Meat and three (a main meat dish with three sides) is a classic Georgia combo. If you want something typical, consider pairing an order of fried chicken with a side of two vegetables, such as collard greens and okra, plus some macaroni and cheese. Start your Atlanta Southern dining experience with soul food and a side of history at Paschal’s Restaurant & Bar. Atlanta’s son, Martin Luther King, Jr., along with fellow Civil Rights activists, used to meet and dine at Paschal’s.

At the heart of Georgia’s love for chicken biscuits is what holds the fried chicken together: a sliced buttermilk biscuit. Locals claim you should always buy from bakers who wake up before dawn to make them from scratch. You can get a classic Southern breakfast with a variety of chicken biscuits from Bomb Biscuits Atlanta in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Or take a more hands-on approach and make your own Southern biscuits at The Municipal Market.

The city takes its peach-y desserts seriously, most notably in the form of peach cobbler. Comprised of baked slices of juicy peaches topped with a fluffy breading, always eat cobbler served warm and, for the full experience, with a scoop of ice cream. You could argue that Mary Mac’s Tea Room is the most popular place in Atlanta to eat peach cobbler. The restaurant, which opened in 1945, is the only tea room left from the era, and it’s well-known for its Southern meals and desserts.

The lemon pepper dry rub didn't originate in Atlanta but the city took the seasoning and innovated it by way of a different, wetter technique. Order like a true ATLien by asking for “lemon pepper wet,” the saucy version of the flavor, made famous thanks to the local hip-hop community and the television series Atlanta. The best-flavored wings are rumored to come from the kitchens of Atlanta’s most famous “gentlemen's” clubs, but for a more family-friendly experience, try Jamal's Buffalo Wing's.

This Southern dish originally started as a laborer’s meal called breakfast shrimp. Created by the Gullah Geechee communities of the Lowcountry, shrimp and grits are now a beloved staple across Atlanta. In 2002, Georgia even declared grits as its official state-prepared food. Shrimp and grits are found on just about every brunch menu in Atlanta, but for a special taste of the dish, book an Atlanta food and cocktail tour of Midtown with a stop at Publik Draft House for shrimp and grits.

The drink that’s served in 200 countries and territories around the world was invented by a pharmacist in Atlanta in 1886. The beverage company is still headquartered in Atlanta today, too, so it should come as no surprise that locals ask for the carbonated beverage by name. You won’t have a hard time ordering a Coca-Cola in Atlanta, as it’s served nearly everywhere. For a more enriching experience, learn about the history of Coke by visiting the World of Coca-Cola museum in downtown Atlanta.

There are fierce debates about whether Brunswick stew originated in Brunswick, Georgia, along the coastal region of the state, or in Brunswick County, Virginia. No matter who claims the first recipe, Georgia embraces this tomato-based soup filled with smoked pork, chicken, and vegetables as its own. At Fox Bros. Bar-B-Que you'll find Texas-style ribs and brisket, but their Brunswick stew is 100 percent Georgia cuisine. Order a bowl, or get it as a topping on tater tots.

Georgia produces more pecans than any other US state, with 100 million pounds (45 million kilograms) grown each year. Southerners love to place the candied variety straight into a pie crust, but a diner chain that started in Avondale Estates, Georgia, established eating pecans for breakfast in the form of pecan-topped and-filled waffles. Other parts of the country may not be as sweet on Waffle House, but the no-frills diner chain is embraced by people who grew up and live in Georgia.

Pimento cheese isn’t Southern in origin, but as more 20th-century Georgia farmers grew pimento peppers, the popularity of pimento cheese grew. Georgia’s legacy with the dish solidified in the 1940s when the Augusta National Golf Club began serving pimento cheese sandwiches at The Masters. But you don’t have to go to a golf tournament to eat this Georgia treat; you can enjoy the creamy spread made of shredded cheddar, mayonnaise, and pimento cheese at Home Grown in East Atlanta.

The sing-songy question, “What’ll ya have, what’ll ya have?” has greeted every visitor to Atlanta’s fast food restaurant, The Varsity, since 1928. Its signature drink, the Frosted Orange, is a mix of vanilla ice cream and orange drink, and the orangesicle-flavored milkshake is the perfect treat to cool down on a humid Atlanta afternoon. Though The Varsity has expanded from its initial location to other cities across the state, there’s nothing like stopping at the OG Atlanta downtown restaurant.