No Kings, No Clowns, Just Burgers
One of the simplest and most divisive dishes on any modern American menu is the burger. Do you want it with onion, or onion rings? You want those raw, sauteed, or deep-fried? How about taking it with lettuce, but what kind? Arugula, iceberg, or spinach? How about tomatoes? Do you want heirlooms or beefsteaks or some kind of salsa? Now cheese, we’ve got provolone, swiss, American, cheddar, blue…and oh, do you want beef, bison, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or something else?
So you see where this can get tricky. In no particular order, Atlanta Eats presents a dozen burgers from a dozen restaurants that give you a punch in the patties.
Yeah! Burger – Triple B
With locations in the Westside Provisions District and Virginia-Highland, Yeah! Burger is one of the places you can take your gluten-free friends, since they offer buns from Pure Knead Gluten Free Bakery (and they’re just as delicious as the buns enjoyed by the rest of us). But how about the rest of the burger? Grass-fed, lean bison, with organic blue cheese crumbles, grilled onions, and bacon jam. Yes, bacon jam.
Moxie Burger – The Moxie
Anyone who thinks you can’t get a great burger OTP needs a kick in the buns. Moxie Burger in East Cobb serves up a burger they call The Moxie. A 6oz pattie of certified Angus ground beef, bacon, fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, and moxie sauce. What’s moxie sauce? It’s a delicious combination of “shut up” and “eat that.”
Holeman and Finch Public House – The Limited Edition
At 10pm every night, Holeman and Finch on Peachtree Road serves 24 burgers. That’s not a kind of burger, it’s a number. Two dozen burgers, made right, served until they sell out. Which is around about 10:03pm. Is it worth the effort of getting to the bar early to get your name on the list for a delicious H&F double patty cheeseburger in a house-made Holeman and Finch bun? Would it be on this list if the answer was no?
Bocado – Bocado Burger Stack
This one boasts two patties to give diners double the crunch when they bite into the burger, American cheese, house-made pickles, and fries. It’s about as good and simple as a burger ought to be, and about twice as tasty.
The Vortex Bar and Grill – Elvis Burger
So if you have plans to die young, this might be the burger to help you on your way. Ground sirloin on a sesame bun, slathered with smooth peanut butter, bacon, and fried bananas. That right there, is a hunka hunka coronary surgery waiting to happen.
Salt Factory – Steakhouse Burger
In Roswell’s Historic District, Salt Factory Pub serve up one of the best burgers you’ll find in Georgia. Made with locally sourced Brasstown Beef, and topped with pepper bacon, cheddar, an over-easy egg, crispy onions, and steak sauce, this is not a burger for the faint-hearted.
Parma Rustic Tavern – Krispy Kreme Burger
Okay, so there are a few places where you can get a Krispy Kreme burger, but you can see the Hot Doughnuts sign from this restaurant in Buford. At Parma you can look forward to a massive 8oz (that’s more than twice your recommended serving size for proteins) of Black Angus beef, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, American cheese, and BBQ sauce between a pair of Krispy Kreme original glazed.
Grindhouse Killer Burgers – Gringo Style Burger
Sure, you can make your own from scratch, but who wants to go through that decision process? Choose beef, turkey, or veggie for the pattie, and then do it Gringo Style with black bean spread, pico de gallo, avocados, jalapenos, and diablo sauce. Seriously, the veggie option is vegan friendly, so if you’re craving the all the tate with none of the scary hormones some chains still use, this is the one for you.
The EARL – Vegetarian Portabello Mushroom Burger
Okay, so we started talking cow-friendly alternatives. There might not be one better in the whole of Atlanta than the Portabello Mushroom Burger at the East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge (E.A.R.L). you get your portabello mushroom cap topped with roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, and a spread made from roasted garlic and goat cheese. There’s nothing not to love about this one.
Farm Burger – No. 3 Burger Banh Mi
Just when you thought that there weren’t any new ways to mess with the classic burger…throw some pickled carrots on there, add daikon, jalapenos, cilantro, chili mayo, and housemade pork pate, and suddenly you’ve found a new kind of burger. All locally sourced, all organic, and a beer menu with a range of selections that beats too many bars.
Heirloom Market BBQ – Cast Iron Grilled Burger
Beef from a Georgia farm takes center stage for this burger. Layers of romaine lettuce, hickory tomatoes, smoked onions, and cheddar remind you you’re not at a burger joint where they drop it on the flat top — you’re at a smoke house where the flavor of the burger is enhanced with flavors of smoked pecan, hickory, oak, or a local fruit-wood. Miss this at your peril.
Local Republic – The Bruiser
If you’ve lived in the metro area for a while you’ll know that ITP and OTP dwellers insist that dining in their neighborhood is fantastic if you just look for it. Local Republic in Lawrenceville is one of those places. Their Bruiser is a Cajun spiced blackened burger with bacon, and English stilton blue cheese. Black and blue. You see what they did there…
