Iconic Atlanta Cheesesteak Shop Coming to Buckhead

Midtown’s iconic Woody’s CheeseSteaks is reportedly opening a second location this summer in Buckhead. The Philly-style cheesesteak shop and popular late-night haunt on Monroe Drive plans to call the former Sabot Shoes space on 45 Irby Avenue near the East Andrews district home, according to a report by What Now Atlanta (WNA).

Woody’s opened in 1975 on a small triangle of land between Monroe Drive and Virginia Avenue across from the Grady High School stadium near Piedmont Park. The current owner, Steven Renner, took over the shop from the original owner, David Pastoria, in 2010.

Renner, who is partnering with Woody’s operation manager Matthew Porcelli in the Buckhead venture, told WNA the new, 1400-square-foot space will include a porch and a larger kitchen which allows them to cater and provide delivery service. The partners plan to expand Buckhead’s menu beyond cheesesteaks, subs, and hot dogs. The kitchen at the original Monroe Drive location is 180-square-feet and churns out a reported 2000 sandwiches a week.

For those unfamiliar with the cheesesteak, the sandwich was supposedly created in Philadelphia during the 1930s and contains thinly-sliced steak, melted cheese, and sautéed onions stuffed in a toasted hoagie roll.

Popular orders at Woody’s include the original cheesesteak with shaved, chopped steak, sautéed onions, and a choice of white American cheese, provolone, or Cheese Whiz and the pepper and mushroom steak with shaved, chopped steak, sautéed onions, mushrooms, peppers, and cheese of choice.

Eater Atlanta has reached out to Woody’s owners for comment.

The original Woody’s CheeseSteaks, 981 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta.