10 Georgia Meat-And-Three Cafeterias Where The Sides Outshine The Entrées Every Time
I’ll be honest—my first Georgia meat-and-three taught me a lesson I wasn’t prepared for.
I walked in thinking the entrée would steal the spotlight, but one bite of creamy mac and cheese, buttery collard greens, and cornbread that dissolved like a warm memory proved me wrong instantly.
The fried chicken? Great. But those sides? They were the revelation.
Georgia doesn’t just serve comfort food—it elevates it, and these cafeterias make it crystal clear that sometimes the vegetables deserve the spotlight, the applause, and the encore.
1. Matthews Cafeteria — Tucker, GA
Matthews Cafeteria has been feeding hungry folks in Tucker since 1955, and honestly, their vegetables deserve their own fan club. Walking through that cafeteria line feels like visiting your grandmother’s kitchen, except with more options and less guilt about taking seconds.
The squash casserole here is legendary—creamy, cheesy, and topped with a buttery cracker crust that crunches perfectly. Their turnip greens simmer all day with just the right amount of pot liquor, and the macaroni and cheese is so rich it should come with a warning label.
Sure, you can order the fried chicken or meatloaf, but regulars know the real magic happens in those steaming veggie trays. I once watched someone skip the entrée entirely and walk out with a plate of six sides, and nobody batted an eye.
2. Magnolia Room Cafeteria — Tucker, GA
Right down the road from Matthews sits another Tucker treasure that understands the assignment when it comes to Southern sides. Magnolia Room Cafeteria doesn’t mess around with their vegetables—they treat them like royalty.
Their sweet potato casserole deserves a standing ovation, with its marshmallow topping perfectly browned and gooey. The fried okra stays crispy without being greasy, which is harder to achieve than you’d think. My personal favorite? The lima beans cooked with ham hock until they’re creamy and flavorful enough to make you forget you’re eating something healthy.
People drive from all over metro Atlanta just to fill their plates with these sides. The meat options are solid, but when your green beans taste like they’ve been simmering in bacon grease all morning, who needs a pork chop?
3. S&S Cafeteria — Macon, GA
S&S Cafeteria in Macon has been around since 1936, which means they’ve had nearly a century to perfect their side dish game. Spoiler alert: they’ve absolutely nailed it.
Their rutabaga is something special—most people don’t even know what rutabaga is until they taste it here, swimming in butter and seasoned to perfection. The butter beans are creamy without being mushy, and the coleslaw has just the right amount of tang to cut through all that richness. Don’t even get me started on their cornbread muffins, which are sweet, crumbly, and impossible to eat just one of.
I’ve seen businesspeople in suits pile their plates high with nothing but vegetables and carbs, completely ignoring the roast beef. That’s the power of great sides—they make protein optional.
4. The Bear’s Den — Macon, GA
Macon strikes again with The Bear’s Den, where the sides could make a vegetarian out of the most dedicated carnivore. This place understands that variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to vegetables.
Their black-eyed peas taste like New Year’s Day good luck in every bite, and the fried green tomatoes are crispy on the outside while staying tangy and tender inside. The mashed potatoes are whipped with enough butter to make your cardiologist nervous, but they’re worth every creamy spoonful.
What really sets The Bear’s Den apart is their rotating selection—you never know what treasures you’ll find on any given day. Maybe it’s candied yams, maybe it’s fresh purple hull peas, but it’s always delicious. The entrées? They’re there if you want them, but most folks come for the supporting cast.
5. Longstreet Cafe — GA
Longstreet Cafe brings serious heat when it comes to their side dish selection, and I’m not just talking about the temperature. Their creamed corn is so good it should be illegal—sweet, buttery, and rich enough to be dessert.
The cabbage here doesn’t taste like punishment for bad behavior; it’s cooked low and slow with bacon until it’s tender and flavorful. Their cornbread dressing shows up on the menu year-round, not just at Thanksgiving, because they know people crave it constantly. Smart move.
