Boxcar Cafe

Home Cooking

865 Senoia Road
Tyrone, GA
At the corner of Senoia Road and Castlewood, caddy corner from Tyrone Elementary
Driving directions

Boxcar Cafe - on the right

If you live in Tyrone you know about the Boxcar Cafe.  If you stop in for lunch you will find a bunch of good old boys, local business folks, and families having lunch. This is one of the spots where the locals like to hang out and it seems like most everyone knows each other, especially the staff. This is home cooking that feels like home. It is a very welcoming restaurant with friendly staff that are always eager to say hello and chit chat with you.

My daughter found this restaurant years ago and any time I mention it for lunch, she is ready to go. Sadie, Lil and I decided to stop in for lunch today. Sadie went for the Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy. This seems to be a Dunkin favorite when it comes to delicious food. I usually order it when it is on the menu but something else caught my eye today. Sadie went for the Green Beans, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and a Roll. She cleaned her plate with the help of Lil.

Country Fried Steak

My favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving since it revolves around family and food. I can never get enough turkey and gravy so when I saw they had a special of Chicken and Dressing with Gravy and Cranberry Sauce, I went for it. I ordered Mac & Cheese, Black Eyed Peas, Fried Green Tomatoes, and a Roll.  With the help of Lil, it was polished off quick. I have always wondered how restaurants make Black Eyed Peas, Lima Beans, Field Peas, and such so good. Mine never taste as good as they do here or at other home cooking restaurants so I go for the veggies every time. I'm sure it's in the seasoning but I am not sure what that seasoning is.

Chicken & Dressing

Bottom Line

The Boxcar Cafe is good, very good. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. You will enjoy the food, the staff, and the atmosphere. The prices are reasonable and you get plenty of food. The lunches are $6.99 and you get a meat, two vegetables, dessert, and roll or you can get a meat, three vegetables, and a roll. I like the veggies so much I skip the dessert. They do have good desserts though according to Sadie.

Recommendations

Meat and Three Vegetables - you can't go wrong. I have tried many of their choices and liked them all
Sandwiches - They have a good variety of sandwiches. I tried the chili, cheese, slaw dog one day for $4.95 and it was massive and tasty.

Mr. Fuji

Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar

1204 North Peachtree Parkway
Peachtree City, GA
Between Target and Kroger
Driving directions

Tonkatsu Bento Box

Mr. Fuji has been a family favorite for years. My wife and daughter like the hibachi the best but I like the traditional Japanese food. I have eaten Shrimp Tempura, Soba noodles, and mostly the Bento Boxes. In one of my previous jobs I was fortunate to be able to travel to Tokyo and Nagano for a month each time. When I am out of this country, I always try the local food and skip the tourist spots. One of my favorite meals in Japan was the Bento Box which can be ordered with a variety of options. I really like variety over quantity, which is why I like buffets so much.  Once while in Tokyo I would order the breakfast Bento Box and it came with about eight different items in it and none of them contained eggs or bacon but usually some kind of fish.

On this visit I ordered the Tonkatsu Bento Box. Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet lightly battered in Panko bread crumbs and then fried.  It comes with plum sauce. This meal also comes with five pieces of California Roll, three Fried Dumplings, and steamed rice.  It also includes a salad with that wonder ginger dressing and a bowl of Miso Soup. I was introduced to Miso Soup in Japan and learned to love it quickly.

Miso Soup

Bottom Line

Mr.Fuji is a very good restaurant. As far as I can tell, this is authentic Japanese Food although I never saw a hibachi restaurant during my travels to Japan. But, I did eat some of the same food and some of the things I have ordered taste just as good here as they did in Japan. Like all Japanese steak houses, they tend to be expensive, especially the hibachi part. I think the prices on their traditional items are reasonable and the quality is high. My Tonkatsu Bento Box was $9 and it was good and filling.

