A health craze is sweeping the nation. Obsessed dieters are consuming gallons of juice, piling avocado on everything and waging wars against gluten. Considering the overall health of the United States this is definitely a good thing, but sometimes I really covet a big, greasy burger. The best place in Atlanta I’ve found to satisfy this craving is Googie Burger, located in the heart of Centennial Olympic Park.
The menu doesn’t have the same futuristic flare as the architecture. The burgers are mostly diner classics with a bit of a southern twist. Diners are offered a choice of five proteins: classic beef, grilled chicken breast, fried chicken breast, a grilled portobello mushroom cap or a hot dog.
Googie doesn’t have an option that lets you customize your own burger, but there are five ways to prepare your sandwich from a classic burger to a delightfully smokey sandwich called the “Blackened Bayou Burger” seasoned with blackening spices and served with garlic aioli, fried jalapenos, smoked gouda, lettuce, tomato and onions.
After a wait that was unexpectedly long for the size of the line, my friends and I ordered a classic Googie beef burger, a Hotlanta with grilled chicken, a South of Buffalo fried chicken sandwich and the aforementioned Blackened Bayou Burger with a beef patty. I also ordered fries dusted in “truffled parmesan delux” seasoning, fried pickles and a strawberry delight milkshake.
The burgers’ prices were reasonable, ranging from $5.95 to $6.95, but the sides were quite expensive and the milkshake was downright overpriced at $5.
There was only outdoor seating, so I grabbed one of the picnic tables and waited for my meal while enjoying the evening breeze. After about 10 minutes my order was ready and I was called up to retreive me food.
I started with the classic Googie burger, which is pretty much just that—classic. The burger came with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and Googie’s signature sauce, which I suspect is mayonnaise based and tasted similar to Zaxby’s Zax sauce. I like my burgers crisped on a flat-top grill, so I was pleased with the patty’s preparation. Also, the burger actually had color in the middle, which cannot be said for the fast food burgers at McDonald’s or Wendy’s.
One of my main qualms with some restaurant-style burgers is the bun-to-burger ratio. This wasn’t a problem at Googie. The soft potato bun seemed less like a player in the flavor profile of the sandwich and more like the binding that kept the burger together. It wasn’t, however, very aesthetically pleasing. The bun looked limp and sad, with a few grill marks, not fluffy as is characteristic of a classic burger bun. I think Googie is headed in the right direction with their buns, but they could perhaps make them fresher so they don’t look like they’ve been squeezed by people’s hands all day.
Of the specialty sandwiches my favorite was definitely the Blackened Bayou Burger. Though the blackening spices weren’t detectable, the burger achieved a high-end, smoky taste from the gouda and garlic aioli. The Hotlanta promised “piles of fries” on the sandwich, but delivered only three or four and the blue cheese slaw with which the sandwich was topped was all I could taste. Perhaps it would taste better with a beef patty, because the grilled chicken was slimy on the outside and dry on the inside. And although the South of Buffalo sandwich tasted pretty good, it was just too messy. I couldn’t take a bite without getting spicy buffalo sauce all over my plate. Additionally, an enormous wedge of iceberg lettuce topped the sandwich, which took away from the flavor.
Googie’s sides weren’t anything special given their prices. My favorite were the tangy fried pickles that, dipped in honey mustard, really were a treat, but not worth the $4 price tag. I think Googie Burger should stop trying to be fancy with “truffled parmesan delux” fries, which were way too salty and buttery, and go instead with old favorites like chili cheese fries. The regular fries (which I received free of charge because of an oversight) were fine by themselves, though. If you have the extra cash, I suggest you skip the sides and opt instead for one of Googie’s milkshakes. The strawberry delight’s intense strawberry flavor washed away any saltiness leftover from the fancy fries.
If you want to break your diet Googie is the perfect restaurant to do so. Stay away from embellished ingredients and stick to a classic burger while dipping your regular old fries in a chocolate milkshake. I promise it’s better than a juice cleanse.
