Exploring Buford Highway Farmers Market: Atlanta’s Global Grocery Destination

If you live in Atlanta—or you’re visiting and curious about the city’s food culture—Buford Highway Farmers Market is one of the most talked‑about places to shop and eat. It’s not a typical open-air farmers market; it’s a massive indoor international grocery store and food hall–style experience that happens to sit right on metro Atlanta’s most famous food corridor.

Located at 5600 Buford Highway NE, Doraville, GA 30340, just northeast of the Atlanta city limits, this market draws shoppers from all over the metro area.

What Buford Highway Farmers Market Actually Is

Despite the name, Buford Highway Farmers Market (BHFM) is best thought of as:

• A full‑scale supermarket with produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, and pantry staples
• A global market, with aisles dedicated to Latin American, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Caribbean foods
• A prepared food destination, with hot foods, a small food-court style area, and grab‑and‑go options

For Atlanta residents, it’s where you go when your regular grocery store doesn’t stock the ingredients you need—whether that’s fresh tortillas, Korean barbecue cuts, Caribbean seasonings, or Eastern European cheeses.

Location, Parking, and Getting There

Address:
Buford Highway Farmers Market
5600 Buford Highway NE
Doraville, GA 30340

Approximate area: Just outside the perimeter, north of Chamblee and south of Norcross, on the main Buford Highway corridor.

Driving and Parking

• 🌐 From I‑285: Take the Buford Highway exit and head south; the market is in a large shopping center on your right.
• 🚗 Parking: There is a large, free surface parking lot. It can get busy on weekends and evenings, so be prepared to circle a bit during peak times.

Transit Options

For those in the city:

• MARTA Rail: The closest stations are generally Doraville or Chamblee on the Gold Line.
• Bus Connections: From these stations, MARTA buses that run along Buford Highway may stop nearby. Route numbers and schedules can change, so it’s best to check MARTA service information before you go.

If you’re staying in neighborhoods like Brookhaven, Buckhead, Midtown, or Doraville, ride‑shares and short drives are common ways to get there.

What You’ll Find Inside: Layout and Key Sections

The store is large and can feel overwhelming on a first visit. Here’s a simple way to think about it:

Produce: One of the Biggest Draws

Atlanta shoppers often come specifically for the produce section, which typically includes:

• Fresh Asian greens (bok choy, choy sum, gai lan)
• Herbs like cilantro, Thai basil, mint, culantro, lemongrass
• Tropical fruits such as mangoes, jackfruit, lychees, dragon fruit, plantains, depending on season
• Large selections of peppers, roots, and tubers (yucca, taro, yams, daikon)

If your neighborhood market doesn’t have certain vegetables for a recipe from a local Buford Highway restaurant, there’s a good chance you’ll find them here.

Meat and Seafood

The meat and seafood counters are designed for shoppers who cook a wide variety of cuisines:

• Whole fish (often displayed on ice) and live or very fresh seafood
• Cuts frequently used in Korean, Chinese, Latin American, and Caribbean cooking
• Offal and specialty cuts not usually carried in standard supermarkets

If you’re new to handling whole fish or less common cuts, staff can often help with basic prep requests like cleaning or cutting.

Global Aisles by Region

One of the reasons Atlantans drive across town to Buford Highway Farmers Market is the way it segments products by region. Typical sections include:

Latin American

• Dried and canned chiles, masa, tortillas, Mexican cheeses
• Central and South American sauces, snacks, and drinks
• Frozen and fresh items for dishes common in local Latin restaurants

East & Southeast Asian

• Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino ingredients
• Noodles, rice, sauces (like soy, fish sauce, gochujang, oyster sauce)
• Seaweed, miso, pickles, frozen dumplings, and buns

Indian and South Asian

• Lentils, beans, flours (besan, atta)
• Jarred curries, spice blends, ghee, pickles
• Frozen flatbreads and snacks

Middle Eastern & Mediterranean

• Olive oils, tahini, bulgur, couscous, preserved vegetables
• Flatbreads, sweets, and pantry staples used in local Middle Eastern restaurants

Eastern European & Russian

• Pickled vegetables, sausages, smoked fish
• Buckwheat, specialty grains, preserved meats, and sweets

For Atlanta residents from different cultural backgrounds, this is often a place to find ingredients from home. For others, it’s a jumping‑off point to cook what you’ve tried at restaurants along Buford Highway or across the city.

Prepared Foods and On‑Site Eating

Although it’s primarily a grocery store, Buford Highway Farmers Market usually offers:

• A hot food bar with rotating dishes from different cuisines
• Grab‑and‑go items like sushi, dumplings, salads, and cooked meats
• A modest area where you can sit and eat what you’ve purchased

This can be especially helpful if you’re exploring the Buford Highway restaurant scene and want a quicker, more casual stop between full restaurant meals.

