Slow down on fast food hamburgers. Whether you enjoy your burger old-school—ground chuck pounded into a patty with tomato, lettuce and onion—or new-wave—Kobe beef topped with foie gras or a turkey burger with avocado and sprouts on a brioche bun—have it your way at one of these Top 10 Burger Restaurants in Atlanta, presented in alphabetical order. Do you want fries with that?
Slow down on fast food hamburgers. Whether you enjoy your burger old-school—ground chuck pounded into a patty with tomato, lettuce and onion—or new-wave—Kobe... more
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1
Blue Ribbon Grill
4006 LaVista Rd., Tucker, GA 30084 / 770-491-1570
This classic neighborhood restaurant is friendly, casual, and has a great bar and personal service. The portions of down-home food, such as meatloaf, can be substantial, although a section called "Smaller offerings for smaller appetites"---and one might add at smaller prices---is offered until 6 p.m. The famous meatloaf appears not only in its original form, but also as a cold meatloaf sandwich and a meatloaf burger. Grilled salmon, not to mention hamburgers that are among the city's best, are first-rate. Homemade soups taste fine on cold days, and large salads are nicely composed. Target the salmon and crab cake Benedict for brunch. Huge desserts, such as the cobbler, provide plenty for sharing. This is mostly beer cuisine, but owner Paul Sachetti maintains a respectable offering of wines, including some that are inexpensive but worthwhile, and draft beers are available.
2
The Corner Pub
East Decatur Sq. 627 E. College Ave., Ste. D, Decatur, GA 30030 / 404-377-0603
The Corner Pub's warm and welcoming ambience makes for a super spot in which to grab a good burger, especially when you get the post-midnight munchies. Order a burger, and the waiter will ask how you want it cooked; you order it rare, and it by golly comes rare. Perch some crumbled blue cheese on top, get a little of the nice pico de gallo on the side, and savor heaven. The house salad is lovely greens with red onion slices, golden raisins, carrots and hard-boiled egg sliced on top; best dressing is the house-made vinaigrette. Main plates take the meat-and-two to a level that would satisfy a gourmet. The wine list is predictably short, but one can always get a reliably good wine to go with one's choice, unless, of course, you prefer one of the many good beers. Drafts rotate, but reach to such microbrews as Magic Hat No. 9 from Vermont and Red Seal Ale from North Coast Brewing Company in northern California. A few desserts are made in-house, and include chocolate chip cookies. In the summer, the pub actually makes ice cream in-house. For brunch, consider the "hangover hash" featuring scrambled eggs on a bed of home-fries and house-made pulled pork barbecue.
3
The Downwind
Peachtree-DeKalb Airport, 2000 Airport Rd., Chamblee, GA 30341 / 770-452-0973
With a first-rate view of airplanes taking off and landing, The Downwind is popular with families who bring kids for early dinner and some entertainment. Located in the administration building of a general aviation airport, the restaurant goes adults-only Friday nights after 7 p.m. Burgers are the primary draw---especially the mushroom-stuffed monster, now only available upon request---along with sandwiches and salads. Salmon and lots of other fresh fish are daily offerings, and are well prepared, especially the salmon. The wine list has been upgraded, but still isn't anything extraordinary. This is, after all, a beer-focused bunch. The huge outdoor deck has been enclosed, so you feel like you're outdoors without being so exposed to the elements or, frankly, the noise from all the plane activity.
4
5 Seasons Brewing
The Prado Shopping Center, 5600 Roswell Rd. NE, Ste. 21, Atlanta, GA 30342 / 404-255-5911
When Yakitori Den Chan owner Dennis Lange ditched Buckhead, he teamed up with partner-chef David Larkworthy, tapped Glenn Sprouse and Brian Buckowski to keep the brewing operation on course, and bailed out a popular but failed brewpub operation. Suds rule here, although some wine also is available, and are served at the right temperature, too, so forget getting a frosted glass. Try a sampler with your appetizer, and choose one to go with dinner. First-rate bratwurst with house-made sauerkraut is perfect with these brews. Little plates for sharing tapas-style include terrific fried blue crab fingers, served with honey mustard aïoli. The yakitori lamb chops retain their pink juiciness and flavor. And the jumbo sea scallops with orange glaze and the gorgeous fried calamari with orange-chili dipping sauce could not be improved upon. Organically raised beef makes awesome eating. But don't overlook the slightly spicy grilled ravioli with andouille sausage and crawfish tails, a page perhaps from an accidental St. Louis tradition. Tender Kobe-style beef, from a Japanese family operation in Idaho, is first-rate, and reasonably priced. The patio operates as an enclosed biergarten, but sometimes in summer may be open to let in the warm breezes.
