Main St. Deli: A Scratch-Made Hidden Gem in Buford's Historic Tannery Row
Behind the brick walls of the historic Tannery Row building in Downtown Buford, a family-run deli is turning out chopped cheese sandwiches, stacked cold cuts, and daily scratch-baked goods that locals drive across town for. It is Buford's great lunch counter, about 15 minutes from Apalachee Farms.
Lisa Harris
CLHMS, 19 Years in the Community · October 26, 2026
Main St. Deli is the kind of place regulars protect: a family-owned, scratch-made deli that started in a small storefront on East Main Street and grew into a much larger home at 554 West Main Street, inside the historic Tannery Row building in Downtown Buford. The new room gives the kitchen space to breathe, with more seating, a bigger counter, and the same daily rhythm of fresh-baked muffins, stacked sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot breakfast plates that made it a neighborhood staple.
For Apalachee Farms residents, Main St. Deli is a fifteen-minute drive that feels like a step back in time. Tannery Row was once the Bona Allen tannery, one of the largest leather tanneries in the world, and its restored brick buildings now hold an artist colony, boutique shops, and a growing row of restaurants and cafés on Buford's Historic Main Street. A lunch here pairs naturally with an afternoon of gallery browsing, antique shopping, and a walk under the string lights.
The deli counter at Main St. Deli, with the bakery case up front and sandwiches made to order behind it.
The Menu: Scratch-Made Deli Classics
Main St. Deli builds everything in-house: sandwiches stacked to order on quality bread, soups and salads made from scratch, eggs and scrambles served all day, and pastries baked fresh every morning. Prices stay refreshingly reasonable for the quality, with most sandwiches landing between $13 and $18. Below are the dishes locals keep coming back for.
The Icon
The Tannery Chopped Cheese
A seven-ounce chopped Angus beef patty seared with sweet onions, loaded with cheddar on a grilled hoagie roll, and finished with house Tannery Relish, crushed chicharrones, and a balsamic glaze. At $13.99 it is the sandwich the deli is now known for, and the reason first-timers become regulars.
The Stack
The New Yorker & Deli Classics
The New Yorker ($16.49) layers premium cold cuts and cheese tall on quality bread in the tradition of a serious deli. The French Dip ($15.49), Turkey Reuben ($14.49), and Classic Club round out a roster built on real roasted meats, house-made condiments, and generous proportions.
The Can't-Resist
The B's Favorite & Home Fry Bowl
The B's Favorite is one of the most-ordered sandwiches on the menu, and the Home Fry Bowl turns the deli's seasoned home fries into a full meal with eggs, cheese, and meat on top. Breakfast runs all day, from the City Breakfast ($15.49) to build-your-own scrambles.
The Sweet Finish
Daily Scratch-Baked Goods
Muffins, cookies, and pastries baked in-house every morning fill the bakery case at the counter. It is the first thing you see when you walk in, and the last thing you should skip before you leave.
The Tannery Chopped Cheese, the signature sandwich Main St. Deli built its name on.
Fresh muffins, cookies, and pastries baked in-house every morning.
Atmosphere & Vibe
Main St. Deli is comfortable before it is fancy, and that is exactly its charm. The Tannery Row space is bright and inviting, with the deli counter and bakery case up front, the menu of classics on the board, and the kind of easy, come-as-you-are energy that makes a twenty-minute lunch feel like a break. It is spotless, friendly, and fast: order at the counter, grab a table, and your sandwich arrives quickly, made to order.
The regulars are a telling mix: office workers from the surrounding business parks, parents with kids in tow, artists from the studios upstairs, and longtime Buford residents who remember Main Street before the Mall of Georgia ever arrived. The service is genuinely warm, the small-town hospitality you would expect from a family that put its name behind every plate.
Best for: Casual lunches, breakfast meetings, family outings on Historic Main Street, and Apalachee Farms residents who want an authentic, hand-made meal with a real sense of place.
What Makes It Special
A Historic Tannery Row Setting
The deli's new home was once the Bona Allen tannery, one of the largest leather tanneries in the world, producing saddles for Hollywood westerns. Today the restored, National Register landmark anchors Buford's Historic Main Street and its artist colony.
Family-Run & Scratch-Made
Everything is made in-house: sandwiches stacked to order, soups and salads from scratch, home fries cut and seasoned daily, and pastries baked every morning. It is the quality that earns a 4.8-star rating on TripAdvisor and a devoted following.
A Downtown Day-Trip Anchor
At 554 West Main Street, Main St. Deli sits beside the Tannery Row Artist Colony and the antique shops of Historic Downtown Buford, about 15 minutes from Apalachee Farms, making it the natural centerpiece of a Buford day trip.
Details
554 W Main St, Suite 700, Buford, GA 30518
Historic Tannery Row, Downtown Buford · ~15 min from Apalachee Farms
Hours
Monday – Saturday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Hours can vary; call ahead to confirm.
Price Range
$$ · Mid-Range · sandwiches roughly $13 – $18, breakfast plates in the mid-teens
Pro Tips
- Order the Tannery Chopped Cheese. The chopped Angus beef with sweet onions, cheddar, house Tannery Relish, and balsamic glaze on a grilled hoagie is the signature sandwich you will tell people about.
- Go for the Sunday breakfast window. Sunday hours are 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and the City Breakfast and Home Fry Bowl are among the best-kept secrets on the menu.
- Take a pastry to go. The daily baked goods go fast, so grab a muffin or cookie for the road, or order ahead through the deli's online ordering.
- Make it a Buford day. Pair lunch with the Tannery Row Artist Colony, antique shopping on Main Street, and an evening stop at one of the nearby breweries a few blocks away.
While You're There
Main St. Deli anchors a corner of Historic Downtown Buford that has quietly become one of the most charming destinations in Northeast Metro Atlanta. The Tannery Row Artist Colony fills the restored factory with working studios and galleries, antique and boutique shops line Main Street, and the string lights come on over the restaurants and cafés as the evening settles in. For Apalachee Farms residents it makes an easy, elevated outing: about 15 minutes from the gate, and a genuine taste of old Buford.
For anyone weighing a move to Apalachee Farms, a place like Main St. Deli is part of the lifestyle math: a premier golf and country-club community, top Gwinnett County schools, and a dining scene with both polish and soul, all within a short drive of home.
Thinking about buying or selling in Apalachee Farms? Lisa Harris has 19 years of experience in the community and knows every section, every market trend, and every great local restaurant. From chopped cheese sandwiches in Buford to the best listing strategy for your home, she has the local knowledge you need.