This story was produced as part of a collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). For our third collaboration with SCAD, we once again worked with students in Paige Gray’s spring semester writing class, this time focusing on the subject of food. With the help of Rough Draft editors Collin Kelley, Beth McKibben, and Sammie Purcell, the students produced stories ranging from the personal to hard-hitting issues like food insecurity.
On the weekends when the projects are piling up and the words on the assignment sheets start blurring together, sometimes the only savior is a good meal to distract from all the stress. A hot slice of pizza? A spicy chimichurri? A burger? The thought of inflation causing my $10 meal to become more like $30 prevents me from venturing out.
But recently, I took matters into my own hands to scour Midtown for the most college-friendly affordable eats. To make this list, a restaurant needs to be budget-friendly (no more than $20 for a full meal), walkable or accessible via MARTA or with available parking in Midtown, and most importantly, satisfy my taste for something new.
When I started looking for restaurants, I realized that college students as a whole are losing affordable dining options near campus due to rampant restaurant closures and inflated prices. I wanted to create this guide to shed light on different restaurants that I feel open the gates for more options, not just for students, but for everyone living in, working in, or visiting Midtown.
Mukja: Korean Fried Chicken ($10 – $20)
933 Peachtree St.
- Lime Scooter: 13 minutes from SCAD
- Train from Georgia State: 4 minutes walk to Five Points station to Midtown, 5 minutes walk
An Atlanta subreddit post from four years ago listed Mukja Korean Fried Chicken as one of Midtown’s most popular restaurants. The post mentioned an adult happy meal for $15. While no longer available, Mukja does have a very flavorful gochujang pork bowl meal that includes rice, fries, and a drink for $20. The dining room is bustling but still perfect for study time.
Ray’s New York Pizza ($5 -$15)
26 5th St.
- On campus at Georgia Tech
- Bus from Georgia State: Central Ave. at Wall St. to West Peachtree at 5th St.
- Lime Scooter: 15 minutes from SCAD
“I’d love good pizza, affordable pizza, where I can just get a slice. That’s my thing. Give me two slices and I’m good,” said SCAD student Shelby Clark. “And coming from New Jersey, where you have bakeries that are owned by grandmothers who immigrated here, and they have their great-grandchildren working at the front, I want a mom-and-pop or a small business kind of place.”
I tried four different pizza places, and none reminded me of a good New York slice like Ray’s Pizza. When talking to the current owner, Joseph Karam, he told me more about Ray’s history.
“My dad bought it from the original owner in 1990 and was a partner in it,” Karam said. “That ran for about 13 years, and about the time I was getting out of college, I saw the opportunity to jump in and run it for the last 20 years.”
Ray’s has been in the same location for the last 33 years, and caters to all demographics. A whole 14-inch cheese pie costs $15.50, and a slice costs a nice $4. Karam recently opened another restaurant next door called Boho Tacos, which is also a la carte and nicely priced.
The Sparrow ($10 – $20)
950 West Peachtree St.
- Walking: 32 minutes from SCAD
- Driving: 4 minutes from Georgia Tech
Sometimes I crave really specific things, like the steamed soup buns from this Midtown Asian tavern. The Sparrow satisfies that craving, along with a nice ambiance and meals costing between $10 and $20. There are multiple deals like $13 weekday lunch specials and a weekday happy hour, from 2-5 p.m., that includes appetizers for around $5.
Sweet & Fresh ($2 – $20)
708 Spring St.
- Late night
- Walking: 4 minutes from Georgia Tech
- Lime Scooter: 16 minutes from SCAD and Georgia State University
This is for the night owls who hate having to warm up food in the dirty dorm microwave. Sweet & Fresh is equidistant from all three college campuses in Atlanta, has a 10-piece wing combo for $20, a Philly cheesesteak combo for $13.50, and many a la carte items that range from $2 egg rolls to $6 pork dumplings. The best part is, on Monday, Sweet & Fresh is open until midnight. But from Wednesday through Saturday, it’s open until 3 a.m.
Rreal Tacos ($5-$20)
100 6th St.
- UberEats deal
- Walking: 9 minutes from Georgia Tech
- Lime Scooter: 13 minutes from SCAD and Georgia State University
“I feel like I’m an offer or deal kind of person. If it has a deal, then I’m more likely to order from there,” said SCAD student Jonathan Grant. “I feel like some affordable food restaurants should not be a time commitment.” I agree. On a hard week, delivery with surge pricing fees and long waits makes my nights worse. Rreal Tacos includes deals like BOGO (buy one, get one free) on all tacos, including birria and pizza-sized quesadillas for $20. With multiple locations, the delivery time is typically less than that of other restaurants in the city.
Forrest Eatery: Seoul Wings ($10-$20)
800 Forrest St., Berkeley Park
- Car: 11 minutes from SCAD
- Lime Scooter: 23 minutes from Georgia State University
Last but not least, Forrest Eatery is a ghost kitchen that serves as a delivery and pick-up location for over 60 restaurants. Like Rreal Tacos, Seoul Wings also offers BOGO deals. The six-wing plate with rice includes an option for getting a second plate free.