Tips for First‑Time Visitors from Atlanta

Because the store is large and busy, a few simple strategies can make a big difference:

1. Time Your Visit

• 🕒 Less crowded: Weekday mornings and early afternoons
• 🛒 Busiest times: Weekends, especially midday and late afternoon

If you’re coming from intown neighborhoods like Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, or Grant Park, planning around traffic and peak store hours can save time.

2. Bring a List (But Stay Flexible)

It helps to:

• Write down key ingredients, including alternate names or spellings (for example, “coriander” vs. “cilantro,” or “gai lan” vs. “Chinese broccoli”).
• Stay open to substitutions—some imported items may sell out quickly.

3. Expect Some Label Variety

You’ll see packaging in multiple languages. Many products also have English labels or shelf tags, but not all. If you’re uncertain what something is:

• Compare similar items side by side
• Look for familiar brand names or ingredients lists
• When appropriate and safe, try a small quantity first at home to see if it suits your recipe

4. Consider Food Storage and Transport

If you’re driving back into the city:

• Bring insulated bags or a small cooler for meat, seafood, and frozen foods, especially in Atlanta’s warmer months.
• Plan your route so that Buford Highway Farmers Market is your last major stop before heading home.

How Buford Highway Farmers Market Fits into Atlanta’s Food Scene

Atlanta’s reputation as a food city is closely tied to Buford Highway, a corridor that runs through Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, and beyond. Along this strip you’ll find:

• Family‑run restaurants and bakeries representing dozens of countries
• Small specialty markets and mom‑and‑pop grocery stores
• Cafés, dessert shops, and late‑night spots

Buford Highway Farmers Market plays a particular role:

• It’s a one‑stop shop for many ingredients used in Buford Highway restaurants and home kitchens around metro Atlanta.
• It offers an accessible way for people from all over the metro area—from Decatur to Sandy Springs and beyond—to cook dishes they’ve discovered while dining out in the city.
• It complements smaller neighborhood farmers markets and local producers by focusing on global variety and specialty imports, rather than solely local farm goods.

If you’re trying to understand Atlanta’s diverse food culture, spending time here—along with eating at a few nearby restaurants—provides a clear, practical look at how global influences show up in local kitchens.

Practical Things to Know Before You Go

Here are some basics to keep in mind when planning a visit:

• Payment: Typically accepts major credit/debit cards and cash.
• Bags: Bring reusable bags; like many large markets, it provides plastic bags, but reusable options are more convenient if you’re buying a lot.
• Accessibility: The store is flat and indoor, with wide aisles that can accommodate carts and mobility devices, though it can feel crowded at peak hours.
• Kids & Groups: Many Atlanta families shop here together, but if you’re bringing children, be prepared for sensory overload—bright lights, crowds, and a lot to look at.

If you’re visiting Atlanta and staying in a hotel or short‑term rental with a kitchen, a trip here can stock you with ingredients for several days, often at competitive prices compared with some intown specialty shops.

How It Compares to Other Atlanta “Farmers Markets”

In Atlanta, the term “farmers market” can refer to a few different things:

• Open‑air, seasonal markets (often on weekends) with local farms and vendors, such as neighborhood farmers markets in places like Grant Park, East Atlanta, or Peachtree Road.
• Permanent, large markets that combine vendors, small shops, and prepared foods.
• International grocery stores that use “farmers market” in their name, like Buford Highway Farmers Market.

Buford Highway Farmers Market is in the third category:

• It is not a weekly outdoor market limited to local farms.
• It does carry some domestic and local produce, but its defining feature is its international selection and supermarket‑style layout.

For Atlanta residents:

• If you want hyper‑local, farm‑direct fruits and vegetables, a neighborhood farmers market or direct‑from‑farm pickup may be more appropriate.
• If you need specialty items for global recipes, bulk rice, unique sauces, and a huge variety of produce, Buford Highway Farmers Market is often the go‑to.

Making the Most of Your Visit as an Atlantan or Visitor

To get real value out of a trip:

1. Plan around meals

   • Decide what you want to cook—maybe a dish you tried at a Buford Highway restaurant or elsewhere in Atlanta.
   • Note the ingredients that may be hard to find at your usual grocery store.

2. Explore one region at a time

   • On your first trip, you might focus on Latin American and Asian aisles.
   • On a future visit, you can dive into Eastern European or Middle Eastern sections.

3. Pair the market with nearby restaurants

   • Many people like to eat along Buford Highway, then stop by the market to buy ingredients they’ve just tasted.
   • This makes it easier to recognize items and understand how they’re used.

4. Be realistic about storage and cooking

   • Avoid over‑buying fresh produce if you’re in a smaller Atlanta apartment or hotel.
   • Start with a few new ingredients at a time so you actually use what you purchase.

Buford Highway Farmers Market is one of metro Atlanta’s most distinctive food destinations: part grocery store, part cultural experience, and a practical resource for anyone cooking international dishes at home. Whether you live in the city or are just passing through, it offers a clear window into how global flavors shape everyday eating in and around Atlanta.