There’s No Restaurant In The World Like This One In Georgia
Marisa Roman
Author
Georgia has so many different types of cuisines and restaurants; that’s what makes this state such a fantastic place to live. Your palate never gets bored, and there’s always a new place popping up that needs to be explored. Like our more recent findings on the 11 Restaurants You Have To Visit In Georgia Before You Die. Talk about mouth-watering!
However, Georgia is also home to one unique restaurant in particular. In fact, it’s such a rare dining experience, there is no other place like it in the world.
Of course, we’re talking about The Varsity in Downtown, Atlanta.
What makes The Varsity so unique is the fact that it is literally the largest drive-in restaurant in the entire world. Specifically, the downtown Atlanta location sits on over two acres of land and can accommodate up to 600 cars and over 800 people inside. Talk about a huge restaurant. The owners have even claimed that on days when the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets have a home game, over 30,000 people visit The Varsity. That’s basically if all the residents of Statesboro, Georgia decided to grab a burger and fries at the same place.
But it’s the history behind this delicious dining experience that adds to the desirability. It all started in 1928, by a man named Frank Gordy who set up shop on a 70′ X 120′ lot surrounded by a white picket fence. Gordy only had $2,000 and what he considered “million dollar taste buds.” Gordy was determined to make fresh, delectably superior fast food, which is what gained him a worldwide reputation. The Varsity has hosted a variety of celebrities, athletes, and visitors from all over the globe, not to mention bringing food to both the Governor’s Mansion and the White House. It was Gordy’s idea, and a cool $2,000 nest egg that became the Atlanta staple that is known, appreciated, and devoured by all to this day.
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Besides the history, it’s the food that really makes The Varsity incredible. Two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2,500 pounds of potatoes, 5,000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili are made from scratch DAILY. Because Gordy was insistent on having only the freshest ingredients in his food, nothing is ever left over, or frozen. Only the best ingredients go into every served meal, which is why the flavor of each bite is mouth-wateringly superb. Make sure you save room for dessert as the homemade pies they serve up are made fresh daily and follow a secret family recipe.
And for the record, if you’re ordering at The Varsity, you need to be down with the lingo. That’s right, The Varsity Drive-In has its own lingo, which when mastered, can help make your ordering experience a smoother one. Here are a few terms from The Varsity website that you can jot down for your next meal out.
Hot Dog – Hot dog with chili and mustard
Heavy Weight – Hot dog with extra chili
Naked Dog – Plain hot dog on a bun
MK Dog – Naked dog with mustard and ketchup
Regular C Dog – Hot dog with ketchup
Red Dog – Naked dog with Ketchup
Yellow Dog – Naked dog with mustard
Yankee Dog – Plain dog with mustard
Walk a Dog – Hot dog to go
Steak – Hamburger with ketchup, mustard and pickle
Chili Steak – Hamburger with chili
Glorified Steak – Hamburger with mayo, lettuce and tomato
Mary Brown Steak – Hamburger with no bun
Naked Steak – A plain steak
Varsity Orange – The original formula
N.I. Orange – Varsity Orange with no ice
F.O. – Frosted Varsity Orange
Joe-ree – Coffee with cream
P.C. – Plain chocolate milk always served with ice
N.I.P.C. – Chocolate milk with no ice
All the Way – With onions – Can be a hot dog, chili, steak, etc
Bag of Rags – Potato Chips
Ring One – Order of Onion Rings
Strings – An order of french fries
Sideways – Onions on the side
So I guess the only thing left to ask….
What’ll Ya Have?
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