delivery apps or order them for pick-up via oakstreeteats.com.
Cypress St. Pint & Plate’s Sweet Potato Nachos
Oh, how we love Cypress St. It’s really gastropub food at its best, with a kitchen open late, a patio that’s always poppin’, and a changing menu that’s always delicious and generally no so nutritious in the best way possible. There’s plenty on the menu that’s perfect for a cheat meal, but we think you’ll especially love their sweet potato nachos, with sweet potato waffle fries, blue cheese, cheddar, sriracha, bacon, and sriracha ranch. YUM.
Frankie’s the Steakhouse Chocolate Cake
It’s always a challenge leaving room for dessert at a steakhouse, but you gotta do it when you go to our new favorite spot, Frankie’s The Steakhouse in Alpharreta. Their over-the-top 7 layer chocolate cake is visually a show-stopper yet also delicious, moist and heaven in every bite.
Hero Doughnut’s Buffalo Super Crunch Chicken Sandwich
Anybody else feeling exhausted by all the new chicken sandwiches popping up all the time? Us too, it’s hard to keep up, but we have to tell you that yes, there’s another one, and yes you need to try it! Hero Doughnut has opened in Summerhill, coming by way of Alabama, with an assortment of donuts and “buns” or burgers/sandwiches. They make a mean burger but we have extra love for their drippy buffalo chicken sandwich, coated with sauce and with a pretty darn massive crunchy bird sandwiched between two toasty buns.
Home Grown’s Comfy Chicken Biscuit
It’s Southern at its best! Home Grown is a hugely popular brunch and biscuit spot in Reynoldstown. The dish is so popular, Home Grown installed a a comfy chicken biscuit counter clock that you press when you order one, and the number of biscuits they’ve made is well into the thousands! The line is often out the door but the wait is worth it!
Industry Tavern’s Totchos
Nachos + Tater Tots = Totchos!! This insane mountain of Pork Totchos at Industry Tavern will make your cheat meal WORTH IT! Tater tots with BBQ pulled pork, pico de gallo, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, white queso, sour cream, and BBQ sauce.
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Louisiana Bistreaux’s Crawtater Grouper
Louisiana Bistreaux’ crawtater grouper is one of those ridiculous creations that just works. It’s a calorie bomb in one dish: fried grouper served over jalapeño grits with spinach, a creamy sauce, AND crawfish. Food coma = immediate. Locations in East Point, Decatur, and Buckhead!
Nancy’s Deep Dish Pizza
Did you think you couldn’t find deep dish in Atlanta? Think again. It DOES exist, and it doesn’t get much closer to the real thing than Nancy’s Pizza, a Chicago-based chain. Perfectly layered with the prime cheese to sauce to topping ratio, the deep dish pizza is the perfect cheat meal that’ll put you right into a food coma. Locations in Campcreek, Midtown, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Roswell, and John’s Creek.
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Paige’s Pastries Peach Cobbler Smackdown
Triton Yards Food Truck Park is THE spot to go for a weekend cheat meal–there is way too much deliciousness happening there everyday of the week, in fact. And Paige’s Pastries is one of our favorite food trucks that regularly pops up there. All the creative stuff they’re whipping up is delicious, but the Peach Cobbler Smackdown is on a whole other level. It’s fried chicken and waffles with dreamy peach slices, the perfect mix of savory and sweet. You can choose between wings and chicken tenders, and we recommend getting the chicken tenders on top!
Storico Fresco’s Pasta
For all you pasta lovers out there, we have a mouth watering cheat meal for you! Head on over to Storico Fresco for lunch and try their amazing Corzetti con Funghi. Hand-stamped pasta coins, porcini cream, and hedgehog mushrooms.
Use our map below to find a cheat meal near you!
A burger with two full Krispy Kreme Donuts as buns….Do we even need to explain further?! We will. Parma Tavern has a Krispy Kreme Burger made with fresh black angus, applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized onions, American cheese, bbq sauce, and Krispy Kreme donuts. Juicy n Sweet!!
