FLIIIIIPPPPPPP!

FLIP BURGER BOUTIQUE
1587 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 352.FLIP


In my search for a burger place that I hadn't tried yet, I came across Flip Burger Boutique. I checked out their website to discover that their burgers are unlike most that you find anywhere else. Not the plain, old school hamburgers or cheeseburgers that have different cheeses or you might add bacon to. The creative director of Flip, Richard Blais, has appeared on "Top Chef: Chicago" and "Iron Chef America". The menu is actually not terribly priced for what you get. Your standard burger is $6.50 and most the rest go up to $9, with the exception of the "A5", a 5.5 oz. Japanese Kobe (A5 rating) patty, foie gras (look it up if you don't know what it is), truffle butter, b&b pickles and red wine syrup, which will set you back $30! They also serve "flip" burgers which give you choices besides beef, such as pork, shrimp, wild mushroom and others. One other thing they serve are their shakes... liquid N₂ milkshakes. They have Nutella & burnt marshmallow, pistachio & white truffle, foie gras (again, look it up if you haven't yet) and I had to try the Krispy Kreme flavor. It is exactly like you would imagine a liquid donut would taste, delicious.

I chose to go with the Philly burger, topped with french onions, green peppers, ketchup and Cheese Whiz! After it came out, it was a little smaller than I had expected, but that's my fault for not reading the menu which states the beef burgers are 5.5 oz: hangar steak, brisket and short rib. I was also confused on the cheese whiz. It wasn't the fake, processed, bold yellow/orange-goo that I'm used to seeing, it was white and almost had a whipped butter-like consistency. It even melted like butter would once I started digging in. Despite the size it was excellent, and actually, looking back on it, 8 oz burgers might be that "just too big" size where you just have those last few bites left and go ahead and finish it only to regret it 10 minutes later. I did leave there with a full stomach, but not overly full. So if you're in the area, definitely check out Flip.

I will forewarn that parking might be tough, so get there early (they open at 5 for dinner) and don't expect privacy. There are only 3 booths, and two rows of tables in the center that seat four, which, if you have two in your party, could mean you'll end up sitting with two strangers. I'll probably be making future trips here to hamblog about some of the other options they have.

- Bobby!

BRICK STORE PUB
125 E. Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 687.0990


The Brick Store Pub is has been voted in this years "100 Best Bars in America" by Esquire magazine. Located in Decatur, they specialize in an extensive beer selection (excluding any of the major domestics) and have some pretty awesome food. I had yet to try the burger there in my previous trips, but I decided it was time. I ordered the Brick Burger with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato (no onions come on this Atlanta burger), cooked medium. I was amazed on how thick the burger was and once i added some of their signature spicy mustard, I put the top bun on and wasn't sure how I was going to actually go about eating the monstrosity. Well, I made it work and all I can say is "yum". It was cooked perfectly, just the right amount of cheese (not that too much cheese is a bad thing), bun toasted just right, everything was dead on. I can't give it credit for being one of the top 5 in Atlanta, but maybe in the top 10. They also offer Turkey and Veggie burgers which I'm sure are just as good if the hamburger I ate was any indicator. My only complaint about the place is sometimes it can get too crowded and it's hard to find place to sit, but it is worth it, so check it out when you're in the area!

- Bobby!

Porter Burger

The PORTER BEER BAR
1156 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0393


This weekend I finally got to try a new(ish) gastropub in town. I had heard a lot of good things about it, but just never quite made it down. So in between the an in-store performance at local record store and another show later on, the roommates and I decided to grab a bite to eat there. As you walk in there's an extremely narrow bar area which opens up in the back to a dining area. The Porter’s food menu consist of only 7 entrées, plus some appetizer and brunch options, as well as daily specials (all which give you a beer suggestion to pair with that particular dish). The beer menu on the other hand has over 200 varieties from microbrews to high-gravity Belgian ales to rare specialty beers (some with a price tag of $98 for 1.5L!).

I opted for The Porter’s Half Pound Cheeseburger, which has fresh Angus Beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, and had it cooked medium. When the food arrived, I was drooling over how appetizing it looked. I bit in, and noticed it was cooked more medium-rare, possibly even rare. I didn’t let it bother me and kept on chomping down and enjoyed every bite. I feel like The Porter could be giving other local restaurants a run for their money in “Top Burger in Atlanta” competitions.

