The Varsity

Have to give a shout out & GIANT THANK YOU to the crew at Varsity, Concourse F. MANY delays today. STARVING after 11pm. Everyone else was closing & turned us away. This crew fed my family great chicken sandwiches. We are grateful!

I’d always wanted to try the flagship location but always seem to forget, so when I saw this mini location while waiting for a flight I just couldn’t pass it up again. I had two chili dogs and they were great, the chili has a nice consistency and taste, the dogs were fresh and had a nice snap and the rolls were freshly steamed and soft. Service was good even with the long line they were still moving pretty fast, definitely stop here for a quick bite while you wait to depart.

Figured I couldn’t go wrong with a burger but I honestly should have gotten anything else besides the varsity. Employee at the counter was barely audible as almost everyone in line had to ask her to repeat herself, and she seemed less than thrilled to have a job yet alone doing any work while she was there.
Fries were horrible… extremely salty, full of grease and limp as could be. The burger wasn’t much better, very very dry with little to no flavor… no amount of ketchup helped.
Honestly the bun was the best part of the meal.
Extremely disappointed that I just spent 12.30 for a meal that was better off just going in the trash

The Varsity is an institution in Atlanta. Unfortunately that does not translate to quality airport food. I ordered the chili cheese dog meal with fries and a drink. You get two dogs, but they are small. They add up to one good sized dog. The flavor was ok, but lacking. The buns were a little disappointing. The fries were the biggest issue. They looked crisp, but were not. They were actually just warm. The pricing is ok. It took too long for the food to come out. Nothing crazy, but certainly a pain in an airport. The staff seemed less than thrilled to be helping people as well.

Well, the food here in Atlanta wasn’t as good as I remembered it at the original Varsity during the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, but it was still very good. Perhaps I was taken too literally by a cashier when I asked for a plain Hot Dog, because I decided I didn’t feel like a Chili Dog. So, that’s what I got: a wiener and a bun – period. But my Cheeseburger was well dressed and delicious, and the naked dog good for what it was. Handcut Fries were good but not great. O’Rings were very thickly battered but tasty. And the multi-​choice Coke dispenser helped to wash everything down very well as we waited to board our connecting flight to Paris. Considering that if we wanted to eat before midnight we were captives of airport food, I was happy to encounter this Varsity!

Very disappointed that my faithful Varsity was so underwhelming. Onion rings I’ve touted as best in the world were soggy and tough. So sad…

Chili dogs not bad but the fries were terrible. Greasy and limpy. Like mine crispy. Service was friendly and as fast as one can be with one server and one cook. No ice tea since other Resturant next to them serves it.

I don’t understand the bad rap this place gets. I travel to ATL on business quite often. I never get a rental car, so I would regularly take MARTA to get to the HUGE location by Georgia Tech. Pain in the butt, but the food was always awesome. But, since this location opened I haven’t been back to the Georgia Tech location. Is this location as good? Well, it doesn’t have a giant counter where a dozen cashiers are all asking «What’ll Ya Have, What’ll Ya Have?». It doesn’t have a car hop. It doesn’t have multiple rooms either. But, the chili dogs taste as good here, the onion rings are still second to none, and (except for the time or two the machine was broken) you can get a frosted orange. It’s the perfect lunch. Love this place!

Boy, was that a disappointment!
The Varsity is an institution … but at least at the airport location, it’s not living up to its name. The burger was flaccid and sad. And the service was absolutely pitiful. I’ll give them a second star for the onion rings, which are rightly famous. But otherwise, this Varsity is junior at best.

Shell of the downtown outpost, and trails even the oddly placed joint in Kennesaw, located smack up against a mall access road and nothing else. Still, considering your limited options in an airport, this front still might be worth a go.
The fries are by far the best thing. After that, the burgers. The chili dogs just are not guaranteed to have onions available, and what is a chili dog without onions? Hell. Pure hell. Can’t really suggest the onion rings either, just too greasy to wolf down and then sit on a plane for X hours.
And we can complain about the prices and value, but again — airport. Bend over.

I only had a 1 hour layover in the ATL. And I’ve been to The Varsity in downtown Atlanta on my last visit. Had a decent but dirty and greasy last vist, but it was totally worth it.
So it was my duty to again get some of this fine dining and the convenience of having at the airport was a no-​brainer.
The fries are the same as I remember it from a couple of years past… greasy goodness. And as for the chili dog, I love how they lather that stuff with the best lard in the planet.
Over here, it’s also the convenience factor of doing it combo style, rather than individual a la carte items. I guess it’s to cater to the random passenger.

