The Peachtree-Dekalb Airport a few miles from my house just happens to be the second busiest airport in Georgia and houses two really fun restaurants that sit almost on top of the runways! PDK was a WWI training base and is rich with history. Locals and tourists alike will enjoy the unique experience of dining at either restaurant and watching the planes come and go.
Jimmy and I headed to 57th Fighter Group for dinner a couple of weeks ago with another Scoutmob deal in hand and then to Downwind a few days later for some Wednesday night trivia! These restaurants are old, very local, and not meant to impress with fancy decor. The atmosphere is all about the air traffic which is non-stop! Also, a great family place filled with kids super excited about the airplanes. You really can’t go wrong here – the food is even much better than expected!
At 57th, I ordered the flat steak with garlic mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked perfectly and quite tasty – also the perfect 6 oz. size. The garlic mashed was creamy but a bit lacking on the garlic flavor. Still, very little to complain about. Jimmy ordered half the menu! He had a bunch of appetizers. He loved the ceviche and the beer cheese soup. You must order the beer cheese soup as that’s a crowd favorite and so delectably cheesy. He also downed some fried shrimp and homemade fries. I gotta say – the fried shrimp were fairly pedestrian but the fries were delicious. Prices are reasonable but not exactly cheap. Portions are very sizable, though, so you never feel like you’ve been skimped on quantity or quality!
Word of warning: if you decide to go during yellow jacket season, be prepared to battle with those little monsters the entire time. The restaurant does their best to set up traps and whatnot, but there are just so many of them! And I’m terrified of flying, stinging things so this made dinner a very anxious time for me until the sun set and temps got cooler. Of course, you can always sit inside near the huge windows and watch the planes safely tucked away from nature as well.
(P.S. The building you see off in the distance beyond the runways is the CDC! They have an awfully fun view)
A few days later, we had dinner at Downwind with friends and participated in the trivia night hosted every Wednesday at 7 pm. The fried calamari was delicious and my grilled cheese with ham was fabulous. The fries were a bit boring. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food. The ham on my sandwich was very flavorful and cut into sizable slices which I was pleasantly surprised to discover.
Overall, the service is a bit on the slow side, but these are mom and pop joints where your attention is always on the planes and rarely ever on where your waitress is! The food could have been terrible and I’d still go back because there’s just something so mesmerizing, almost soothing, about planes taking off and landing. Make sure to sit outside to enhance your experience and listen to those beastly jet engines! Highly recommended dining experience!
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