ANN'S SNACK BAR

He says:
Ann’s Snack Bar is the home of the Ghettoburger, a humongous double cheeseburger accompanied with grilled onions, chili, lettuce, tomatoes, and a liberal dusting of chili salt. It has a strong following, and in fact the Wall Street Journal recently named it the #1 burger in America. In my opinion, however, it doesn’t warrant such a lofty rating.

For starters, the Ghettoburger is so large that it falls apart as soon as you lift it to your mouth. Messiness when eating a burger is one thing, but entire hunks of beef and lettuce breaking apart at a touch is something else. Another problem is that the proprietor and sole cook, Ann, doesn’t ask how you want your burger cooked. She prepares them all well-done, which is a *serious* burger transgression as far as I’m concerned. There are also the excruciatingly long lines to deal with. Ann’s Snack Bar only seats eight at a time, so you’ll probably spend a good 30-60 minutes waiting on the concrete patio furniture outside. (That is if you get in, of course. The first time we arrived at Ann’s, we were turned away even though it was an hour before closing!) Finally, if you’re like Uptown Girl and don’t eat red meat, you are totally out of luck – the menu doesn’t extend beyond hamburgers and hot dogs.

This is not to say that Ann’s Snack Bar is without its charms. Ann is a gracious lady, and the bar itself screams authenticity – it’s little more than a kitchen and a long Formica counter. There aren’t any hokey road signs or sports memorabilia in this place. The burgers are pretty good, as are the fries. But they don’t compare to the offerings at Vortex or The Earl, and they’re definitely not in Bartley’s league. The best burger in America? It’s not even the best burger in Atlanta.




Ann’s Snack Bar
1615 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
404-687-9207