Picadilly tried a line serving restaurant here. It doesn't work here for two reasons. They need twice to three times as much volume as a menu restaurant, and somehow our citizens don't much like big old honking trays of food to pig out on---they want individual "slave" service. Food is normally the least of the cost to running a menu restaurant, then the help (mostly tips), then the biggest one: overhead (rent, or mortgage for the necessary atmosphere, salaries of executives, managers, and a Chef, contributions to the home office, etc. Some people want atmosphere--some want "class." Ever notice eating in a Ryans is somewhat like eating in a slop house? Plenty, too much, food but you have to wade through it and be smeared by kids throwing it, and people stealing it for the week-end eating. Purses go out full of chicken.

I'm glad I have to drive to Fayetteville or Newnan to find a Ryans or a Golden Corral myself.

We are now open and located at 273 Highway 74 North in the same shopping center as Mellow Mushroom. Come by and see us!
Visit our website at:
http://ptcthreedollarcafe.com
C. Robin Hunt
General Manager

Even if I had a lapse of judgment and headed for the $3 Cafe, I'm sure I would be diverted into the Mellow Mushroom at the last minute. Good pizza (the Kosmic Karma, mmmmm) and great beer (Sweetwater and Terrapin on draft) and very nice outdoor seating.

AND NO TVs!!!
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"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

They are building a $3 Cafe to the right of the Mellow Mushroom Pizza place on Highway 74 just before you get to World Gym.

I think this building has been under construction since 2004. They are taking their sweet time.

I have animal friends and it looks like you are chewing on one - a cat maybe? Also, you look like George Bush and seem smarter. Explain please.

I believe he is right. Or, at best, it began early 2005.

It began construction, then there were financial issues, and now it is complete.

But it did set there unworked on for months.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

It's open and ready for business. And it's an easy cart ride from my house.

Would this not be a good place for us all to meet and share a couple of mugs of beer? It may turn out that we are all civilized and could grow to like each other. How about Monday 7 PM?

Anyone try it? Got a review for us?

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

We need a pub. One where they serve *real* beer and pub grub. Maybe take a book or a laptop and get some reading or work done over a beer or two. *Definitely* leave off the TV thing. What's that about anyway? Not exactly the sort of place you'd go for conversation with your table mate staring up at the tube.

I confess, though. Everyone else has one, so I finally splurged and bought one of those big screen TVs. It's a full 19" (!) and much easier to see than that 13" screen that I've used for years. With some aluminum foil on the rabbit ears I'm able to get several channels!

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"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

Makes no apologies about it. They have a HUGE selection of bottled beer. A fairly varied menu too. Buffalo Shrimp and Grouper Sandwich I had last Thursday were good. Sweetwater 420 on Draft was good too...

Taco Mac will have an even bigger selection of Draft and Bottled beer when they open. You can get a preview of Taco Mac by checking out the one in Newnan.

I used to eat at the $3 cafe on Roswell Rd many years ago when I lived on that side of the city. I remeber good food at a good price, and a great variety of beer. Hope it has only improved with the years. Will have to find out soon.
Where is the Taco Mac going to be located?
Everyone need's to check out The Chicago Eatary located in the Publix Shopping center on 74 South. Real Chicago food & a very clean resturant.
And lets not forget an old PTC favorite... Valentinos (spell check please). Had lunch there today and it was wonderful as always.
We are very lucky for the size of city we are, to have such a variety of resturants to chosse from.

Well, then, I stand corrected. Sweetwater on draft is a nice offering. If they have Sweetwater IPA on draft, I might even overlook the plethora of plasma screens and give it a try.

My idea of a "sports bar," though, is a shack on the beach where I lean my surfboard and buy a beer. There's this little shack on Tortola....

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"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

Sounds like some easy fixes overall. Will have to give it a shot.

And request behind closed doors!

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

I don't know either.

Fuddruckers said rent got to high.

Ginza was whamming away and just closed. Never heard a reason.

I know a number of businesses have been overwhelmed with rent and insurance increases.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Does anyone know.... there is a sign up for hiring.

I heard they were turning it into a Fat Al's BBQ

Temporary usage.

The Buckhead Brewery closed because they upscaled their menu. They morphed into something called "The Buckhead Brewery and Colorado Steak House", taking all the low priced items like burgers off their menu and replacing it with much higher priced steak and fish entrees.

It was a classic misreading of their market. They got hammered when Smokey Bones (upscaled BBQ) and Carrabas (upscaled Italian) opened.