Overall, the burger is great, they give you more than enough fries (let a friend get a salad and split your sides up), the service is...decent, but it is in Little 5 Points, so maybe that’s why, or maybe it’s due to the fact they are a new place and the beer selection is AMAZING. I definitely recommend checking it out whenever you might be in the area.

- Bobby!


EDITOR'S NOTE:
WHY IS IT THAT ALL THE BURGERS THAT BOBBY POSTS HAVE INSANE AMOUNT OF ONIONS ON IT? IS THIS AN ATLANTA THING?! WEIRD...

Hi-5, guys!

FIVE GUYS FAMOUS BURGERS AND FRIES
1253 Caroline St NE.
Atlanta, GA.
(770) 220-0992


I first heard about Five Guys when I was living in New York. Everyone at work used to go to a small place tucked down some back hallway of a nice hotel that they would call “The Burger Joint” (not sure if that was the real name or if it even had a real name. They had a small neon sign with a picture of a burger on it.). One day the new craze was “Five Guys”. I assumed a place similar to The Burger Joint, run by, well, five guys! I kept meaning to go before I moved back, but somehow never made it. After I got back, I had a few friends tell me how great Five Guys is and I was happy to know I could give it a try down south.

The menu is pretty simple:
four burger options in two sizes and a few hot dog options.
Toppings include the standards plus things such as jalapeños, green peppers, A-1 and hot sauce. I decided to get the bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, onion, green peppers and A-1. The regular size has two patties, so i can only assume the “little” size has one.

This is probably the best burger I’ve had from a nation-wide restaurant. They pride themselves on always having fresh ground beef and fresh cut potatoes that are never frozen. It was packed full of flavor and grease and was messy and just amazing. It may not look like much in the picture, but I can assure you that you’ll love it.


Some of their awards are:
ZAGAT survey rated ’01-’08
“Reader’s Choice” #1 Hamburger ’99-’08
Best Burger in Baltimore, Raleigh and Delaware

- Bobby!

Not a classic

GALAXY DINER
3320 Henderson Mill Rd.
Atlanta GA 30341


I recently moved to a new part of town giving me a chance to find new neighborhood places to eat, drink, whatever....

Well, being a Sunday after a long night, I felt the need to go check out one of the places to help make me feel a little better. One of my roommates, Kristina, and I decided to check out Galaxy Diner. As we drove up, we were surprised to see the parking lot full of classic and custom cars. Once we got in though, we saw that there was a meeting for members of a local classic and custom cars club that seems to be sponsored by the diner. The interior had pictures to decorate the walls of member's cars that had been given different awards.

Anyways, on to the food...

The menu was huge and had a good variety of dishes. Cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, breakfast, gyros, pasta, burgers and more. Because I don't think I've had a burger since the last review, I decided to go for the bacon cheeseburger (which I didn't realize until halfway through the burger that they forgot the bacon). Once it came out I noticed it was yet another place that uses the frozen patties. Already kind of a downer in my opinion, but today, it didn't matter. Overall, it was very plain. The bun tasted like it had more flavor than burger itself. I think I'd give the burger another chance due to the fact that we did get there a little before they were scheduled to close, but still let us eat since the car club meeting wasn't going to end for a little while. Next time I go, I'll be sure to follow up to see if it was a one time bad burger. Either way, there's bound to be something good with the American/Greek/Italian menu.

-Bobby!

Ann's Snack Bar

ANN'S SNACK BAR
1615 Memorial Drive
Atlanta, GA 30317


Ann's Snack Bar has been around for close to 40 years now. Somehow it took until early this year for me to even hear about it. From what I had heard it's comparable to the famous "Soup Nazi" that everyone remembers from "Seinfeld". She has rules posted that you must follow or she will get on your case. She is a sweet lady, and I did witness her getting on to a few people (one person didn't close the door behind them, another was leaning on the glass and the third talked on his cellphone).
Her 8 rules are:

Please do not...
1. Lay or lean on counter
2. Consume alcohol or smoke in snack bar
3. Sit or stand babies on counter
4. Illegally park in lot
5. Allow children to slide on rails
6. Stand at counter if seats are available
7. Curse in Snack Bar
8. No shoes - no shirt - no service

Overall, that's not too much to ask of anyone.

