A while back, the In-n-Out/Five Guys clone Grab-n-Go was sued by In-n-Out for being, well, an almost exact clone, right down to the decor and menu. It was so much like In-n-Out that I was constantly forgetting that it actually wasn't and just referred to it as Fake In-n-Out. Well, they closed to little fanfare, and in their place is Georgia's Carry Out. And even though Georgia's still has the copycat decor (red and white tiled walls) and burgers (the Wild burger and the Asian burger are still on the menu, although their descriptions have been slightly altered), they seem to be doing OK.
The familiar decor of Georgia's Carry Out
That's probably because they actually offer a whole lot more. Think about every item on every menu of every carry-out place in every major metropolitan area you have ever been to and you have a good idea of what Georgia's is offering. In addition to burgers, they literally have everything else, including (but certainly not limited to) hot dogs, cheese steaks, souvlaki, gyros, wings, shrimp, lake trout, deep fried offal, and even bean pie. About all that is missing is pizza by the slice and potato knishes.
They also have soup. When I placed my order, they asked me if I like soup and proceeded to give me a sample of the three soup offerings of the day: chicken orzo, three bean, and corned beef and cabbage. Of the three, the corned beef and cabbage was the weakest, consisting mostly of cabbage without much flavor. The chicken orzo was golden and salty with lots of tender orzo, chicken, and carrots. And the three bean had a good mix of red, black, and black-eyed beans with lots of onions and no meat. It was a good way to start things off.
My three-soup sampler
While I went in set on getting a good take-out gyro, I had to switch course when I saw the chicken offal on the menu (liver or gizzards). It comes dipped in a light batter and deep fried with a side of fries and a portion control cup of Texas Pete's. I know offal isn't for everyone so I will spare the details other than to note that the batter was crisp, the meat was tender, and the food had been drained and blotted when it came out of the fryer.
My meat came as a platter with fries, but I overheard them telling the customer who ordered after me that you can swap out the fries for another side. In addition to hand-cut fries, their nice selection of sides includes collard greens, hush puppies, okra, cheese sticks, and brown gravy.
My fries were good standard fries and closer to what you get at Five Guys - a clear couple of steps up from the oddly cut, freezer burnt, unevenly cooked, greasy fries I've had at most of the take-out placed I've eaten at. They gave me quite a bit more than I could eat, but they were delicious.
Lunch
I got a good amount of food for my money, and it actually tasted like they put some care into it. My meat and fries with a can of soda came out to about $8.00. The staff was friendly and proud of what they presented me and seemed to want me to have a good experience in their establishment. And I did. It was a good solid lunch, and I will be back.
Georgia's is located where Grab-n-Go used to be, off of Beards Hill Road behind The Olive Tree.