Busy Bee Cafe

A place can be considered a classic eatery based off its tenure, its taste or, in the case of this unquestioned ATL icon, a delicious combination of the two. All of that said, the slights you’ve heard about Busy Bee are correct. The (closed-until-further-notice) dining room is too tight. The Saturday take-out line does stretch to Conyers. Yes, your bill will run $50 for two people. Still, no matter how many times we’ve complained under our breath—we’re well over 100 visits by now—we’ve never left unhappy. The best soul food restaurant in the city has its challenges, yes, but cooking excellent fried chicken, fish, and sides isn’t on that list.