There aren’t many Atlanta restaurants that have as passionate as a following as Big Dave’s Cheesesteak’s, and it’s for great reason! Derrick Hayes first opened up this spot in a Shell gas station, but now he’s got his own brick and mortar spot downtown that attracts lines everyday. We love his classic cheesesteaks of course, but something that’s also fantastic are his cheesesteak eggrolls, a wonderful and decadent creation that takes eggrolls to a whole new level
When eating Mexican food, it’s already tough to stay healthy and not indulge in allll the queso and tacos. But Birria El Gordo adds another level of decadence with their quesatacos, a sort of hybrid between quesadillas and tacos in which the tacos are layered with cheese and deep fried. Lordy lordy are these tacos bites of heaven–and well-worth the drive no matter what part of town you gotta come in from.
If you’ve been searching in vain for great beignets in Atlanta–we will NEVER name names, but there are some questionable “beignets” out there for sure–we’ve got you covered. Bourbon St. Po Boys, a new ghost kitchen/pick-up and delivery only spot in the West End, has a classic beignet that’s deep fried and airy yet pillowy and just perfect all around. They add a slight twist which makes this even more cheat meal worthy by drizzling it with caramel and pecan bits. It’s a welcome addition. Find them on most delivery apps or order them for pick-up via oakstreeteats.com.
Oh, how we love Cypress St. It’s really gastropub food at its best, with a kitchen open late, a patio that’s always poppin’, and a changing menu that’s always delicious and generally no so nutritious in the best way possible. There’s plenty on the menu that’s perfect for a cheat meal, but we think you’ll especially love their sweet potato nachos, with sweet potato waffle fries, blue cheese, cheddar, sriracha, bacon, and sriracha ranch. YUM.
It’s always a challenge leaving room for dessert at a steakhouse, but you gotta do it when you go to our new favorite spot, Frankie’s The Steakhouse in Alpharreta. Their over-the-top 7 layer chocolate cake is visually a show-stopper yet also delicious, moist and heaven in every bite.
Anybody else feeling exhausted by all the new chicken sandwiches popping up all the time? Us too, it’s hard to keep up, but we have to tell you that yes, there’s another one, and yes you need to try it! Hero Doughnut has opened in Summerhill, coming by way of Alabama, with an assortment of donuts and “buns” or burgers/sandwiches. They make a mean burger but we have extra love for their drippy buffalo chicken sandwich, coated with sauce and with a pretty darn massive crunchy bird sandwiched between two toasty buns.
It’s Southern at its best! Home Grown is a hugely popular brunch and biscuit spot in Reynoldstown. The dish is so popular, Home Grown installed a a comfy chicken biscuit counter clock that you press when you order one, and the number of biscuits they’ve made is well into the thousands! The line is often out the door but the wait is worth it!
Nachos + Tater Tots = Totchos!! This insane mountain of Pork Totchos at Industry Tavern will make your cheat meal WORTH IT! Tater tots with BBQ pulled pork, pico de gallo, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, white queso, sour cream, and BBQ sauce.
Louisiana Bistreaux’ crawtater grouper is one of those ridiculous creations that just works. It’s a calorie bomb in one dish: fried grouper served over jalapeño grits with spinach, a creamy sauce, AND crawfish. Food coma = immediate. Locations in East Point, Decatur, and Buckhead!
Did you think you couldn’t find deep dish in Atlanta? Think again. It DOES exist, and it doesn’t get much closer to the real thing than Nancy’s Pizza, a Chicago-based chain. Perfectly layered with the prime cheese to sauce to topping ratio, the deep dish pizza is the perfect cheat meal that’ll put you right into a food coma. Locations in Campcreek, Midtown, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Roswell, and John’s Creek.
Triton Yards Food Truck Park is THE spot to go for a weekend cheat meal–there is way too much deliciousness happening there everyday of the week, in fact. And Paige’s Pastries is one of our favorite food trucks that regularly pops up there. All the creative stuff they’re whipping up is delicious, but the Peach Cobbler Smackdown is on a whole other level. It’s fried chicken and waffles with dreamy peach slices, the perfect mix of savory and sweet. You can choose between wings and chicken tenders, and we recommend getting the chicken tenders on top!
For all you pasta lovers out there, we have a mouth watering cheat meal for you! Head on over to Storico Fresco for lunch and try their amazing Corzetti con Funghi. Hand-stamped pasta coins, porcini cream, and hedgehog mushrooms.
