When you think of great restaurants, fast food establishments don't always come to mind. That is unless you are a southerner.
In the south, we treasure our fast food, sometimes you just need some grease!
One of the greatest fast food restaurants in the world is The Varsity! A Georgia tradition, with six locations in the Atlanta metro area and Athens, The Varsity is unlike most any other restaurant you will visit.
Guests place their orders at a large stand up counter, spanning the length of the main atrium. Boisterous attendants take your order and shout the requests back to a kitchen in a lingo all their own. With terms like "naked dog" for a hot dog the attendants at the counter offer an entertainment all their own.
As a child, one of my favorite stops on College Football Saturdays would be a visit to The Varsity. We would pull up to the curb-side stand and place our orders. The food we ordered at The Varsity would then turn into our tailgate party once we arrived at the stadium.
The menu is quite simple, hot dogs, chili dogs, french fries, onion rings, pimento cheese sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches and the like. In addition to the traditional fast food fare, you can also get some of the best fried pies and frosted orange drinks you could ever ask for.
The Varsity is such a tradition in the south, that any serious politician running for national office always makes a stop there. Celebrities, sports heroes and common folk mix and mingle within the confines of The Varsity.
Today, when I fly into Atlanta, my first stop is usually The Varsity. Without fail, when I begin to plan for a trip home, I always get a craving for the fare of my favorite fast food joint. Daddy used to ask if I wanted to stop, now, he doesn't even have to open the conversation for discussion he KNOWS I want to stop.
The restaurant is broken up into "TV rooms." Small dining areas with 10 -12 tables each. Inside each dining area, the TV is tuned to a different station, hence the name.
On our stops at The Varsity, I have run into family members, old friends I haven't seen in years and past acquaintances, it never fails, you will always see someone you know at The Varsity.
My choice of food at The Varsity is always the same. (Now if you are a calorie counter, you may want to skip this part!) I order a hamburger, chili dog, onion rings, french fries and large diet coke.... yeah, I know the diet coke part is kind of defeated with the other items!
Nothing at The Varsity is typical. The onion rings are made from authentic Vidalia onions, the french fries are individually cut from real potatoes and the chili is homemade....nothing frozen here, all made the day of for cooking.
The next time you travel through Atlanta or Athens, do yourself a favor, stop in at The Varsity, one Great Southern Kitchen!
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