Mary Mac's Tea Room: User Reviews

An Atlanta Tradition
By rondapenrice from Grant Park, July 31, 2009

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Mary Mac is an institution that Atlantans swear by and the history is very interesting. It first opened in 1945 at a time when women couldn't own restaurants per se and, hence, the 'tea room' distinction. It was on Ponce then as it is now but the landscape has changed. Today, Mary Mac's is the last "tea room" standing and, for good reason, the food has remained consistent. Today, John Ferrell is keeping the legacy of the founder Mary McKinsey and her successor Margaret Lupo alive with good food. Of course the fried chicken is a crowd-pleaser. You can't really brag about your Southern cooking if you don't have fried chicken down. For sides, the mac and cheese is always a must. And good dressing is just priceless. Newcomers are treated to complimentary pot likker and cornbread. No need for sugar here because it's the real South and the tea is as sweet as it should be. Heck, they even have sweet milk. They also have peach cobbler, which for a state known for peaches, is hard to find. The cinnamon rolls, however, are a wee bit more famous. I'm from Chicago with deep Mississippi roots so Mary Mac's isn't the best I've ever had but it is good. Jermaine Dupri even took Janet Jackson here; that's how much a part of the Atlanta landscape it is. Let's just say, if a visitor asks you to check out something that is distinctively Atlanta, Mary Mac is very high on the list and, now, they even do take-out.

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