Im not a fan of buffet style places but I have to admit that this place was pretty good. I came here because I had no choice. My coworker on this business trip brought me here and I had no say on the matter. That said, the food was fresh, the staff was friendly and the place was clean. I wouldn't complain if I was forced to come back here again. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

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We came by for dinner and we totally loved it. Between the two of us we ordered turkey and dressing, broccoli casserole, sweet potato soufflé, deviled eggs, a fried pork chop, mac and cheese, and scalloped potatoes. Neither of us could finish all of our food and we took it home. Everything was delicious and well seasoned, no condiments needed. We eyed the desserts and they looked incredible. The portions were gigantic and the pricing was reasonable. We are absolutely looking forward to coming back when we want some country cooking. read more

Returning to Matthews Cafeteria and the food is still great! The service is just ok some do not knowuch English. Cafeteria style so not a big deal breaker. Food here is always hot and fresh and great soul food for your soul! read more

Matthews Cafeteria - My aunt enjoying her lunch. - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

I have eaten at Matthew's regularly for the past 55 years. It never changed and it was always fresh and delicious and made the Southern way. For example: the unsweetened skillet cornbread muffins were perfection. Each roll had a structured crust, a coarse crumb, and a crunchy top. Never greasy. They were delectable. Then about two years ago, the cornbread got very greasy. It wasn't cooked at high enough heat. The casseroles started to have weird ingredients, like the squash casserole had a lot of vinegar and no cheese. I was so concerned, I called in to discuss. I wasn't going to post a bad review!! They said they weren't doing anything different. Hmmm. I found out from the neighbors that all the cooks had quit and they hired new people. Okay, but did they throw out all the recipes? They slowly started to improve but the food was inconsistent. I stopped here last week to eat lunch and then pick up food for the family. The cornbread was puffy, soft, undercooked, and oily. The other dishes were edible but not much better. I did not buy food for my family. At this point, Matthew's is going to lose all their lifelong customers. Hey Matthew's: let us know if you get your act together. What a loss! read more

If you want some down home southern food, Matthews is one of the places to go. A friend that lives in Tucker recommended this place for an early dinner on a Thursday night. I normally like to be the one in charge of picking places but I figured since he was a local, I would give him the reigns for the night. Im sure glad I did because, as you can see, I give Matthews five stars! I give it five stars for THIS TYPE of food/atmosphere. It came through as a winner with me and Im a tough critic on this type of food. I got the fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, turnip greens, and cornbread. I have gotten these same items at several other restaurants and I can say for sure that the quality of Matthews ranks high, high enough that I may get this exact same order the next time Im there! The iced tea was good too, something that, surprisingly, many restaurants mess up. The next time Im in Tucker, I will probably return to Matthews! read more

Matthews Cafeteria - I did the deal and got the fried Fried Chicken Breast - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

Fried Chicken with Macaroni & Cheese and Mashed Potatoes- not the healthiest, but definitely tasty. I have been wanting to try Matthews Cafeteria since I saw it on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. It did not disappoint! The fried chicken was crunchy and Macaroni & Cheese were cheesy as can be. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Fried Chicken with Macaroni & Cheese and Mashed Potatoes - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

It's OK. If this was the only restaurant in town and I didn't feel like cooking, I would get a plate. The food lacked flavor. It's southern, but no soul. Boiled cabbage, boiled Limassol, boiled turnips: all bland. No high blood pressure here. Didn't taste any salt or smoke. Creamed cream tasted right out of the can. The custard pie was good. The fried chicken is sold by the piece. I first asked for two wings ... now, you can keep those pigeons. Two drumsticks: one was freshly cooked, the other looked dried up, dark, and old. Again no flavor. Sorry, no repeat for me. read more

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Love it ! It's was a beautiful experience will definitely come back again! For those beautiful buns read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Soo good 8/10 - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

Good home cooking. Fried okra was nice and crispy- not over battered. Some things could use some salt and pepper- turnip greens needed hot sauce. Blackberry cobbler was delicious. read more

So much goodness at this time machine cafeteria from the sweetest employees to the delicious home cooking, fair prices, generous helpings and updated, clean, yet original dining space, my eyes always want more than I can eat. Keep up the great work. read more