I once ordered what I thought was a reasonable amount of sides, and the server just smiled knowingly. She’d seen my type before—the person who thinks they can show restraint at a Georgia cafeteria. I left with a to-go box full of vegetables and zero regrets. The chicken was fine, but those sides? They’re what dreams are made of.
6. Doug’s Place — GA
Doug’s Place doesn’t waste time with fancy presentations or trendy fusion nonsense. They just cook vegetables the way Georgia grandmothers have been doing it for generations, and the results speak for themselves.
Their turnip greens are pot liquor heaven, slow-cooked until they’re silky and rich. The crowder peas taste like summertime in the South, and the fried squash maintains that perfect balance between crispy coating and tender vegetable. The yeast rolls arrive warm and fluffy, begging to be smothered in butter.
What I love most about Doug’s Place is their honesty—they don’t pretend the meat is the main attraction. The sides get prime real estate on the serving line, and they rotate seasonally to showcase whatever’s freshest. People line up around the block not for brisket, but for butter beans. That’s Georgia for you.
7. Busy Bee Cafe — Atlanta, GA
Atlanta’s Busy Bee Cafe has been slinging soul food since 1947, and their sides have achieved legendary status in Georgia’s capital city. Civil rights leaders ate here, politicians stop by, and regular folks line up daily for those vegetables.
The candied yams are sweet enough to be dessert but savory enough to belong on your dinner plate. Their collard greens are cooked down until they’re tender but still have some texture, swimming in that magical pot liquor that Southerners know is liquid gold. The macaroni and cheese is baked until the top gets golden and slightly crispy while staying creamy underneath.
Busy Bee proves that sides aren’t just filler—they’re the foundation of a great meal. The fried chicken gets all the press, but locals know those vegetables are why people keep coming back for decades.
8. Q Time Restaurant — GA
Q Time Restaurant takes barbecue seriously, but their sides steal the spotlight faster than you can say “extra sauce, please.” Their green beans are cooked Southern-style with bacon, which is basically the only way green beans should exist.
The potato salad here has that perfect tangy-creamy balance, with chunks of potato that haven’t been mashed into oblivion. Their baked beans are sweet and smoky, studded with bits of meat that make them hearty enough to be a meal. And those hushpuppies? Crispy outside, fluffy inside, with just a hint of sweetness and onion.
I’ve watched people order a pulled pork sandwich and then add four sides to their tray, essentially creating a plate where the meat is the side dish. The staff doesn’t judge—they’ve seen it all. In Georgia, respecting the sides isn’t unusual, it’s expected.
9. The Beautiful Restaurant — GA
Despite its name, The Beautiful Restaurant’s real beauty lies in those steaming trays of vegetables that greet you at the serving line. Their fried okra stays crispy without being greasy, which is the mark of someone who knows what they’re doing in the kitchen.
The field peas are cooked with ham hock until they’re creamy and flavorful, and the cucumber salad provides a cool, tangy contrast to all that richness. Their buttermilk biscuits are tall, flaky, and practically demand to be split open and drowned in butter. Some days they have squash casserole that’s so good people call ahead to make sure it’s available.
The Beautiful Restaurant understands that in Georgia, sides aren’t an afterthought—they’re the main event. The entrées are perfectly fine, but nobody’s writing home about the meatloaf when those vegetables exist.
10. Bulloch House Restaurant — GA
Bulloch House Restaurant rounds out our list with a side dish lineup that could make a grown person weep with joy. Their cream-style corn is thick, sweet, and rich enough to be considered a guilty pleasure rather than a vegetable.
The pinto beans are cooked low and slow until they’re creamy without being mushy, seasoned just right with onions and ham. Their fried apples are a revelation—sweet, cinnamon-spiced, and the perfect complement to any savory dish on your plate. The hot water cornbread is crispy on the edges and tender in the middle, ideal for soaking up all those delicious vegetable juices.
At Bulloch House, ordering just an entrée feels like missing the point entirely. The sides are why people drive out of their way, why regulars have their favorite days memorized, and why Georgia’s meat-and-three tradition remains strong.