Recommendations

Tonkatsu Bento Box - fried pork cutlet, sushi, dumplings, rice, soup and salad
Saba Shioyaki Bento Box - fried Mackerel, sushi, dumpling, rice, soup and salad - this is amazing fish
Tempura - any kind is good
Soba Noodles - hard to describe but delicious

Chicken & Taters

Fried Chicken

1449 Hwy 54
Fayetteville, GA
At the Marathon Station across the street from Adams Farms between Peachtree City and Fayetteville
Cash Only, no debit or credit cards
Driving directions

Recently I have had a craving for fried chicken. Not sure where these cravings come from but I am weak when it comes to food cravings so I decided to stop by Chicken & Taters today for lunch. If you live in Fayette County, GA, you know where this place is. You pass it every time you travel on Hwy 54 between Peachtree City and Fayetteville. I pass this place a couple of times per week as I drive between the Real Life Center and the Real Life stores in Fayetteville and Tyrone. They have a big yellow sign at the stop light so it's hard to miss.  The restaurant is on the left, attached to the gas station but not in the gas station.

Chicken & Taters - entrance under the flag

Chicken & Taters has been in this location for 17 years. They must be doing something right to have lasted this long. Every time I drive by I see at least a couple of trucks in the parking lot and an occasional car.  When I walked in I was greeted by a friendly, soft spoken lady who most likely had at least a couple of grandchildren. Their specialty is fried chicken and fried potato wedges. They have a pretty extensive menu considering that this is a small place. This is takeout only but they do have some picnic tables outside.  

Fried Chicken, Taters, Cole Slaw

I decided to give the Fried Chicken and Fried Potato Wedges a try.  I also ordered Cole Slaw.  Cole slaw may be one of my favorite foods so I order it every chance I get.  The chiekcn tasted a lot like the original KFC recipe which I like very much.  The chicken was moist and tender.  I thought I would need some ketchup or Ranch dressing for taters but the weren't dry at all.  They were delicious but then again, if you fry anything you make it a whole lot better.  This meal cost me $6.42.  I think this is reasonable since it was filling and very good.

Bottom Line

This is a good place to eat.  Friendly, quick service and reasonable prices.  I will definitely give this place another try.

Recommendations

If you have never been here, go for the chicken and taters.  The cole slaw was pretty good as well.

Remember, they are cash only.  No debit or credit cards.

La Esperanza

Authentic Mexican Food

1988 Hwy 54 W
Fayetteville, GA
Located just past Publix and Ace Hardware on Hwy 54, just outside of Peachtree City.
Driving directions

Carl and I decided to visit my second favorite authentic Mexican restaurant before church tonight.  La Esperanza serves the local Mexican community and this place has the real thing.  No chips and dips, no cerveza, no margaritas, just good authentic Mexican food.  The food is great here, but I still think that La Placita in Fairburn has the best authentic Mexican food.  See my earlier post on La Placita for more info.  La Esparanza has an extensive menu and a wider variety than La Placita, but La Placita has much better prices and I think the food is just a little better.  Four tacos at La Placita is $5 and the same four tacos at La Esperanza will set you back $8.  Enough talk about the restaurants, let's get on to the food.

Carl likes the Tacos de Lengua

 Carl decided to go for one Taco de Carne Asada (steak) and one Taco de Lengua (cow tongue).  Carl loves the Taco de Lengua.  I have had these before and they are very good.  They have a great soft texture and a little more flavor than the Taco de Carne Asada.  I decided to go with the Taco de Carne Asada since this is currently my favorite taco.  The Taco de Carne Asada is pretty amazing. I don't know how they season their meat here but it is really good.  They serve their tacos with onion, cilantro, and a side of lime.  This is good stuff.



The cost of our meal ended up being $12.  This included five tacos and two bottles of water.  Pretty reasonable I think.