So we were trying to go to Grecian Gyro to find that they had closed because of covid so we road around to find the next best thing so here we are!!! Food smelled delicious from the outside so we were excited to go in. It's just like the traditional cafeteria we all remember. They have certain dishes depending on the day. Great selection of food and desserts. I chose chicken wings, turnip greens, cornbread, fried green tomatoes and Mac and cheese. My fiancé got fried chicken breast and a wing, mashed potatoes and gravy, turnips and a yeast roll. Everything was really good! Those turnips had me wanting to ask the chef for the recipe!! The cornbread was delicious, not sweet thank goodness, the chicken was fried to perfection (you could tell the grease was fresh for the day). The Mac and cheese needs serious work which is why it didn't get 5 stars. The tomatoes needed something as well but not horrible. Overall, I am glad we stopped in. They are recognizing covid social distance rules, all paper products etc. Very friendly staff as well. If you are coming thru Tucker, GA give them a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Fried Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Turnip Greens, cornbread and fried green tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

Home cooking- can't beat it Great cornbread, chicken, desserts and atmosphere that has been a mainstay for so many years read more

I don't know where to begin, it seems like the food and restaurant has gotten worse after the pandemic. Located in the heart of tucker, Matthew restaurant provides breakfast and lunch, with ample parking. The food is quite bland and soggy especially the country fried steak on Wednesday. It's like they serve to ppl with no teeth. Everything was so bland and tasteless. They do not provide salt, pepper or free refills. To add a small drink it's $1.50 more. The waitresses or staff do not care about their customers and ignore. I think magnolia restaurant is a lot better, they offer same menu, cafeteria style, and provide drinks free with the meal. It's a better service restaurant because the waitresses attends to the customer dining in. read more

The Southern food and hospitality at Matthews Cafeteria will mac' you smile! It has become a local landmark and has withstood the test of time. Their food and great customer service has stayed consistent. Stopped by for an early lunch with my group of 5. Parking lot is adjacent to the restaurant, but fills up quickly especially during the lunch rush. We were luck enough to find a spot. The place was busy, but the line wasn't that long yet. As the name implies, Matthews is cafeteria style. We hopped in line and chose our items as we went down the line. Most of the group went with a plate with two sides. I got to try the following: Fried Chicken Sweet Potato casserole Mac and Cheese Strawberry Shortcake The chicken was fried to perfection. Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. The mac and cheese was rich and creamy. The sweet potato was sweet and also creamy. The strawberry shortcake was nice and light. We had a wonderful meal and experience. Prices are very reasonable and portions are generous. Great place for good ole Southern food and hospitality! read more

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Wow, this restaurant is amazing. All of the food is like eating at grand ma's kitchen. Get there early, people line up to get this food. Great place read more

I've seen so many IG post that talk about this place. I lived in Stone Mountain for 15 years and never went. Today I wanted some soul food, specifically greens and cornbread, and decided I would stop by after church. The place is really set up like a cafeteria, as there is an assembly line. The turkey looked good, so I got that paired with mash taters. I got the greens and Mac &cheese too! It reminded me of Thanksgiving at a Dekalb county school, which is usually the best meal all year. To me this place is no K&K ( if you're familiar with the Westside), but it will get the job done while on the Eastside. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Turkey & Dressing - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

turkey dressing day the best wish i worked in Tucker again ,, miss fudruckers n bambinelli's italian miss bonnie rip read more

Love their food! My favorite has to be the chicken and dumplings but I also like the meatloaf. When they saw what was happening with COVID they created a drive through in the parking lot and it's still a hit. Today I got the turkey/dressing, green beans. The fried okra never made it home. Closest I've found to home made. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Turkey Dressing with green beans @ Matthew's Cafeteria Tucker GA - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

