Owners Bill & Marlena in addition to employees Jan and Debbie split the duty behind the bar while Willie keeps things running smoothly in the kitchen. Billy Bob’s offers standard bar food and while health conscious diners are limited to a couple of salad choices the nachos prepared with freshly cooked cooked chips, perfectly grilled burgers and excellent steaks are true standouts on the menu. Billy Bob’s also serves breakfast on weekends and daily specials everyday that vary from meatloaf and country fried steak to Costa Rican influenced dishes and everything in between.

Billy’s is one of a handful of places in Tucker that still permit smoking and due to state regulations, no one under 18 is allowed. It is a good place to unwind after a long day or relax with friends over a basket of chicken wings however Billy’s makes no excuse for what kind of bar it is – a perfectly friendly little local dive bar that offers good food at more than reasonable prices. The beer is cold, the service is exceptional and friendly conversation is commonplace.

Matthews Cafeteria which opened in 1955, is a Main Street Tucker landmark that serves southern style meat’n three fare and has developed a strong local following. Matthews Cafeteria is open Monday through Friday only and features a rotating menu. If you like Chicken Livers, go on Monday. In order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day each week, it’s a Tuesday visit for a generous serving of Corned Beef. The best Chicken Pot Pie to be found for miles is served on Wednesday, Thursday is popular for the Thanksgiving style Turkey & Dressing and Friday is a good day to try Matthew’s Meatloaf.

Vegetables each day include rice, mashed potatoes, green beans and fresh turnip greens. Other vegetable choices rotate on a daily basis with offerings to compliment the rotating entree choices. Years ago the staff consisted mainly of grandmotherly types and the friendly manager Barbara. Barbara, who is greatly missed on a personal level has since retired and the staff has changed but the food remains consistent and the prices are quite reasonable.

The interior could certainly use a coat of paint and a few other upgrades but don’t let that deter you. Matthews is seriously a good southern old fashioned small town cafeteria. It is rare that a visit to Matthews does not include the sighting of at least a couple local politicians running for office and some of Dekalb’s finest policemen. The clientèle varies from many single diners to young couples and families with children enjoying dinner with their parents or grandparents.

Matthews Cafeteria opens at 5:00am for breakfast, lunch is served from 10:30am until 3:00pm and the dinner service is from 4:30pm until 8:00pm. For more information and the complete menu, please visit Matthews Cafeteria.

Matthews Cafeteria will be featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives episode “Where the Locals go”. It is currently scheduled to air on the following dates: Jun 23, 2008 10:00 PM ET/PT, Jun 23, 2008 1:00 AM ET/PT, Jun 29, 2008 4:00 PM ET/PT, Jul 04, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT, Jul 04, 2008 12:00 AM ET/PT, Jul 28, 2008 10:30 PM ET/PT, Jul 28, 2008 1:30 AM ET/PT, Aug 03, 2008 3:30 PM ET/PT, Aug 08, 2008 9:30 PM ET/PT, Aug 08, 2008 12:30 AM ET/PT

Originally published 5-6-2008 ; Updated 6-22-2008

Tucker, Georgia now has our very own Five Guys Burger & Fries located in the Burns Corners shopping center. Previously, the closest Five Guys locations were in the neighboring areas of Chamblee and Norcross. The Five Guys concept and menu is simple but the execution is usually outstanding. The menu features burgers, hot dogs, french fries, grilled cheese and vegetarian sandwiches. The burgers come in two sizes with either one or two patties and are available with or without cheese and or bacon. All other toppings are free and include such items as lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers, sauteed mushrooms, green peppers, onions, fried onions, pickles and relish. Five Guys offers only one side item, french fries. They are available in two sizes and two flavors, regular “Five Guys Style” and “Cajun”. The portions are huge and a minimum of two people is recommended for even the small order.

Everything at Five Guys is cooked to order so … it will not be the fastest times you have ever been served a burger and fries but it will definitely be one of the freshest and the service is consistently friendly. Five Guys makes a really good burger. It isn’t the best burger I have ever had, but it is close and I’ll take quality over speed any day of the week.

Most menu items are at prices comparable to a fast food chain but the food is definitely a cut above. Warm and fluffy Pita wraps that feature gyro meat, souuvlaki (pork), chicken or loukaniko (Greek sausage) dressed with thin sliced onions, tomatoes and Nick’s special sauce go for $3.99. Combination plates with any of the previously mentioned meats are available that offer side dishes of Grecian herbed potatoes and a small greek salad for $7.99. Order a side of Nick’s sauce to pour and the potatoes and you are in business. The dinner salad with meat which also cost $7.99 is enough for two meals for many people.

Grecian Gyro also offers only one dessert , the obligatory baklava featuring phyllo, nuts and honey that is really quite good even if you can only eat half. A recent addition to the menu is their ridiculously addictive Spanakopita, rich spinach pie flavored with onions, cheeses and herbs that are all enfolded by crispy, flaky phyllo dough. Drive thru Spanakopita in Tucker ? Oh yeah ! When you have a craving , Grecian Gyro of Tucker is much more convenient that waiting for the Greek festival each fall.

Kasey’s food however is far from what I expected. The sign out front advertises “Best Fried Chicken in Town” and that, as we all know, is a pretty bold statement for this part of the country. Truthfully though, they got it right – their fried chicken is amazing. It is crispy and crunchy on the outside and very tender & moist on the inside. If the chicken looks like it has been out for a while nibble on something else and wait until they bring out a fresh batch – it will take your breath away. My only complaint about the chicken is they cut the breasts in half before cooking which sometimes makes it difficult to tell the white meat from the dark. Kasey’s also features other entree items such as Meatloaf, Salmon Croquettes and Salisbury steak that rotate on a daily basis.

The vegetables at Kasey’s taste fresh and are seasoned in a way that conjures memories of a Southern Grandmother and they feature fried green tomatoes on Sunday. The butter beans, green beans, greens and sweet potatoes are standouts but the macaroni and cheese is a major disappointment. It is bland and tastes like it is straight out of an industrial sized box. Kasey’s recently changed their bread recipe and the new yeast rolls are absolutely divine. They are very light and fluffy and melt when you put them in your mouth.

Kasey’s dinner rolls are also a treat not to be missed if your are not watching your waistline but the absolute best thing about Kasey’s is the price. $7.00 includes all the mouth-watering chicken, vegetables and dessert you can eat in addition to your drink (sweet tea). Tax is included in the price so a family of four can walk out for $28.00 plus tip. The crowd is slightly older and you can expect a short wait at peak lunch and dinner times but I have never had to wait more than five minutes for a table.

Overall, Kasey’s Home Cooking is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and is worth the trip if you like southern style food, don’t let the “buffet” tag scare you off.

EDITED: 6-3-2008 to reflect price change.

As a native Atlantan born and raised for the early part of my life in Decatur, Old Hickory House Brunswick Stew is the way Brunswick Stew is supposed to taste. It is rich and meaty and has just the right blend of tomatoes and corn. I always try Brunswick Stew in barbecue joints and in my opinion they just pale in comparison.

Their chopped pork is tender and flavorful, the sliced “outside cut” is full of smoky goodness and the ribs literally fall off the bone. The sauce served with the meat is warmed and full of little tasty specs of meat and onions.

Old Hickory House offers a full compliment of fresh vegetables that change daily based upon availability. They also offer a wonderful breakfast menu featuring country ham, sausage, country fried steak and the must try BBQ omelette.

To view the full menu & hours of operation, please visit Old Hickory House. If you have never eaten at Old Hickory House, you really owe it to yourself to try their food at least once.