Abdullah The Butcher House of Ribs and Chinese Food

Nothing exceptional, but good entrees and value. If they would really focus on sides and make them sing, this could be a real gem.
Atmosphere is great inside (at least if you are looking for an authentic dive which is obviously owned by a former pro wrestler), but the parking lot and the walk in is sketchy

The food is consistent and delicious. It’s family run– and Abdullah sometimes stops by to stab people in the head and take pictures.

I was in Lithia Springs and was looking for not just your chain restaurant. I went to Abdullah’s restaurant. I had rib dinner, turnip greens, and okra.
The restaurant is filled with pictures of professional wrestlers. Just looking at the pictures was worth the trip.
…oh by the way, the food was great!

I wanted BBQ and decided to try this place. It was horrible! The ribs tasted and looked like it was cooked in the oven not on a BBQ grill. The BBQ sauce was watery and tasted and smelled like ketchup. I also got a red velvet cake which was very dried. I’m so disappointed for spending my money on this, so disappointed.

As someone that is Wrestling and BBQ aficionado I thought this spot was going to be amazing. I’m not happy at all with this spot. First all Chinese food should never be on the food line with BBQ that is terrible idea. Now it’s get to the BBQ– it’s definitely back yard style BBQ. More of a grilled flavor instead of a smoked. So if that’s your thing go for it. I won’t be eating here again!

Works for me.
I ended up here like most other wrestling fan travelers, hungry and hoping to get a photo of a fork against my forehead.
Abby wasn’t here this day, so I nixed the photo idea. However, I did go for the Teriyaki Chicken, with sides of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. Soul Chinese.
The chicken was a little on the dry side, not aided by the heat lamp, however it was ultimately tasty, as were the sides.
Some of the food looked less than palatable, but this can be said about pretty much any steam table chinese joint.
I’d come back.

I have eaten at Abdullah’s a few times, and every time this place is consistently good. This time I had the rib tips with black eyed peas and the Mac and cheese. My eating companion had the BBQ chicken sandwich and a side of Mac and cheese as well.
The sandwich consisted of 2 slices of white bread, and a ¼ white meat chicken with a side of the BBQ sauce. The chicken was great, and so was the sauce. I can’t wait to go back to Atlanta, to eat here again.

I’m a fan because of the Rib Tips. Also because of Abdullah the Butcher. The restaurant is dead smack in the ‘hood’. There’s no glam and glitz about it. All types of suspect looking people around there. It’s an adventure going there especially if you are not from around there. The disappointment is that every time I’ve been there Abdullah the Butcher is never there. «He just left», is what the staff always says. Gosh darn it… I want to see ‘the Butcher’!

I’ve tried their cheesesteak and fries. Nothing special.

What is better than a pink Ribbery ‘n’ Chinese Food hut owned by a 1980’s wrestling icon? The answer is very little. Awesome ribs and collard greens! Incredible experience! Beyond 5 stars! The ribs and BBQ sauce are delicious, melting off the bone; the Chinese food is very mediocre. Mac ‘n’ cheese is nothing to write home about. However, the atmosphere and experience are what make this place an extraordinary cultural and kitschy experience. If you call in advance, Abudullah the Butcher himself, may come on down and show you his giant fork! Truly magical and weirdly fantastic! Abudullah is a wonderful, delightful man; hilarious, generous and full of amazing stories. Why this place isn’t a hipster-​destination is beyond me.

Is this the best BBQ you will ever eat? No. Is it super awesome that one of the greatest wrestlers of all time owns it? Hell YES! I landed in Atlanta, hopped in my rental car and immediately put Abdullah’s House of Ribs and Chinese Food in the GPS. Did not pass go, did not collect $ 200. I ordered the rib plate with collard greens and mac and cheese. The ribs were overcooked, but the sauce was fantastic. Collard greens were great and the mac and cheese was not memorable. Let’s be honest though, you go to check out the memorabilia and hope Abdullah is there. He wasn’t…in fact hardly anyone was at noon on a Wednesday. Worth stopping by!