A surprising find in the F Terminal at Atlanta’s airport. Same assertive attitude when you approach the counter – «What’ll you have!».
Try the chili dog. It is tasty. Also, the cheeseburgers are good. The orange shake is the same one you will get on North Avenue in downtown Atlanta.
Pricey, but this is the airport. So everyone jacks up their prices (thanks HMS Host!
If you want some Atlanta cuisine before heading overseas, this is the spot for you.

Not impressed.
I’ve heard a lot about the Varsity from various Food and Travel Network shows and was excited to finally give them a shot.
Blah.
Oscar Meyer blows these wieners away and that is by no means a compliment. I went for the chili dog combo since I was about to get on a 8 hour flight and I like to tempt fate. The dog was lame; no flavor and no bite. The bun was too bready and not steamed. The chili on the dog was not greasy, but I almost wish it was. It would have helped. Fries were terrible too. The best thing I can say about The Varsity was that it did not give me any «troubles» on my flight. I realize that their «brash» style of service is part of their kitsch, but to me it just came across as attitude.
«What’ll you have, what’ll you have?»
Something else, next time.

The answer to «What’ll you have?» is Peach Pie. That alone is worth a pit stop here. It’s a flaky lard ridden pie pocket with ooey gooey peach pieces trying to squish their sugar bomb selves out, just eager to clog your arteries in the way you really shouldn’t but secretly like. It’s major sensory overload, kinda trippy and invigorating when you pay attention to what happens to your brain when you eat it.
Otherwise, the burger I had was decent but really greasy. The fries were a gross, limp, soggy mess. Overall, it’s airport food, you’re hungry, grease is appealing to you, so why not. Now I want to try the original Varsity.

Food quality was OK, but had to try it because the Varsity is an Atlanta institution. I enjoyed the rings and the peach pie. The chili burgers were OK. Overall I am glad y
I experienced the Varsity.

Yes, this location is not as good as the original downtown by Tech, but if you’re a Southern ex-​pat who rarely gets the opportunity to have Varsity anymore, this location is like a mother’s hug on a winter day.
The dogs are divine and the fried peach pies may be a tad greasy, but you know you like it like that. As far as airport prices, the combo meals aren’t that noticeable of a markup. The location is also marked by one of the friendliest and cleanest food courts around. Very recommended.

I’ve read some of the other reviews, and really don’t get what they’re complaining about. No, this isn’t the downtown location, and yes, it’s managed by SMS Host, so you’re not going to get the same experience you’d get downtown. And honestly, skip the burgers and just get the chili dogs. Those are absolutely heavenly! And they still have the Varsity orange soda too!
To address one commenter who didn’t like their typical «what’ll you have?» approach, this is just part of the Varsity experience. What do you want them to say, «Howdy, ya’ll, what kin I git fer ya?» But I didn’t experience any rudeness, and the service was fast. I don’t know if I just caught them on a good day, or if the other reviewers just have unrealistic expectations.
One final note: It’s not listed on the directory, but there is also a location in Terminal C now.

Don’t be lazy. Walk to the Five Guys in C terminal, heck even McDonald’s would be better than the so-​called «burger» this slop house served up.
That was my very thought too-​the moment I bit into my Gourmet Cheeseburger Combo, I wondered «WTH am I doing eating here?» This is terrible.
Service was sloooooooow, she must have been a sailor because she threw out the anchor while preparing my order.
I’m the only one to blame. I know better from going to this chain’s downtown location that this dining experience is absolutely hideous and beyond terrible.
The «burger» tasted like it was dropped in a Morton’s can of salt. The bun and patty were slider sized, small. Robbery without a gun for a $ 5.99 burger (7÷4÷13, Happy Fourth of July!!!).
Fries were good, only saving grace. But you get a bigger portion for your money with fries to share with the table at Five Guys.
HMSHost manages this franchise. Their employees need to accept counseling and retraining as they don’t offer a good customer experience.
Avoid, you’ve been warned.

A poor representative of the classic locale downtown.
The chili dogs were fair.
Negatives were no chopped onions and worse, the O rings were way over battered and plain yucky. Previous visits here yielded the same low quality, so a thumbs down review was in the bag.
If I’m going to have heartburn for the rest of the day, I’d like to make sure it was ‘worth it’ with only the best tasting chili dogs and O-​rings. This location just doesn’t measure up.
Skip to either side of this Varsity location for better food options here om Concourse F for better options.

The Varsity at the airport… auto 5 stars.