Food. Buford Highway is metro Atlanta's international food corridor - miles of immigrant-owned restaurants running northeast through Doraville and Chamblee: Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Mexican, and more, most of it in unassuming strip malls. It's nationally known as one of the best eating streets in the South. One landmark on the corridor: Master Pho at 5145 Buford Hwy NE - open 24/7 and home of the monthly Pho Challenge.
Why a highway became a food destination
Starting in the 1980s and 90s, immigrant families opened restaurants along Buford Highway because the rent was affordable and the communities were close. Decades later, the result is a corridor where first-generation kitchens cook for their own communities first - which is exactly why the food is so good. No theme-park versions of anything; just the real thing, strip mall after strip mall.
What you'll find
- Vietnamese - pho, banh mi, and full Vietnamese menus, with the pho stretch running right through Doraville. The best-pho conversation starts here.
- Korean, Chinese, Mexican, and more - barbecue, dumplings, noodles, taquerias, bakeries, and markets, changing block by block.
- One kitchen that never closes - Master Pho serves 24/7, which makes it the corridor's late-night anchor.
- A monthly spectacle - the Pho Challenge: 99 contestants, giant bowls, first to finish wins.
First visit? Start simple
Pick a craving and follow it - here's a simple guide to choosing. And if you want the sure thing at any hour: Master Pho, 5145 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, free parking, menu at masterphoga.com.
Join the Pho Challenge - $35
Only 99 seats · every contestant outside the top 5 gets a $25 gift card