in search of the perfect bbq chicken

Over the last couple of months, I have experienced a craving for bbq chicken on multiple weekend occasions. Being the researcher that I am, I checked out my usual websites: MSN City Guide (which used to be a pretty good resource, but has become practically useless after the last update), Creative Loafing and Access Atlanta. A few interesting options came to light, so when the craving appeared again yesterday, we chose 5th Street Ribs n Blues from the choices. The website said they were "a family owned and operated business that has become an Atlanta BBQ favorite. We're famous for our "fall off the bones" Ribs with chopped pork, chicken, and all the sides.", and they are located in the hip Tech Square development, so we thought we were safe.

The best part of the experience was the young lady at the counter. She asked if we had questions about the menu, which was a good start. Unfortunately, this was the last remotely acceptable portion of the meal. OK, that's a little harsh -- we ordered bottled water, which was satisfactory, as most bottled water is.

The food was delivered by the young lady, who was still personable as she tried to remember which order belonged to which diner. The first clue that there might be a problem was the absurdly yellow hue of the "rum" baked beans. I'm a mustard lover in side items, so I took it in strides, but frankly, the taste was disappointing. Derek also ordered the beans, and his reaction was way beyond disappointment. My potato salad was ok, but not outstanding. Derek's slaw looked as if it came out of a 5 gallon tub from Sam's Club or Costco, and tasted even worse. The bbq chicken, which we came for in the first place, had no flavor (except for the side bbq sauce, which was average) and seemed as if it had been sitting under the heat lamps since the day before. We picked at our meal for a little while until we decided the $18 we had spent was gone, but we didn't have to waste the calories or lunch experience actually eating crap.

It's too bad for the college students who may not have the money to spend $18 twice on the same meal, but we decided to head to Taqueria del Sol for redemption. As usual, the line was out the door, but not so long as to deter us from our mission of a good lunch. A Memphis taco (bbq pork with jalapeno slaw), veggie taco (refried beans, cheese, etc.), charros beans and jalapeno slaw later, our trust in Atlanta food was restored. Taqueria's strategy is simple: make a few items delicious consistently. They don't vary too much from the norm, and the result is a loyal following. Since they are always packed, I'm sure they know exactly how many of each item will be ordered on any given day. This allows them to have fresh ingredients in proven dishes. Bottom line -- it works! I don't know that I would recommend it on a hot weekday if you have to go back to work after lunch, but otherwise, definitely check it out.

The Assessment: 5th Street Ribs N Blues: wander far away - you'd be better off getting the rotisserie chicken, potato salad and baked beans at the Publix deli

Taqueria del Sol: you'll always get good food, but you might want to go when it's not 100 degrees outside