Atlanta's Blue Ribbon Burgers

Having already visited Houston’s, and liking what we saw (or more accurately, ate), we decided to check out three eateries within a mile of the West Paces Ferry and Northside Parkway location: Goldberg’s Bagel and Deli Co., OK CafÈ and JoÎl. We were hoping to find the hamburger equivalent of "Amen Corner." While they weren’t the best, we do love the area for the sheer density of good burgers.

Goldberg’s Deli: A great place known more for its deli sandwiches than its burgers. But, given that the bun is a pretty important component, we thought we should give it a try. Goldberg’s bun did indeed exceed our expectations – fresh, crisp on the outside, optimally doughy on the inside and perfectly grilled. The condiments were pretty standard – lettuce, tomato, onion – except for one unusual addition: Thousand Island Dressing. The burger was fairly juicy, but we ordered medium and got medium-well, a little overcooked for our taste. While the burgers were good, we still think there are better options. If you like pastrami though, this is may be your "happy place." We gave Goldberg’s a 6.5. (404) 266-0123

OK Cafe: With a name like OK Cafe, you can hardly accuse them of over-promising. But the burgers were better than OK; we gave them a 7 – on par with Houston’s up the street. That said, Houston’s and OK Cafe offer entirely different burgers. Houston’s are thicker and, therefore, more rare on the inside, and we love Houston’s setup with mustard, mayo, shredded lettuce and tomato. But OK Cafe burgers have a lot of flavor, a bun nearly as good as Goldberg’s, and we absolutely loved the fried pickles served with them. Ask for extras. (404) 233-2888

Joel: This was our final stop for another disappointing (and expensive) Kobe burger. We can say that Joel did get the temperature right: medium was medium, medium-rare was medium-rare, and that seems to be hard for many restaurants. The condiments were fine, but pedestrian, and the fries better than average. But the burger lacked flavor.

One additional note: If you go with a group, you might find the restaurant is B.Y.O.B – that’s bring your own bun. They ran out after five burgers, and we had six in our party. The sixth came without a bun, and an "I’m sorry" from the waiter. Joel is known for having a creative menu. Surely it could have come up with a creative substitute for a bun that would have surprised and delighted. Excluding that silliness, we gave the burgers a 6. Don’t fault the restaurant; while Kobe beef, (from special long-haired cattle in Japan) adds a lot of panache to a menu, it just doesn’t make the most flavorful burgers. (404) 233-3500

Note: One reader suggested that we also critique the French fries at each restaurant. (Don thinks his cardiologist, Dr. Lipitor, submitted that request to generate additional revenue.) We agree that fries are an important part of the burger experience, but we only comment on the fries when they are especially noteworthy, as we did with P’cheen.

I just read my first issue of Atlanta INtown and loved it.... I have to say as a fellow burger connoisseur, if you haven’t tried the burger at the East Village Grill/Raccoon Lodge, then you are missing out. The fresh cheddar is melted perfectly onto the ground angus. It’s tough to get your mouth around this sucker when it’s loaded. Their buffalo burger is also outstanding, and it’s tough to tell the difference between meats. I go every Sunday during football season to watch the games and chow down. Check it out.
Bryan Coleman, Vinings

I love Houston’s burgers and the bison burgers at Ted’s. Both places serve fresh-cut fries. When I saw your list I tried Six Feet Under, but when they wouldn’t cook it medium-rare (only medium and up), I wondered how they could qualify for the survey. I switched to scallops.
Richard Buerkle, Buckhead

We would like to suggest your burger team check out the North Highland Pub’s burgers. Both the buffalo and the beef burgers are our favorites in town.
Susy Meier and Martin Houston, Ormewood Park