When most Atlantans think authentic -- and cheap -- ethnic food, their thoughts almost immediately turn to Buford Highway, that culinary melting pot of a road that runs through Fulton, Dekalb and Gwinnett counties.

But if you're not setting your sights a bit further afield, to Pat Mell Shopping Center in Marietta , to be exact, then you're missing out on some of the best Vietnamese, Mexican and El Salvadorian food around.

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Rose Scott signals as Closer Look goes on air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray / AJC file)

Credit: Ben Gray