It was ok. I will go again but not a fan.

This is honestly the worst BBQ I’ve ever eaten. The customer service isn’t very good either. I ordered the rib tips collard greens and mash potatotes with an additional side of potatote salad. I’m not exaggerating when I say the only that tasted good was my collard greens. The food was very poorly seasoned. The bbq sauce on thr ribs was watery and flavorless. The potatoe salad was HORRIBLE. When I asked what was most popular on their menu the employees looked at me like I was speaking a language that they didn’t understand. I’m irritated to say the least. I wouldn’t advise anyone to eat here

Because I don’t know how to read (I created an event for the same evening at a place that wasn’t even open that night), I came here at the spur of the moment. What made a person who lives 25 miles north of Atlanta want to even think about driving to SW Atlanta during the rush hour (which for any unlucky souls that drove on 285 that night when a car got stuck under a semi and all the lanes were shut down– it was a 2 hour commute)? I had to try the rib tips! One of my good friends (who used to be a professional wrestler) told me about this place, and swore by it having the best bbq around. Him being my friend, I went with the gamble– hell the only way to find out is to try it!
Thankfully for the first time in my life when I went through downtown, traffic was a breeze and I got there a few minutes early. So what were my first impressions? First off, I was shocked to see it pink, as all of the pictures on Unilocal had it manilla. Then, as I kept looking around, the menu talking about the wings and such were making me starving! I almost went in and ordered without them– but I held on– barely…
When Daniel B. and Kevin C. arrived, it was time to enter… And it reminded me of the set of «Unwrapped» with Mark Summers with the checkered floors and the red seats. Then I saw there was another room (where we ended up sitting) were the furniture seriously looked like 1455 had a baby with 1975– and in a weird way, I liked it. Hell, they ended up being comfortable! I even noticed one of the tables being reserved for a large checkers mat (although we never ended up playing). But who cares about what the inside looks like when you have all this wrestling shit up on the wall! That was nice seeing wrestlers I have actually heard of, and did a better job «wrestling» than «acting».
The menu was quite large– offering both bbq, and Chinese. I should have known right of the bat to get Chinese food as there was a sign that read, «it may take a while to wait as the Chinese is cooked fresh to order». So what in the hell do they with the bbq– make it with the furniture??? I am only kidding, but it makes ya wonder :)
Having not eaten in the past 24 hours, I decided to get 10 wings/​hot/​fries and a half slab of spare ribs (which is a la carte, but comes with 3 slices of bread). As we waited for the food, it gave us plenty of time to look at all of memorabilia on the walls.
And then the food came– in styrofoam (nice), and let me tell you– I could have done 10 reps and that would have been a workout– those were some heavy to go boxes!
The wings, were actually not bad– my favorite part of the meal. Not hot by any means, but they were juicy and crunchy at the same time. The fries werent half bad either– nice and crunchy too.
And then I got to the spareribs– I couldn’t stop saying «holy $hit» at the amount of meat that was in there. For $ 15, that was certainly a value– along with the amount of sauce– that could have easily weighed 7 – 8 lbs. The ribs were soaking with sauce– which to me is only OK, as I like to add sauce. I feel too much sauce hides the taste of a hopefully tasty rib. Unfortunately there was so much sauce, that even after using my 3 pieces of bread to mop up as much sauce as possible, it deemed to be too much, and I could not eat it all. That to me was a huge bummer. However, I had some of Daniel’s tips and I thought those to have a nice flavor to them– better than the ribs, in my opinion.
The gentleman at the counter was very nice to us and even brought me a bag for my box on the way out. That was cool. I like the atmosphere here, it surprisingly enough got a 97 on its health score, and it had plenty of parking. Hell– there is even an indoor patio too!
Will I come back? Probably in a few months. I would like to try that Chinese food and def check out some other items. But for me– I can’t go for those ribs again! I still think with the service it is a decent place to check out!

