4 Way Lunch
Fred Garrison established 4 Way Lunch in 1931 when he took a sack full of meat and packages of buns to an empty old saloon at the corner of Main Street (GA 61/113) and Gilmer Street in downtown Cartersville. There, he started cooking burgers.
At the time, the Dixie Highway was a popular route, and both visitors and residents frequently stopped by for breakfast and lunch. Garrison’s son, Ernest, who grew up in the business, took over in 1972 and continued its operation until he died in 2004.
The restaurant survived racial tensions during the Civil Rights Era and a destructive fire in 1993. 4 Way Lunch is open between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It only accepts cash.
Ross’s Diner
Since 1945, Ross’ Diner has served up old-fashioned dining such as chili, steak and gravy, and hamburgers to hungry patrons who belly up to its U-shaped lunch counter.
Harold “Hal” Ross owned and operated the restaurant from 1988 until he died in 2014.
The Best of Enemies, starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell, was partially filed at the diner in June 2017.