Several, actually.
They came into a market they did not understand.
They located at the wrong place and built a one-use building.
The building - a log cabin - did not fit in.
They had a good concept for the happy hour crowd and clearly misunderstood Peachtree City customers.
They upgraded their menu and then were competing with Longhorn.

The only good thing they did was to get enough parking spaces from the city. Sadly, they don't need them anymore.

Since we are reviewing food places, anyone know why Ginza closed?

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Prior owner sold the business to a new owner who didn't know what he was doing. Prior owner financed new owner's purchase; new owner declared bankruptcy; prior owner out of luck.

That will do it every time! Thanks for the answer.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Ahhh, So

I lived in Stockbridge when they opened their first unit in Atlanta. Had great BEER, and very good steaks. Buffalo Burgers etc were top choice. Then they started expanding and quality went down. BEER quality dropped way off. I think there is only 1 franchised unit still open in the ATL area. Even the original in Tallahassee is closed.

If you enjoy beer brewed on the premisies (brew pubs), Max Lager's downtown Atlanta is still the champ in my opinion. They have a pale ale (actually, it's an India Pale Ale) that is as close to perfect as I've ever tasted.

The Brick Store Pub on the square in Decatur has, I think, the largest beer selection in the entire area. Great atmosphere--almost like stepping off of Queen Street in Oxford into a British pub.

Man, I wish there was a good pub setting--with grub, good beer, and a place to talk (not a bar or lounge) close by.

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"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

Buckhead Brewery and their "flatiron steaks". *chuckle*

I remember reading in the Wall Street Journal about "flatiron steaks" and how they were gonna save the restaurant industry's profit margins. "Flatiron steaks" are essentially re-branded blade steaks, a very cheap cut of steak that you have to put a heckuva lot of seasoning on to mask just how chewy it is.

And the "new and improved" Buckhead Brewery put them on their revised menu at $14.95..the same price of a ribeye at Longhorns.

When it first opened? JT Williams convinced his buddy from Tallahassee to come up and open one in the ATL area. It was very good in the beginning, and like many restaurants, they do not maintain the quality.

I loved Buckhead Brewery! That Coconut Shrimp was lovely. Sorry it went out of business.

Muddle laments that "F'ville just ain't got no soul."

Very funny....That provoked a memory i kind of had. Opening night of the Fayetteville Ampitheatre it was a very orchestrated event with a soul music show. The hosts for the evening were the radio DJ's from the Oldies station. (The name escapes but I do remember Randy and Spiff and, hence, their cute bumper stickers that said "Spiff Happens").

Anyway, Fayetteville went through a long series of recognitions and invitations of the all the politicians, marketers, sponsors, lawyers, bankers, etc, etc, etc, etc and invited them all on to the stage.

The radio DJ host was then about to kick off the show with the first oldies/soul act when he said " I was going to have the leaders of Fayetteville kick off the show but I all I see up here is a bunch of middle aged white men."

LOL

BTW---- Muddle's post on "Racism, etc." was an excellent effort. Put it into the blog. Your story about the saddle was riveting.

They are very popular places on the Northside. Good food on the trip I made a week or two ago at lunch.

I'm sorry, but I went to the Dragon Lady only once and vowed to never go back. Slow service and mediocre food at best. I didn't even know they had closed. Glad they are gone, although I still miss a good chinese buffet place here in PTC.

May be if this J Christopher's place doesn't work out, a Golden Buddha could come over here?

I ate there about 1:30. Enjoyed the Eggs Benedict, serivce was fine & the coffee good.

I'm surprised at all the negative comments! I've been there a couple of times for a weekday lunch. Found the service friendly and reasonably prompt, the food delicious, and the decor/atmosphere a welcome change for PTC. I was predicting a bright future for the place! And before you ask, I have no connection to the place whatsoever.

I too was not impressed. I walked in last week to get a menu and order something for takeout. Nobody was at the front to great me or seat me (they didn't know I was just there for takeout!). I stood there for a good 10 minutes and was totally ignored. Some other people had come in behind me so there was about 7 of us just standing there. I waited a few minutes more to see what would happen but nothing did so I figured I would try it on a different day since the menu looked pretty darn good. I will write back and let you know how it goes. If it's still the same crumby service I will not give them a 3rd shot. I work hard for my money and deserve at least an "I'll be right with you". I don't think that's too much to ask.