Taste of the Game: Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar in Atlanta
ATLANTA — “There ain’t no party like an Ole Miss party!” While we have to wait a little bit longer until we can return to the Grove, we get to take the best party in college football on the road to Atlanta and turn it up a notch Monday for the season opener against the Louisville Cardinals.
For those Rebel faithful who have already made it to Atlanta and are wanting to get your pre-game party started early, you’re in luck! Just about 16 minutes from the city, you will find the best mix of game day from Southern soul food to libations at Virgils Gullah Kitchen in historic College Park.
If you want to feel like you’re in your Mom’s kitchen down in the Delta, back in the ‘Sip, with those sweet soul fixins’ for days, then this is the place. Unfortunately, it’s not open on Mondays, but I thought I would kick off the first Taste of the Game of the season with the Sunday Funday Edition!
As they say at Virgil’s Gullah, “COMEYAH” and bring your appetite because from noon to midnight there is plenty to choose from. One of my favorite things when selecting a “Taste of the Game” spot is it is a place where I can find all of my favorite things in one spot? For those of you who’ve had the chance to try Gullah Geechee Cusine in the Lowcountry, you are in for a treat with this menu — and you don’t have to go all the way to Charleston to get it.
I think each of us can relate to the traditions and the beauty of things passed down, especially in the South, when it comes to cuisine and that is what I love about this place.
SO let’s get to some savory selections!
If you’re not quite set on doing a full course, just nurse those libations with some savory selections from their Stawtuhs menu.
Try the gullah eggrolls: stuffed with red rice, fried cabbage & white shrimp (contains pork), talk about a lowcountry fusion of goodness that is light and fresh.
If you’re looking to go a bit bolder, then bite into some of their signature shawk bites, tender shark meat seasoned, lightly battered and fried golden. Pair that with some of their bussin cornmuffins or fried okra on the side and you are about ready to roll for the day.
Anyone who has ever tasted Gullah Geechee cuisine knows that a signature dish is always a winner. At Virigil’s, if you like sides with the main dish twist then their crab rice. Rice fried with crab meat & gullah seasonings is a great addition!
For those looking for a full savory selection, then any of their items on their “From Da Yard & Watuh are going to hit the spot especially when you pair with their ‘On Da Sides’ selection. However, I say nothing hits the spot like their fried poke chop(6oz), a pork chop seasoned, lightly battered and fried golden paired with fresh collards slow-cooked wit’ smoked turkey. Pair that with either a Sweetwater 420 if you’re going for the brews, or my pick “Virgil’s Tea” (Makers Mark, lemon and mint.)
If your’re planning to make it an all day and all night at Virgil’s then you’re probably going to want a little taste of this and a little taste of that. Variety is the spice of life as they say after all. So take a look at the ‘Afta church plate.”
You can get four (4) jam up wingz, macaroni n’ cheese and greenz paired with the Veggie plate. Choose three (3) veggies and a bussin’ cornmuffin (greenz, geechie fried corn, okra soup, spinach, gullah fries, or white rice).
If you just can’t narrow it down, then the Seafood basket might be for you. In that, you’ll find “fush, shrimp, oysters n’ shawk bites seasoned and fried to perfection, served wit’ gullah fries.” It will not disappoint, especially when you wash it down with an Atlanta Easy beer.
If you need a close get away that feels like home, you can expect great prices from the menu to the libations, and most of all you’ll find savory cuisine like none other. If you feel like taking it back to your hotel or that AirBNB, well you can always order online! Don’t miss out all this low country goodness while the Rebels are on the road. If you’re around on Tuesday, then make sure to give them a try as well.
For a complete menu and more https://virgilsgullahkitchen.com/bar
3721 Main Street
College Park, GA 30337 404.228.4897
Hours: Monday – Closed
Tuesday- Thursday: 12PM -11 PM
Friday- Sunday 12PM- 12 AM
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Herring-Olvedo sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