5
The Lobby at TWELVE
TWELVE Hotel & Residence, 361 17th St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30363 / 404-961-7370
The young-and-beautiful crowd gathers around the bar literally two and three deep, waiting for a spot and talking it up with friends. Noise levels are pretty high, but in the restaurant, one still can hear at the table. Service, however, is woefully slow. Dishes range from the blah to the very satisfying. We recommend the deep-fried ginger-kissed clams, their clam flavor roaring through and perked up just enough by the touch of ginger. Tuna tartare also rates, with its accompanying creamy avocado. For mains, get the braised beef cheeks, mega-tender morsels with the merest suggestion of a Moroccan harissa-like spice, perhaps the kitchen's best dish. A hanger steak, however, is a very oddly butchered piece of meat that, although properly cooked as ordered, may have very little flavor. A good lunchtime bet is the hamburger. Breakfast offers some unique specials, and features wood-oven wraps. Our favorite enfolds robiola cheese, fried egg and arugula in a tasty two-hander.
6
McKendrick's Steak House
Park Place, 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd. Atlanta, GA 30346 / 770-512-8888
Located in a pleasant park-like shopping center across from Perimeter Mall, McKendrick's cuts its own meat, and sets a fine table, complete with white tablecloths, premium liquors and smooth waiters. The crab cakes, tempura lobster or perhaps the oysters Rockefeller make delectable openers. Don't overlook the soups, which change frequently. Corn bisque with a shrimp garnish is just one taste. Follow with a Caesar salad and then pick a Prime filet, veal chop or porterhouse steak for two. If the bone-on filet mignon is available, order it, and you'll know what filet should taste like and rarely does. Other entrées include monstrous lobsters, scallops and fish, but why pass up beef like this---Kobe included? Unless, of course, you want to sample elk or a buffalo steak (game is a seasonal addendum to the menu). For lunch, smaller steaks at smaller prices rule, but the burger, a glorious indulgence of topnotch meat, bacon and cheese, is worth a trip. Of course, everything, including potato and vegetable, is extra, even the béarnaise sauce for your steak, so bring your gold card. Desserts are first-rate, with the Key lime pie ranking as the signature choice. The wine list consists mainly of California and high-end French selections, with an emphasis on reds, of course.
7
R. Thomas Deluxe Grill
1812 Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 / 404-872-2942
The dining room is a climate-controlled patio edged in organically grown flowers and plants, personally tended to by owner Richard Thomas. The draws here are the burgers (beef from cattle raised without hormones and antibiotics), the stuffed baked potatoes and the Key lime pie. Nutritionally aware customers can choose between raw cane turbinado sugar and no-calorie herbal sweetener. Sea salt rests on the table. Specialty grain dishes, free-range chicken with a Southwestern flair, a fresh juice bar and vegan side dishes serve vegetarians and carnivores alike. Sunday brunch attracts crowds for the standout omelets. The restaurant is open 24 hours, except for 6 a.m.-9 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. But even during those hours, coffee and breakfast items are available.
8
The Righteous Room
1051 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 / 404-874-0939
This vibrant late-night joint with a welcoming, casual atmosphere and good-for-you food is an adults-only spot (it allows smoking). Twenty-somethings gather on the patio or around the bar for chit-chat and suds. While you can get a decent burger on a whole-grain bun, the place also provides good vegetarian fare, such as a homemade veggie burger that's so good even omnivores might partake. And the black-eyed pea vegetarian chili, topped with white cheddar cheese, is a standout in the genre. Everything, even the white cheddar grilled cheese on Texas toast, rises above standard. Soups are homemade and guaranteed to sustain. Eat healthy, eat late and yak it up with friends. That's The Righteous Room. Very likely unique in the city is the fact that the menu's stated prices include tax.
9
Ted's Montana Grill
1874 Peachtree Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 / 404-355-3897
Going from electronic media guru to restaurateur, Ted Turner has teamed up with George Kerrow of Longhorn Steaks to craft a chain of restaurants that gives diners the option of beef or buffalo. In so doing, Turner has found an outlet for his work energy---and his buffalo herd. The largest landowner in Montana, Turner produces organically raised bison meat for the chain, although beef is a slightly less expensive alternative and there is chicken. Nineteenth-century design features create a warm atmosphere: pressed tin ceilings, period pendant lighting, ceiling fans, silver print photos and copies of artworks in Turner's private collection of Western landscapes. Besides chicken sandwiches and burgers, the best of which is the one topped with Maytag blue cheese, dinner brings on an excellent bison pot roast or strip steak with creamy horseradish sauce. Bison chili is first-rate, too, spiced with judicious cumin. A Saturday special, bison short ribs, with mashed potatoes, are the most tender morsel ever savored. For dessert, get a malted. The menu also includes Friday crab cakes, pecan-crusted trout daily, and chop steak with brown gravy, grilled onions and mushrooms (Tuesday). So it's not all bison or bust. Other locations.
10
Vortex Bar & Grill
878 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 / 404-875-1667
The interior is a visual logjam, with goofy things of all sorts crawling the walls: airplanes, skeletons on motorcycles, old license plates and a big moose head for starters. At both locations, the big, fat, juicy burgers are the main act. If burgers aren't your thing, you'll find good chicken, fish and shrimp options plus generous deli sandwiches. Besides 25 beers on tap, you'll find more than 200 bottled beers and more than 80 single-malt Scotches. Since Atlanta's no-smoking ban requires a smoking establishment to set an age limit, both Vortex restaurants may no longer admit persons under the age of 18. Also located at 438 Moreland Ave. NE, Little Five Points, Atlanta, 404-688-1828.
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