I went to Abdullah the Butcher’s House of Ribs & Chinese Food last evening for Tom E’s «Spur of the Moment» BBQ UYE (
). The name of the restaurant sure sounded interesting enough. Abdullah the Butcher is a former professional wrestler. His gimmick was to stab people with a fork. He has scars on the top of his head as a result of several intentional self-​inflicted cuts.
Abdullah was before my time. My childhood wrestling memories are from the 90s (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, etc.), so I don’t really remember this guy. However, the walls of framed autographed wrestler portraits was somewhat fascinating to look at. Wrestlers like Savage, «Hacksaw» Jim Duggan, Greg «The Hammer» Valentine, Diesel, Sid Justice, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky «The Dragon» Steamboat, and Cactus Jack are just a small handful of wrestlers who have made personal contributions to the restaurant’s walls.
This place is bizarre. First, it’s located in Southwest Atlanta, a part of town not exactly known for it’s culinary delights. Second, the storefront, which looks like it hasn’t been updated in decades, is painted in hot pink. Third, the restaurant name literally reads, «Abdullah the Butcher House of Ribs Chinese Food.» Fourth, the inside of the restaurant has some strange furniture — clothed booths and chairs with floral patterns that look like they were taken straight from some grandparents’ living room. Fifth, the place had an unpleasant smell. I don’t know what it was (I’m guessing it was some sort of cleaning chemical?), but I didn’t like it.
Yes, this place serves not only ribs, but Chinese food too. Americanized Chinese food. Sweet & sour chicken, teriyaki chicken (which isn’t even Chinese — it’s Japanese), Kung Pao chicken, etc. The Chinese food was priced at $ 7.49 to $ 7.99 per dish. I didn’t try any, but I’m willing to bet it’s no better than mall food court Chinese (e.g. Panda Express). One of the Chinese menu items is «Abdullah’s Favorite.» I wonder what’s in it!
Our small group of Unilocalers ordered BBQ and shared, so I got to try a good sampling of what they had to offer. The BBQ dinner plates cost between $ 6.99 to $ 9.99 and include a meat, 2 veggies, and bread. They also have wings, fries, catfish, and shrimp. Here’s what we tried:
Meats:
10-​piece spicy Buffalo wings
½ slab of ribs
Rib tips
Sides:
Mac & cheese
Collard greens
Turnip greens
Coleslaw
Fries
White bread
Cornbread
I don’t want to say it, mainly because I don’t want Abdullah himself to read this review and hunt me down with a fork, but the food was pretty bad. I think the only passable item was the Buffalo wings and even they were akin to eating bagged Tyson frozen wings from Sam’s Club. The ½ slab of ribs and rip tips were tough, particularly the rib tips. The rib tips were *extremely* tough and chewy. They were almost inedible. Do not order!
As one of my tablemates mentioned, the mac & cheese was akin to Kraft mac & cheese. The collard greens, turnip greens, and slaw were not good. They were soggy, mushy, and unfresh. I grabbed a large squeeze bottle of pepper sauce (vinegar and jalapenos) from the front for the greens, but it didn’t help much. I don’t know how old that bottle was, but by the looks of it, I was brave to try it. The counter also had hot sauce, mustard, and other condiments.
The cornbread was super dry and brittle. It crumbled apart way too easily. No good.
The men’s restroom was out of soap, but there was some comforting news: the restaurant scored a 97 on its latest health safety inspection!
The House of Ribs has 2 old school TVs, one of which is big screen TV. Both are fed by an antenna feed. The big screen TV is definitely nearing the end of its days as the image on the screen is distorted.
Service was great. The staff member working the counter was friendly and seemed appreciative of our business. The store actually got a decent trickle of customers throughout the evening. Mostly take-​out orders. I saw one gentleman laying out all of his change at the counter and counting it up. He paid completely in coins.
I would give this place 1 star for the horrendous food, funky smell, and overall sketchy vibe, but I’m adding an additional star for good service and Abdullah’s pro wrestling novelty and nostalgia.