I am always up for good southern cooking but don't cook much of it at home. I rely on the many options available in Atlanta. It had been ages since I had been to Matthews so I was eager to give it another visit. Matthews is a Tucker Ga institution having opened in 1955. In its hay day it must have been THE place for a great breakfast before work ( they open around 5 AM.) , a decent fast lunch and they serve dinner until 8 pm. Sunday hours are much shorter. Located right on Main St. in Tucker, you can't miss it. The layout is reminiscent of your elementary cafeteria back in the day. Their mains and vegetables menu rotates through out the week so you won't have to chose among the same items everyday. They prepare standard southern food which is quite tasty and overall satisfying. They have fabulous fried chicken and really good cornbread. Don't forget their ice tea and grab one of their desserts. I always have trouble picking just one. Everyday, they feature a different fruit cobbler and at least 8 pies and 6 puddings. Triple "D" (Diners Drive Ins and Dives) host Guy Fieri raved. Their southern biscuits were written up in the Atlanta Magazine. It isn't fancy by anyone's standards but the food never fails. read more

This is a rip off. No explanation of "how it works" when you arrive. No prices anywhere. Cost $40 for two of us for lunch. The food was that was mediocre at best. read more

I love this place for getting some grub on. Suggested tweaks: Be less heavy-handed with the salt. Ditch the pitiful salad that nobody buys. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

Yes, outstanding southern country food cafeteria. The place is popular at lunch but the line moves fast. I had fried catfish, green beans, fried okry, chocolate pie, and iced tea. Reasonably priced, not cheap and not a rip off. I'll be back. At peak times parking can be tough read more

Got invited to lunch with some coworkers while in town and had zero expectations. The food was good- wide variety of 'comfort' food, desserts and salad. It wasn't fancy just very homey with a buffet style set up making service fast and efficient. My coworkers are regulars, so they made sure we avoided the lunch time crowd which were just arriving as we left a little after noon. read more

I learned about Matthew's Cafeteria on the Atlanta Foodcast podcast interestingly on an episode about Bell Street Burritos, which is on my list to try soon. This is a local, home-town cafeteria that reminds me so much of my beloved S&S Cafeteria in Augusta and Macon. I ordered the fried chicken breast, mac and cheese, and green beans. I ordered the peach cobbler for dessert. Everything was delicious, hot, and served with love. My food was ready when I arrived. It was so delicious and you can tell that the food was cooked with love. This is the spot for local, small-town, hometown favorites that bring so much comfort with each bite. We must support these institutions because they are local staples in our communities. They offer take out and call-in orders. Check them out. You'll love it. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

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Food was and is always very good Southern cooking. It's not fancy, if you're the type to whine. But it's a local gem that's been consistently delicious for many decades. If you love locally owned, home cooking that is true south, this is your place. read more

I visited for lunch and the food was MEH. No flavor, very bland. The customer base seemed like regulars. The employees were friendly. After mentioning them to a friend, he said they are better for breakfast. Not willing to test it out. The interior is clean, basic and cafeteria style. read more

Amazing experience and great menu! I love visiting at lunch time. I always get the strawberry shortcake or lemon pie. The liver and onions are a hit. The greens are delicious. The hot coffee is wonderful. read more

The food was great! It's cook not seasoned with a ton of salt. You're more than welcome to add your own. I've lived in this area for 15 years and this is the first time I stopped by this place after seeing so so so so many people eat here. It was good! I would come back. Nothing to die for though. read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Country fried steak, turnip greens, potatoes, muffin. - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

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Good ol southern food. What's not to like. Plenty of seating. LOVE the chicken and mashed potatoes. Even though it's a buffet, the service is still good. read more

This place is really gone down over the years. The value is absolutely terrible and the food is no longer even tasty.

Food is ok but overpriced. Mostly filling casseroles. But I ordered turkey and dressing, expecting sliced turkey and dressing on the side. Instead it was shredded turkey mixed with dressing. So you really don't know how much turkey you are getting. Casseroles are similar. You can't find the broccoli in the broccoli casserole and the taste all blends together. Rolls are tasty but insubstantial and not hot. They don't display the pricing prominently (with good reason from their perspective). It's handwritten off to the side where you can't see it. Then you find out that everything is ala carte. No meal or combo pricing and so it adds up by the time you include a drink. People are friendly and their clientele are good folks but the more I think about it the more I feel like they don't get much right. I've enjoyed this place over the years but there's not much incentive to come back. There is a nice mural of the town in the main dining room. read more

This place is sooooo good! If you find yourself in the Atlanta area, you need to drive down to Tucker to get some amazing down home Southern food from this place!!! Just look at the photos and the menu. YUM. read more

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Super busy Sunday after-church crowd. Food was fresh and service was great. The sides are all homemade.