Taco de Cabeza

After we finished our tacos we were still hungry so we looked on the specials board and saw Tacos de Cabeza.  We asked the waitress/cook what that was and she said beef head and then rubbed her cheek.  Hmmm.   In probing further we found out that it is the cheek muscle.  We looked at each other and said, "let's do it!".  We ordered one and we weren't disappointed.  The meat was so tender it just melted in our mouths.  And the flavor, it was great.  We both decided we were going to come back and try this again.  This may be my new favorite taco.  They also have the following options for tacos: chicken, pork, barbacoa, beef tripe, pork stomach, and others I can't remember.

Homemade Salsas

The cooks at La Esparanza also make their own salsas.  These are really tasty and you need to sample them before loading up your taco.  They make one from nothing but straight jalapeno's and also some with hanbeneros.  They also have new ones from time to time.


Other items on the menu that I have tried is menudo (cow stomach soup), tamales, beef stew, burritos, and their burgers.  They make a delicious burger containing two patties, grilled jalapeno's, and grilled onions.  I am looking forward to trying their Chile Rellenos and a few of their specials from time to time.

Bottom Line

This is good authentic Mexican food and I highly recommend it.  Prices are reasonable and the portions are good.  I am looking

Recommendations

Taco de Carne Asada - steak, delicious
Taco de Cabeza - cow cheek, very delicious, melts in your mouth
Taco de Lengua - cown tongue, mellow and tasty
Burger - make sure you are hungry

La Esperanza also has a small store with lots of Mexican items and a meat market.

Thai Isan

Thai Food

1009 Peachtree Pkwy
Peachtree City, GA
Thai Isan Website
Driving directions

While Thai Isan may not be classified as a mom and pop restaurant, it is not a chain and the food is pretty good.  I've only been to a couple of Thai restaurants in my life so I don't have a lot to compare with.

This visit I was a small business meeting so Sid, Sharon, Carlton, Maribeth, and Abby went and we all ordered our favorite goodies.  Here is a rundown of what we ordered.

Basil Roll

Probably the favorite of this group is the Basil Roll.  This has an amazing fresh taste and the minty kick of basil.  It's crunch and full of flavor.  Its wonderful when dipped in the peanut sauce.

Calamari

Maribeth went for the Calamari and shared it.  It seemed to be a hit.  It was some of the freshest looking fried calamari that I have ever seen.

Coconut Soup

Carlton, Maribeth, and Sharon went for the Coconut Soup.  It was enjoyed by all. This is one of their top dishes and if you've never tried it, this is a must if you go here.

Chicken Pho

Abby went for her favorite, Chicken Pho.  This is a noodle soup with chunks of chicken with a side of peppers, bean sprouts, basil, and lemon.

Pad Thai

Sid went for the Pad Thai.  Pad Thai is probably one of the most popular Thai dishes.  It is a clear noodle with chicken, slightly sweet, served with bean sprouts and peanuts.  It has an addictive flavor.

Somtom

I decided to go for Somtom.  Somtom is a sliced green papaya dish in fish sauce and anchovy paste.  I ordered it medium heat since the last time I ordered this dish at a Laos restaurant, it was so hot it was hard to handle.  Somtom is served with raw cabbage to help reduce the heat.  It has a very fresh flavor to it and the fish sauce, which doesn't taste like fish, is really good.

Bottom Line

Thai Isan has tasty food.  If you have never tried Thai, give this place a shot.  Prices are reasonable as well.

Recommendations

Basil Rolls - fresh and delicious.  These are so good I get my own and I don't share.

Coconut Soup - tasty

Pad Thai - you can't go wrong with this dish.

Hot Cafe

Laos, Thai, & Chinese Food

5286 Riverdale Road (just south of I-285)

Atlanta, GA 

Driving directions

I have had the opportunity to visit Hot Cafe twice in the last month.  What drew me to try it was the word Laos on the sign out front.  I have never had food from Laos before so I was excited to try something new. I was pleasantly surprised with the new flavors.

