by Jonny RokketWhat's that saying? "when in Rome do as Salvatore Bellomo does?" (Well Sal was actually born in Belgium but made for a pretty convincing Italian in WWF/ECW) but anyway...I decided to take that to heart on a recent trip to the Big Peach (Atlanta) and while I got my fill of international sodas at The World of Coke, contemplated the whole "beef vs seafood" argument at the Georgia Aquarium, and downed the biggest coldest beer ever before riding up the escalator for the CNN tour, the least "touristy" thing the Mrs. and I would do over the past few days would be to head South down I-75/85 and chow down on some Hot-Lanta barbecue courtesy of the Abdullah The Butcher House of Ribs & Chinese Food restaurant.
Now first off Abdullah's, (how they refer to the joint in ATL), is not your ritzy joint nor is it merely some dive on the bad side of town. Abdullah's is a simple eatery located near the burbs and exactly what you might expect the place to look like. (For an outer visual picture the North Augusta Edmunds Barbecue with a bit more parking space) As we walked through the door the gentleman behind the counter offered up a friendly "Welcome to Abdullah's", not the type of greeting offered opponents of the "Madman from Sudan" over the years. This type of service plus some pretty tasty grub has made Abdullah's in Atlanta, as well as the one in Japan, a top spot to eat in Hot-Lanta even grabbing a 4.5 star review in a recent Atlanta publication. Adding to the legacy is the fact that Abdullah and his joint were both featured in the music video DAMN! by area rappers YoungBloodZ and referenced in the 2006 movie ATL.
Sitting just about anywhere in Abdullah's is like a pictorial timewarp with photos, newspaper and magazine articles covering the walls. Not just pictures of The Butcher, but photos of some of pro wrestling's elite signed to Abdullah himself. Most interesting are the pre-Abdullah wrestling photos. Yep, Abdullah the Butcher didn't merely pop out as the "Madman from Sudan". The Mrs. and I plopped down next to a wall of pix and despite having to steer our way through a mess of ribs, tips, corn bread, fried okra and the best damn mac & cheese this side of Aunt Salley's, we managed to check out just about every photo on the wall without even getting sauce on 'em!
As you walk further into Abdullah's also noticeable are the more personal photos, awards and championship belts. One of the titles is for a 1974-76 Assassins World Championship and is actually a WWF belt! Both belts are magnificent pieces of memorabilia to check out. But like I mentioned earlier, you'll find pictures of everyone on the wall. Wrestlers such as Tony Atlas, Shasta Whatley, Harley Race, and even modern wrestlers like Tommy Dreamer and Sabu. My personal fave non-Butcher photo on display though has got to be the Paul E. era Midnight Express picture with mullets galore!
After checking out the joint it was time to head back to our room at the luxurious Omni (Rokket only travels in style baby!) but first I had to visit the big boys room. On my way out of the can who do I spot? The Butcher himself standing next to our table smiling with the Mrs. Not the reception usually reserved for leaving a restaurant toilet but pretty cool nevertheless. After a brief conversation The Butcher asked if we wanted to take some pictures and after a few laughs, some quick snapshots, and full bellies, The Mrs. and I were headed back downtown.Abdullah the Butcher House of Ribs and Chinese Food is located just South of Downtown at 2387 Fairburn Rd Sw. and Jonny Rokket and the Mrs. highly recommend the place. Rokket can't guarantee that you'll run into Abdullah but from what I understand, he's there on a regular basis so who knows. Either way, the food is incredible, the collection of wrestling stuff is fun to check out and the service is second to none. The prices are also beyond reasonable.
But try not to stand too close to The Butcher if you meet him. I'm still trying to get the fork out of my shoulder!
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