i had a very precious opportunity to visit this restaurant in an underdeveloped area of Atlanta by my self one afternoon. It was 3:30pm and there was one Korean couple in the restaurant beside me, total 3 customers. The cashier man was the son of Mr. Butcher. He is very polite and he had Mr. Butcher’s eyes. I ordered a Chinese dish and while I was eating, Mr. Butcher arrived in the parking lot. I went out and met him for the first time although I have seen him on TV so many times when I was a kid in Japan. First thing he said was, «Is your family okay in Japan? How are people doing in Japan after the earthquake?» He was a very soft spoken and gentle person to my surprise. The Chinese food, was okay, but the hospitality of both the son of Mr. Butcher and and Mr. Butcher himself was very impressive. Next time I am in Atlanta, I will go back there and try their barbecue rib.

Love this place. I have been going there for years though it’s pretty far from my house. Anytime I find myself remotely close, I make a special trip.
I cannot speak to many dishes because I always get the same meal. Rib tips, candied yams, collard greens and cornbread. The sauce is so delish and the candied yams have just right sweetness. And the collards? Perfect. I have not been disappointed yet. The portions are huge and the seasoning is just right.
One day the hubster stepped out and ordered some shrimp fried rice. It was pretty standard. Not bad, but not spectacular. It kind of reminded us of any typical Chinese take-​out. The listing above says they do take credit cares, but I’ve never known them to do this. So maybe to take cash just in case.
This is one of my favs.

I’ve recently heard of Abdullah The Butcher House of Ribs and since it was close, got some carry out. I was surprised by how unseasoned everything was. The ribs and, most notably, the rib tips were very fatty. Even the chicken had a vague hickory taste but no real seasoning.
On a positive note, their baked beans and cornbread are tasty. But they need some work on the macaroni & cheese. And their barbecue sauce is pretty pedestrian.
I’ve had better experience buying cooked ribs from Kroger and doctoring them up a bit. Disappointed to say the least.

My brother and I made a very deliberate, kind of out of the way, pit stop to see Abdullah. I’ve been an Abdullah fan since I was a wee lad. Images of this gladiator forking his opponents are ingrained in my psyche. Mmmmmmm.. . appetizing.
I knew this was Abdullah’s restaurant, but I was not expecting him to be seated near the door greeting people as they come in. I was mesmerized. My brother and I quietly ordered the daily special from the buffet. The special comes with with your choice of two meats and three sides I believe.
I’ll be honest. Witnessing the «Man from the Sudan» sitting a few feet away from us severely impaired from being a good judge of the food. Like I said, the special is served buffet style. I thought it was a little cold, but l was too star-​struck to really care.
The flavor of the food (despite the temperature), however, was pretty rockin’ to this traveling duo. The meats were nice and flavorful and the sides good. Of special note – were the collard greens. The cold food issue, however, is unfortunate. I’m more likely to order from the menu next time.
But yes.. . so I keep staring and quietly say to my brother (who is a fair bit younger than me), «that’s him.» Instant shock and he became equally entranced. Now we are both staring. I get up to get napkins, still staring. Abdullah addresses me. Next thing I know, we’re taking photos with the legend and he’s got my brother in a headlock. Now that’s service!
Anyway – if you are a fan of Abdullah, this isn’t a place you’ll want to miss if you’re near. My next visit, will yield a better review of the food. Of course, I’m not sure a bad review is a good idea – you could get forked!

I loved the Pro Wrestling memorabilia. I was a pro wrestling geek for a long time. I’ve grown out of it, but I do like to go back to the old times. It was kinda scary I could recognize almost all the wrestlers’ photos on the walls.
The food here isn’t great. It’s your typical greasy Chinese food and ribs. The main attraction is to meet the Madman from the Sudan, Abdullah the Butcher. But he was never there when I went there. :(I wanted to take a picture with him with him digging a fork into my forehead. Oh well.
If Abdullah isn’t there, then all you’re left is mediocre food. At least the wrestling memorabilia is cool. But I don’t think I’ll be going back soon. It is out of the way and the food isn’t good enough to try to catch Mr Butcher the chance he’s there.
2 stars for the food +.5 for the nostalgic Wrestling stuff for the old Wrestling geek.