Daniel B.
Yelp
Plaza Fiesta is a bustling Latin American shopping center bounded by Buford Highway, Clairmont Road, and Dresden Drive. It's a major hub for and caters to the Hispanic community in Atlanta, particularly Central Americans. Plaza Fiesta opened in June 1999. When I first moved to Atlanta in 2000, I remember this shopping center still had several Asian businesses. Now, it's mostly Hispanic.
In the early 2000s, my parents and I would do most of our Asian grocery shopping in Atlanta at Hong Kong Supermarket, which was located in this shopping center and is now known as Fiesta Farmers Market. We also went to Happy Valley Seafood for weekend dim sum (a popular place to get dim sum in Atlanta at the time). In the coming years, both Hong Kong Supermarket and Happy Valley moved OTP (outside the perimeter) to Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross. (Hong Kong Supermarket would eventually return to Buford Highway in the form of City Farmers Market in 2015.)
These days, along with Fiesta Farmers Market, Plaza Fiesta's other anchor tenants include Ross Dress for Less and Planet Fitness. Probably the biggest draw to the shopping center is the indoor shopping mall / market which is filled with hundreds of vendors. I first visited this place in the early 2000s, but don't remember much. It took me well over a decade to revisit and I'm glad I did. Plaza Fiesta is sort of like a miniature town with all sorts of stuff to see and do. There are hundreds of vendors and you could easily spend an entire morning, afternoon, or entire day exploring them all.
The shopping mall is set up much like a flea market. It reminds me of the Pendergrass Flea Market up I-85. It's not much to look at, but it's chock-full of densely-packed merchandise, some of which you might only be able to find here. There are rows upon rows of various retailers, most renting out small stalls to sell their wares. The mall is large and can feel maze-like. There's a little bit of everything including apparel, arts & crafts, beauty supplies, bridal wear, electronics, home decor & furnishings, money transfer services, phones, shoes, and more. There's a video arcade and a sizeable indoor playground for little kids. Outside, there's a traveling funfair with amusement rides, carnival games, and more vendors.
There's even a video game shop that sells new and used games and game consoles including classic retro games. Less than a couple weeks ago, I saw this shop had four Super Nintendo Classic Editions sitting on the shelf. This is a hot item right now. I asked the employee behind the counter how much he was selling them for and he said $160 each. That was double the $79.99 MSRP. Given the flea/street market type setup, I figure prices are negotiable at several of these businesses.
For me, the biggest draw to Plaza Fiesta are the restaurants. There are two food courts filled with all sorts of authentic and delicious Mexican and other Latin American eats plus more restaurants and food vendors (e.g. ice cream, fruit, and other sweet treat sellers) located throughout the market (some more hidden than others). Some food court highlights include De Mar Cevicheria (where you can get two of the best, most filling ceviches in Atlanta for only $10), Puras Tortas (some of the best Mexican sandwiches in town), Las Recetas y Antojitos de la Abuela (formerly Las Quekas de la Abuela), and La Nortena Taqueria. I recommend grabbing an ice cream or a fruit drink/slush, like a mangonada (chamango) or chamoyada, from one of the numerous stands.
A lot of the food court vendors accept credit cards, but you should bring cash for the smaller food stands and other retailers.
Restrooms for the entire mall can be found at each food court. The bigger of the two food courts (the one with the restaurants mentioned above) has the bigger set of restrooms. You can find them around the corner from La Nortena. The smaller food court only has two single-room unisex restrooms, so a line can build quicker there.
The shopping center has plenty of parking. The parking lot on the Buford Highway side of the property is most often busy. Additional parking can be found behind the building in lots facing both Clairmont Road and Dresden Drive. The Dresden lot is the most spacious.