I had heard you can wait in line for hours before you can go inside to sit and order your food. I decided to show up around 11:15am to check this place out to hopefully avoid any long wait. I got there and there were already 4 people waiting on the patio. Once 11:30 hit, we walked in and each of us grabbed one of the eight stools at the bar and took a seat. "Miss Ann" then started at one end taking orders and once everyone's order was taken, she got to cooking. I decided to order the "World Famous Ghetto Burger". Her kitchen consist of an electric stove (not unlike one at your own home), 2 small flat top grills (one for meat, one for toasting buns), one deep fryer and a refrigerator (again, just like you have at home).

Once the food was almost ready, she served everyone their fries. She let's you season them the way you want them. She gives you salt, pepper and seasoning mix. Then you watch her build the burgers. This was a bun with ketchup, mustard, and mayo, followed by a layer of chili, then topped with 2 American cheese-covered patties with grilled onions that had been cooking on the burger for nearly the whole time the burger was cooking, and finally your bacon, lettuce and tomato. It comes to you already cut in half, served on a styrofoam plate, with a plastic fork and knife. This burger was huge, practically taking up the entire plate. I stared for a few minutes trying to figure out exactly how to eat this thing. Finally, opting for the fork and knife route. The burger was amazing, the seasoning, the juiciness, everything. I know it doesn't necessarily look fantastic, but trust me... it is.

All in all, if you're in the Atlanta area, go check it out. I'd advise getting there early or be prepared to wait in line. It's worth it. She's been rated by Citysearch as best hamburger in Atlanta in 2006 and 2007 and Best Burger in America in 2007 by the Wall Street Journal.

-Bobby!

No thanks...

THE SHIP & ANCHOR PUB
5975 Roswell Rd NE
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
(404) 256-3550
www.shipandanchorpub.com


After a long day of helping soon-to-be-roommates in our new house, I went out to The Ship & Anchor Pub to meet up with an old roommate who was in town. We decided to go there due to it's fairly small crowd, decent prices and the fact we both knew where it was and was a good halfway point for us to meet.

Having worked up an appetite, I decided to give one of their burgers a shot. I ordered what they call The Georgian, a hamburger with barbecue sauce, grilled onions and cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. First off, the onions were a little off in taste...little too sweet and soggy. They were sliding right out the back of the burger (which, i guess do to their poor quality, actually was a good thing). The burger came off as very dry and flavorless. It had that, frozen patty, taste to it as well. Possibly even pre-cooked, frozen taste. It was that or they did just overcook it. Who knows, maybe both!

I would definitely recommend avoiding the burgers, I'm sure they've got something good food-wise there, but of course you can't go wrong with the drinks and the Internet Jukebox which gives you quite a variety of music to listen to.

- Bobby!

ewwwww.......

So, a week or so ago, we had a group of guys get together for a bachelor party for our friend, Jesse. We decided to go out to eat at a well-known Atlanta restaurant, The Vortex. The Vortex has been voted in the weekly newspaper, Creative Loafing, as having the best burger in Atlanta every year since 1993. I don't know if I could agree as the BEST, but definitely top 5. Anyways, they offer a burger known as the Double Bypass burger. Everyone was trying to get someone to order it, but no one felt up for it. I decided later to avoid the $15 price tag on it and just make it at home. Maybe the actual burger wasn't as good as The Vortex, but it gave me a good idea of what this monster would taste like. The Double Bypass consists of an 8 oz. burger (your choice of a beef, bison, turkey or black bean patty. I used turkey.), 4 slices of good ol' American cheese, 4 slices of bacon and a fried egg. Oh, did I mention the bun is replaced with 2 grilled cheese sandwiches? yeah… So once this was completely done, I dove in. This thing is about 5 or 6 inches tall, so on first bite, I missed the patty all together and it tasted like a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. I continued consuming this surreal burger and it was phenomenal. So juicy, so cheesy, so bacony… so ridiculous. I did have to pace myself, as overwhelming as it was, but I made it through and finished after taking a couple of breaks. Overall, if you are very hungry, and don't plan on doing anything for at least 2 hours and are up for a challenge… this burger is for you. Maybe I should try The Luther Burger next time…

-bobby

If at all interested, the Vortex can be found at:
878 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA.
30309

OR

438 Moreland Avenue
Atlanta, GA.
30307