While we know the late-night Atlanta haunts to hit thanks to Outkast’s Big Boi, one question remains: When the sun is out, and the strip clubs are closed, where should we be eating? Luckily, Sir Luscious Left-foot has plenty of recommendations for 9-to-5 establishments, too.
Food plays into Outkast’s legacy, as some of the duo’s most memorable lyrics reference things like patty melts and apple pie. So, after scanning through their archives, we asked Big Boi to tell us the origin stories behind these indelible lines, as well as recommend the go-to spot in Atlanta to score the grub in question.
From Waffle House patty melts (Big Boi’s pushing for an outpost to open in NYC—you can thank him later), to Four Seasons apple pie, Big Boi breaks down the food experiences that inspired Outkast’s lyrics.
Patty melts
Song: “So Fresh, So Clean”
Song: “So Fresh, So Clean”
Lyric: “Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts and Monte Carlo’s…”
Lyricist: Big Boi
Big Boi’s recommendation: “That line from ‘So Fresh, So Clean’ was inspired by [the patty melt at Waffle House]. I just came from Waffle House to the Dungeon, and I actually did have on the alligator belt. I think I just came from the club or something. They had the song playing. Sleepy Brown was there. I was dressed up. I was clean, and the song just came just like that. I ate the patty melt and jumped on the song and that just turned into a hit.
But I’ve been trying to put a Waffle House in New York for about five years. I’m going to do it. I’m going to put one in L.A. and in New York. I talked to them about it. They’ve got some kind of—I don’t know if it’s some mob shit or something going on. But just like with Chick-fi-A—you just got a Chick-fil-A in New York now. I’ve been wanting to do that forever, too. I’m really researching it. Another idea I had was to put a Waffle House in the Atlanta airport so anybody who flies through Atlanta who has a layover can get Waffle House. It’s a big-dollar idea.”
Apple pie
Song: “Gasoline Dreams”
Lyric: “Don’t everybody like the taste of apple pie?!”
Lyricist: Big Boi
Big Boi’s recommendation: “You might have to get that from room service at the Four Seasons (75 14th St NE, 404-881-9898) or the Ritz Carlton (181 Peachtree St NE, 404-659-0400). Why? Because I’m used to living in hotels and shit. I know if I’m getting apple pie, I’m getting that shit at the hotel most of the time, which I really shouldn’t even be doing.”
Yams (with extra syrup)
Song: “SpottieOttieDopaliscious”
Lyric: “Her neck was smellin’ sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrup…”
Lyricist: Big Boi
Big Boi’s recommendation: “Ok, you wanna get them yams, you can go to a spot called The Beautiful (2260 Cascade Rd SW, 404-752-5931). They’ve got great yams with extra syrup. There’s also a barbecue spot that one of my buddies owns called Tom, Dick & Hank (191 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, 404-343-3774). That shit is great. They also got turkey ribs, which is the newest shit ever. It’s not really turkey ribs; it’s like a turkey shoulder blade for those of us who don’t eat beef or pork. That’s the next best thing you can imagine that you bite into—like a nice big beef rib, but it’s a turkey shoulder.”
Fish & Grits
Song: “ATLiens”
Lyric: “And if you like fish and grits, and all that pimp s***, everybody let me hear you say, ‘Oh Yayerr!'”
Lyricist: André 3000
Big Boi’s recommendation: “You can go to a spot called Big Daddy’s (3085 Campbellton Rd SW, 404-629-0535). They’ve got a good breakfast over there. There’s another place called This Is It (3523 Camp Creek Pkwy, 404-629-1114). They have them in malls, but they’ve got some stand-alone stores too. They got good soul food. You’ve got to catch them when they put shit out fresh. You don’t want to eat shit from Thursday.“
Mojo’s (Fried Chicken)
Song: “Wailin'”
Lyric: “Never eatin’ chicken thighs, only a 20-piece Mojo’s.”
Lyricist: Big Boi
Big Boi’s recommendation: “The ’20-piece Mojo’s’ was a dish from Mojo’s (530 Joseph E Lowery Blvd SW, 404-753-6600). If you saw the Organized Noize documentary, that is what Rico Wade used to buy us everyday. For three fucking years all we ate was Mojo’s chicken wings—everyday. We scraped all of our money together and you got like ten to 15 guys eating a 50-piece, and it only cost about $10. That’s all we could afford at the time, you know what I mean? Back then I didn’t like chicken thighs because I guess I wasn’t getting them from the right place. They were too gooey-tasting. I guess I got a taste for slipperiness, though, because that shit is good as fuck now. But they have to be Jamaican, which is on my rider for my shows. The way they chop that shit up you can’t tell a thigh from a leg.”
Red Beans & Rice
Song: “Mamacita”
Lyric: “You say ‘tank you, bein’ nice; you try to change the subject—want some beans and rice?'”
Lyricist: André 3000
Big Boi’s recommendation: “That is basically a dish that my mother cooks the best. I get that upon request like every other Sunday. She will make some just for me. It’s good because she makes it with turkey. Most places—if you go to Popeye’s or something—it has pork in it. Other than my mother, I’ll only eat it if it comes from my private chef. But as far as commercially, I [won’t mess with any other]. It has to taste a certain kind of way or else it won’t be the same.”