<a href="http://www.accessatlanta.com/dining/restaurants/37233/DetailedList.jspd?activity=37233">Dockery's Cafe</a>
Throughout the past decade, shopping malls, big businesses and suburban growth have been covering Alpharetta with the fury of a healthy crop of kudzu.
But those looking for traditional Southern fare can still find it in the form of Dockery's Cafe, a no-frills nod to the genre.
ESPECIALLY SOUTHERN
We arrive at lunch and join the company of little old ladies, businessmen and women, laborers and just about anyone who appreciates the beauty of plates bulging with meat and veggies.Take a look at the back of the menu to find Dockery's set schedule of daily grub. Each weekday offers four different meat selections for the home-cooked platters. Fried chicken and country fried steak make the list every day, but other options from meatloaf to turkey and dressing pop up throughout the week.
Each day has a laundry list of more than 15 veggies to choose from. Of course the classics rear their countrified heads, including okra, turnip greens, black-eyed peas and squash casserole. Others run the gamut, such as macaroni salad, rice and gravy, beets, pasta salad and hash brown casserole.
Platters can be had with either one meat and two veggies, one meat and one veggie, or as a three-veggie or four-veggie plate.
We go for Dockery's signature fried chicken, which rules the roost with a remarkable buttermilk-based batter, extra moist center and old-school, Southern-fried flavor that hearkens to the day when much of Alpharetta remained rural.
The green beans are admirable; nothing flashy, but solid. The same goes for the mashed potatoes, which come hidden underneath a brown gravy covering.
CASUAL QUICK FIX
In addition to the home-cooked platters, Dockery's has laid-back diner fodder for those looking for a casual quickie. Burgers and hot dogs can be had for less than $5 a pop. The hand-formed burger patties are served generously. Even the 3-ounce one (listed on the menu "for small appetites") is enough for a meal with a side of chips, a pickle, lettuce and tomato toppings. The grilled dogs come split open in classic style, leaving a small gully for the addition of chili, cheese and/or slaw, if so desired. Time-honored sandwiches (think BLT, grilled pimiento cheese and barbecue pork) are available, too.MORNING GLORY
Weekday lunches take up the 11 a.m.-3 p.m. slot. It wraps at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and doesn't include the daily platter selections. Early risers can take advantage of a Southern-style breakfast from6:30-11 a.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. Biscuits can be had plain, slathered in gravy or loaded with treats such as country ham and smoked sausage. Pancakes, three-egg omelets and more have us plotting a return.
• Hours: 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
• Reservations: No.
• Recommended dishes: Fried chicken, country fried steak, meatloaf, turkey and dressing, squash casserole, turnip greens, green beans, mashed potatoes, cheeseburger.
• Prices: Breakfast items $1.70-$6.45. Lunch platters $4.45-$6.45; sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs $3.10-$4.80; salads and soups $2.55-$6.45.
• Verdict: Satisfying holdout right on Main Street.
