Busy Bee Cafe

You can probably find "diners, cafes, country cookin, soul food...etc" in most any city - seems like every... more

You can probably find "diners, cafes, country cookin, soul food...etc" in most any city - seems like every time we turn around in the Atlanta area,... more

Watershed gets a lot of the press for the best fried chicken in Atlanta, and I'm actually partial to a national chain (I know, but Popeye's is damn good and consistent!), but as far as individual spots go... I tip my cap to the Busy Bee. Located in the West Village off MLK, the Busy Bee has been here forever. MLK himself was a frequent visitor. Their pan fried chicken is super-crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, like all good fried chicken is supposed to be. And the nostalgia that comes along with sitting at the counter and putting down the best soul sides certainly doesn't hurt the cause. Pros: Outside of Popeye's (seriously), this is the best. Cons: Can be busy, parking lot is small more

I thought the food was very good.Service was good too!The restaurant was too small and it took me a time to find Busy Bee's. more

This place has good soul food, but the wait staff makes the experience of dining here unbearable and if I ever go back, I will only be back for carry out orders. Pros: Good soul food Cons: HORRIBLE SERVICE, PARKING and WAIT TIMES FOR TABLES more

?All Abuzz about Busy Bee!? It?s a rainy Sunday afternoon, it?s lunch time, called my dining guest, decided to venture outside my natural/organic cuisine comfort zone and fill my stomach with some Soul Food from Busy Bee. I?ve lived in the ATL for over 15 years and I?ve never been to this Soul food institution, so being the foodie that I am, I had to try it and share my experience. As we arrive, there?s a long waiting line, that didn?t matter, we were seated in about 20 minutes. Our waiter, delightful, excellent customer service, and well informed about the restaurant and menu. I was amazed that the restaurant has been around since 1947. The caf? is nestled between 2 other businesses on MLK, so drive slowly so you won?t miss it. My dining guest and I both started our meal with sweet tea blended with freshly squeezed lemonade, just the right sweetness. All the meals are served with corn muffins or yeast bread(we tried both)?delicious! The food service is fast and friendly, our food arrived less than 10 minutes. While I ordered the baked Tilapia over a bed of rice, with a side order of candied yams and collard greens(cooked with turkey), my dining guest had the ?Beelicious? Fried Chicken which is marinated for 12 hours, lightly breaded, cooked in peanut oil, moist, juicy, crispy?..(of course, I had to try it, so I removed the skin, and devoured it, as JJ(70's tv show ""Good Times"") would say it was ?Dyn-o-mite! LOL), for his side order, turnip greens and candied yams. Now, I can?t forget, dessert, my dining guest and I shared the Keylime Cake and Peach Cobbler, both simply divine. I see what the Buzz is all about, finger lickin? good, deliciously seasoned and cooked Soul Food, prepared with Tender Loving Care, the way my grandmother did. The restaurant has a diner style counter with red leather stools, and red leather booths that line the walls. The walls are filled with local, national celebrities, and their Best of Atlanta ?Soul Food? plaques. If you are in a hurry, no time to eat in, don?t worry, you can get take out. This is a great place to take out of town guest, just be aware of the long wait and the best part, it?s very economical. The caf? has a great atmosphere, very diverse, families, students, and urban trendsetters. There?s something on the menu for everyone, even vegetarians. I?ve had my Soul Food Fill for awhile, now it?s back to ?Organica? food deluxe. Pros: Excellent Customer Service, plenty parking, good food Cons: not open on Saturdays more

I eat at BUSY BEE often and the serve is EXCELLENT, atmosphere is very wholesome and cozy. The cozy nature of the cafe does not allow for students to come there to spend hours upon hours in conversations without taking in considerations of other patrons who are waiting to partake of the sumptious food that BUSY BEE's chef prepare. I always recommend the cafe to visitors, family, friends whenever the opportunity arise. more

Excellent food, but horrible service, especially toward the Atlanta university students, we are oftentimes rushed off the tables & disrespected. The students at the Atlanta University Center (Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College & Spellman College) bring in a lot of business to the Busy Bee Cafe, it is unfair the ways we are treated with the horrible service by the cashier and the employees. Pros: great food Cons: horrible service more

This place has some of the best soul food in Atlanta. I have been to several highly recommended places, and this is the only one that did not disappoint. Everything that I ate was delicious. There were a lot of people, but we didn't have to wait that long for a table (only 10 minutes). If you're looking for an upscale place, Busy Bee's is not it. Rather, Busy Bee's is more like a diner/cafeteria. The server was very friendly, and attentive. These are 2 very important things to me when dining out. Pros: Food Cons: Somewhat limited menu, Seating was limited more

Good southern comfort food with excellent side dishes. The only draw back is the seating, not very much and very tight. If you don't mind that, then sit down and enjoy. Pros: Food Cons: seating more

I recently moved to Atlanta from NY and was eager to find some good down home soul food. This place is great! The potatoe salad is to die for. My only complaint is that I wanted more food! more

My friends and I meet in Atlanta for a weekend every year in September. A friend residing in the city suggested we try Busy Bee. I logged onto Busy Bee's website, checked out its menus, and decided to try it. As we approached the restaurant, I began to feel a sense of home and I could remember rushing home from school to see what Grandma was cooking. The neighborhood reflected my own and my college years. At that point I knew the food would be good! The Cafe was very small, but the atmosphere was great in its generosity and service. We ordered, and not soon later our waitress was blessing us with home-style cooked meals we didn't imagine having during our travels. The food was delicious, non-greasy, and very presentable. I higly recommend Busy Bee as a place to eat for all visitors to the area. Pros: Good food, Great Service, Friendly atmosphere Cons: Kind of small more

The First Time I went to the Busy Bee, I admit, I was a little snooty. The space was a bit cramped and it didn't have that modern feel. But once I sat down and ate...I have been hooked ever since. I go very often. The place is clean, the service is great and the food is to ""live"" for. I hear that they are supposed to move to a larger space one day. I don't think they should because it would lose that ""home"" feeling. They have the best sweet tea in Atlanta...hands down. Pros: Food, Sweet Tea, Service Cons: Cramped but worth it. more

Really good smothered pork chops. Lacking in effective air conditioning. Very friendly staff. more

Great food. I read the review and decided to give it a try! Don't let the outside visual effect you decision to come inside. My only suggestion...is portion size needs to increase. My husband felt the serving size was too small. I had to keep reminding him that this was lunch! Pros: Excellent Cons: Serving size small more

Although this quait little hole in the wall, would cause you to raise a brow...Upon entering, you are immediately taken back in time. I absoulutely loved it. The ambience was everything. Who said keep it simple stupid would not work? On top of that the food is EXCELLENT!!! I can not exhort it enough. I really thought my granny was in the back frying that good ol catfish!!! Well enough of the nostalgia, If you starving for some history, visit busy bees. It will definately bring memories back of Sunday Church Dinners, and Saturday Barbecues with the Family!!! Keep it up Busy Bees!!! Pros: Excellent Food, Excellent Service, Great Pricing Cons: Crowded, Not Enough Parking, Too Small more