Doraville's big draw is food - it sits on Buford Highway, metro Atlanta's international food corridor. For a date night that isn't dinner-and-a-movie: eat your way down the corridor, end with a late-night bowl of pho at 24/7 Master Pho, or catch the monthly Pho Challenge - 99 contestants racing giant bowls, free for spectators. Next contest: Sunday, August 2, 2026, 8:00 PM.
A contestant racing to finish a giant bowl of pho at the Master Pho Challenge in Doraville
The monthly Pho Challenge - free to watch, unforgettable to enter.

The date night nobody forgets: watch a pho eating contest

Once a month, Master Pho's dining room turns into a sports arena: 99 contestants, giant bowls of pho, first one to finish wins - with prizes topped by an iPhone 17 Pro Max. The room fills with 200+ people cheering like it's the playoffs. Watching is free, and friends and family are welcome. Bring a date; you'll have more to talk about than any movie.

Feeling brave? Enter the next contest yourself - it's $35, and every contestant outside the top 5 still walks away with a $25 gift card.

The classic move: a Buford Highway food crawl

Doraville's stretch of Buford Highway is one of the best eating streets in the South. Pick two or three spots, share everything, and let your cravings route you. End the night the local way: a hot bowl of pho.

The late-night option: 3 AM pho

Most of Atlanta closes by midnight. Master Pho doesn't close at all - which makes it the default ending for concerts, late shifts, airport runs, and first dates that are going well. 5145 Buford Hwy NE, free parking, +1 (678) 743-9999.

Join the Pho Challenge - $35

Only 99 seats · every contestant outside the top 5 gets a $25 gift card