Overpriced overpriced and way overpriced is about all I can say for plain Jane food and ok so so service.

Great meat and 3 place. Cafeteria service. Old school family ambience. Here are the other 85 characters. read more

I tried Matthews the other day based on the reviews and having a hankering for some good ol Southern food. The place is quite charming with its outdoor seating and rocking chairs for catching a breeze and watching the traffic go by. The inside is spacious and warm. They have captured that Southern feel. Guy Fieri has graced the place as indicated by a signed poster affixed on the wall. There were other posters as well, but I'm a fan of Guy. It is cafeteria style here. You walk up, get your tray, you silverware, your napkins and start with making your choices. Don't get all that if you eating to-go; they will put your chosen items in a container in that case. The desserts are presented first. They had an assortment of pies, cakes, and cobblers for your enjoyment. I also saw some deviled eggs and slaw. They have certain things on certain days and the menu is displayed prominently on the wall. On this particular day Salisbury steaks were the main feature and I elected not to partake. There was also pork (which went with the dressing (?) and other main dishes. I chose to try the baked chicken as my main, along with dressing, mac and cheese, and turnip greens as my side items. I also got cornbread and two small containers of cranberry sauce to complete my meal. I have to say that I was underwhelmed with the meal. I am from the dirty, dirty (filthy) South and I know some good Southern food. While this food was okay, it did not stand up to my expectations. The dressing was not flavored right, the mac and cheese was cheesy but was missing salt. and I am not 100% sure that those turnips didn't come out of a can. I'm just not sure. The chicken was seasoned well and moist, which I really enjoyed. Also, it was an expensive lunch for Southern food. Everything is a la carte and it was $12 something by the end of the ring up. I'm still trying to figure out if an extra dollar was added for cranberry sauce or cornbread. A drink would've pushed me over the edge. I don't knock those who enjoy the food here. It's okay, but my palette requires a foot to be put in that southern food, if you know what I mean. read more

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Traveling thru Georgia to see my wife's cousin in Covington and I remember seeing a place I seen on triple DDD in Tucker, Ga called Mathew cafeteria oh man it was busy and had some really great food and the best tea I've had in a long time this is and old building next to a railroad track and across the road from a lumberyard we're I parked my RV and I thanked them for my use of there packing area. In the cafeteria I was taking pictures and the owner came up and introduced himself a very nice young man the third generation owner it's always nice to hear young people keep the love of what the parents have had and make the American Dream stay alive. Come and see these folks you will love it great food and drinks. If I didn't have to get back to Texas I would be back tomorrow. read more

Ate lunch here with a friend! Got the fried chicken with green beans and Mac n cheese. Let me tell you.....the fried chicken was juicy, flavorful, and stayed crispy all around the entire time!! I was in fried chicken heaven! The green beans had flavor and the Mac n cheese had the sticky texture with a cheese crust. Will definitely be back! read more

Matthews Cafeteria - Southern Near Me - Tucker, Georgia

Good yummy home cooking! I had the fried chicken and mac n'cheese and both were delicious. My hubby had the fried catfish with hush puppies with okra and quash. Both pieces were huge. We were too full for desserts but they looked amazing. The restaurant was clean and everyone was friendly. Will definitely be back! read more

What an incredible step back in time. Been living in Atlanta since 1979 and have never visited. My wife and I have seen on Diners Drive Ins and Dives, we heard countless friends talk about this little cafeteria in Tucker so today was the day we decided to visit for lunch. We got there around 11:30am and quickly made it thru the line. The only challenge was what to choose because everything looked great. Between my wife and we had fried chicken, meatloaf, cream corn, Mac & cheese and collard greens. Desert was apple pie. Everything tasted great, they even go light on seasoning so customers can add salt & pepper to their liking vs the cook deciding for you. All in all, a very friendly small town feel cafeteria that you should not pass up. read more

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