Sliced Pork

On my first visit I told that owner that I wanted something authentic to Laos so he made a couple of suggestions.  I decided to try one of them and then come back later for the others.  I can't remember the name of the dish but it was sliced pork with cilantro and some interesting seasonings.  It came with large pieces of lettuce, cucumber slices, and a lot of fresh basil.  The idea was to put the pork in the lettuce and eat everything else along with it.  I also ordered a small sticky rice.  I love rice and this was good authentic stuff. Overall, this was a pretty good dish and very different.

Fried Sausage & Green Papaya

On my next visit I decided to try the other options that the owner had recommended.  I ordered Papaya, Fried Sausages, and Sticky Rice. I was not prepared for what was about to happen.  The papaya dish is green papaya sliced thin, sliced cherry tomatoes, covered in fish sauce, and a big surprise to me, loaded with liquid pepper.  It came with fried pork rind and some raw green cabbage.  The owner said eat slow and eat everything together.  I found out why.  The papaya was amazing, tons of flavor with the fish sauce.  About 20 seconds after taking a big bite of papaya, I started feeling the heat.  It was so intense I was getting a little worried.  I grabbed some pork rind and cabbage and nibbled away.  In about 2 minutes the heat died down again so I tried some more.  It was extremely hot but tasted so good I couldn't stop eating it.  Next came the fried sausage.  I think that sausage, any kind of sausage, may be my favorite food of all time so I was really looking forward to this.  It was creamy, smooth, and delicious.  I don't know what was in it but I will order it again.

Bottom Line

This food was good and very different.  It was a bit pricey at $9.95 for the pork dish and $6.95 each for the fried sausage and papaya.  A small sticky rice was $2.00.  This adds up quick.  If you want to try something new, this is a good place to go.

My Recommendations

Go for the Fried Sausage. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

La Placita

Authentic Mexican Food

8420 Senoia Road
Fairburn, GA
Driving directions

I have visited this restaurant many times over the past couple of years and it has become my favorite Mexican restaurant.  The food is always excellent and the price is unbeatable. Most meals range from $5 to $7 with a couple of specialties running up to $10. La Placita caters to the local Mexican community but you will see the occasional gringo in there who really likes authentic Mexican food. Once you try this place you will want to go back soon.

Mike, David, Sadie, Lil and I met there for lunch today. We each ordered something different.

Chicken & Potatoes

Mike tried the special of the day, roasted chicken and potatoes, corn tortillas, rice and beans.  He loved it.  They usually have a special of the day till it runs out.

Burrito Asada

David ordered the Burrito de Carne Asada (steak).  This is a meal in itself.  It has lots of seasoned grilled steak, rice, beans, jalapenos, and cilantro.  When I order this I like to have the cook put the hot sauce on the inside to give it a little more kick.  This meal is a load so you had better be hungry or be prepared to take the leftovers home with you.

Chicken Flautas

Sadie ordered the Chicken Flautas, chicken rolled up in a flour tortilla and then fried, served with rice and beans.  This is one of my favorite dishes.  It has an addictive flavor to it.  They take something delicious then fry it to make it amazing.

Enchiladas Verde

I ordered the Enchiladas Verde, chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce.  Another of my favorite dishes.  These enchiladas just melt in your mouth.

Bottom Line

This is a must visit restaurant if you want real Mexican food.  No chips and dip, no guacamole, and no margaritas.  Just straight up good authentic Mexican food at a very reasonable price.

My Recommendations

Burrito de Carne Asada - you have to be pretty hungry to order this

Tacos de Carne Asada - four steak tacos with cilantro and onion

Enchiladas Verde - melt in your mouth chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce

Chicken Flautas - chicken rolled up in a flour tortilla and fried.  Everything is better when fried!

Rice and Beans - the best rice and beans I have ever eaten.  I usually save them for dessert.

Tacos de Lengua - cow tongue tacos that melt in your mouth and have a great flavor

This restaurant is attached to a small Mexican grocery store and butcher shop.