We Got All This Food Absolutely Free
While touring this past week in Atlanta, GA, we discovered our new best friend: Scoutmob. For those of you who aren't familiar, Scoutmob is THE hub for local finds and independent makers. It's a website and mobile smartphone app that helps you discover artists, creators, and the best your city has to offer.
For musicians, touring is a catch 22. It is the lifeblood of our existence, but commonly joked as the "fastest way to burn cash". It goes with the age old saying: to make money you must spend money. Ask any touring musician—if we can break even with ticket sales, merch and donations after gas, lodging, and food are accounted for—most would consider that a success. While one cannot sustain on that level of 'success' forever, it's a necessary stepping stone in the early stages of building a career.
To combat the "food" category during our travels, we decided to peruse Scoutmob. We figured it would help us discover some local eateries while simultaneously scoring discounts. As we scrolled, we couldn't believe our luck—for lo and behold, not only were there deals, there were a whole slew of offers that were 100% off!
This is the tale of our adventure hopping around Atlanta, discovering the flavors of the city at the mere cost of the gas it took to get there.
Mo's Pizza
The deal: 1 free slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza
Rating: 4 out of 7
Comments: The pizza was pretty decent. They gave us a nice big slice (around the size you would get in NYC). We're pretty picky when it comes to pizza, so it certainly didn't come close to touching our current faves (Punch Pizza and Mafiaoza's), but was a definite step up from Domino's or Little Caesars. That being said, we'd probably pick Papa John's over Mo's. But beggars can't be choosers—and it was free!
*Side note - the lady who took our order was kind of grumpy. After we ordered she placed our cups on the counter and said, "Sit down". A bit snappy and rude :-(
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4792?ref=deal_type_pizza
Skip's Hot Dogs
The deal: 1 free Chicago style dog or chili cheese dog
Rating: 5 out of 7
Comments: The chili dog at Skip's was good as far as hot dogs go. Chili always makes a dog better, and the baked beans were a nice touch. We liked the poppyseed bun, but probably wouldn't return unless we were on a rushed lunch break—mostly because the only place we eat hot dogs are over a campfire.
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4987?ref=deal_type_hot_dogs
Good Karma Coffee
The deal: 1 free large vanilla waffle
Rating: 6 out of 7
Comments: This waffle was LEGIT...don't know what vanilla spices they put in there but it was MMM MMM GOOD! Very filling and probably gluten-free because there were a lot of gluten-free and vegan options at Good Karma Coffee. The only critique we'd give is that they charge extra for syrup, but the agave nectar wasn't a bad substitute to drizzle on the sweetness! And the lady was super nice, offering extra agave and butter at no charge. Would definitely come here for breakfast, to study or chit chat with a friend.
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/5007?ref=deal_crssl_top_1
Sugar Benders
The deal: 1 free dessert (forty desserts to choose from)
Rating: 7 out of 7
Comments: HOLY MOLY this place is wonderful! The atmosphere is quaint and adorable, with lovely customer service. The slice of cake was the best deal in our opinion (as far as the physical size of the dessert), but then again it was FREE so that's always a good value! Because the slice of cake was so HUMONGO, we decided not to use our 2 phones at once, but rather saved one for the next day. We got heath-toffee cake the first afternoon and strawberry the second. Two could definitely split a slice (cute date idea!) and with outdoor seating in the front and back, Sugar Benders is a no-brainer! If you have a birthday or wedding coming up, it would be a great place to consider ordering a cake from.
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4761?ref=deal_type_bakeries
Grecian Gyro
The deal: 1 free Grecian Wrap (10 options to choose from)
Rating: 5 out of 7
Comments: You can't really go wrong with a gyro. Gyro meat is some of the best life has to offer, and Grecian Gyro was no exception. The gyro wrap was delicious, with flavorful meat and that signature soft pita bread. Our only complaint would be the size, as it was a bit small in comparison to the one we had earlier that week at Chris Pizza House.
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4977?ref=deal_type_greek
Sufi's
The deal: 1 free order of hummus (comes with pita bread)
Rating: 6 out of 7
Comments: DISCLAIMER - we don't like hummus, so we asked our mom to review: "It was very fresh and had good flavor. The bread was some of the best pita bread I've ever had! It had a nice texture to it. The only reason I gave it a 6 is because you don't get enough bread to use all the hummus. I suppose if you sat down at the restaurant (they did look at us strange when we asked for it To-Go) they would probably refill your bread—if that's the case, I would give it a 7!"
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4827?ref=deal_type_persianiranian
The Mustard Seed
The deal: 1 free pulled pork sandwich
Rating: 7 out of 7
Comments: BEST PULLED PORK SANDWICH EVER!!!! That's what we tweeted immediately after taking a bite at the Mustard Seed. We were both a little leery about the sauce because it was mustard-based (and we don't like mustard...or so we thought) but since it came on the sandwich, we had no choice but to try it! And OMG are we glad we did. Don't think we can rave enough about how INCREDIBLE the sauce is. The meat was tender and none of our sandwiches had fatty pieces (something we've unfortunately run into with other PPS). When we ordered they said they only had two sandwiches left, but were so nice when they realized they had enough to make three so we could all have one! STELLAR SANDWICH + CUSTOMER SERVICE = WE ARE SO GOING BACK THERE WHEN WE VISIT ATLANTA NEXT TIME :-)
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4938?ref=deal_type_barbeque
Dogfather's
The deal: 1 free all the way hot dog
Rating: 5 out of 7
Comments: We stopped at Dogfather's on our way out of Atlanta, and it was the perfect bite before hitting the road! The meaty chili sauce was the best part of the dog. It reminded us of a sloppy joe. They also had fun, unique hot dogs on the menu like the "Mac Daddy" which includes mac n' cheese, bacon and gravy...we're intrigued!
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/3855?ref=deal_type_hot_dogs
Guido's Chicago Hot Dogs
The deal: 1 free Chicago dog
Rating: 5 out of 7
Comments: As luck would have it, Guido's Chicago Hot Dogs was also on our way out of Atlanta! So we stopped to get yet ANOTHER free hot dog. The customer service was great, and the guy who owned the place let us get a chili dog instead since we prefer that over a Chicago dog :-)
Link: http://scoutmob.com/atlanta/deals/4588?ref=deal_type_hot_dogs
We were having so much fun exploring Atlanta that we thought: how fun would it be to grab a couple friends and spend the day Scoutmob-ing?
Scoutmob is like having your own tour guide in an unfamiliar city. Trustworthy recommendations can be hard to come by, so it's the perfect way to find the "hits" and "misses" without it affecting your pocketbook. It's not available in all cities, so we hope more get added soon since we'll be traveling across the nation touring!
Any fellow Scoutmob-ers out there? Leave a comment or tweet us @ChasingLovely with the hashtag #MakeLifeAwesome. We want to hear about your great Scoutmob finds!
XO Taylor & Chloe
p.s. Advice to businesses: Scoutmob is a great, non-traditional form of advertisement. It will bring in customers that wouldn't normally venture into your joint. If you are offering a 100% deal to lure us in, don't choke an opportunity to win over a loyal fan by acting annoyed when we come in to redeem our deal! Unless your deal requires an additional purchase, don't look bewildered if we don't drop a penny. Never undermine the power of great customer service. That's what'll keep 'em comin' back ;-)
What we're listening to: Finest Hour by Gavin DeGraw
Photos taken by Taylor and Chloe with an iPhone 5S