Ann’s Snack Bar is a local experience among the ranks of a strong drink at the Clermont Lounge or a summer rinse in Centennial Olympic’s fountains. Ever since The Wall Street Journal named Ann’s famous Ghetto Burger the “best burger in America” in 2007, foodies from across the state have flocked to this humble Kirkwood establishment. Anyone dining at Ann’s heeds the warning beforehand: don’t break Miss Ann’s rules or you’ll get kicked out. She’s an old-school Southern woman now in her sixties, and her snack bar harkens to a time when people knew better than to rest their elbows on the table or snap iPhone photos of their dinner.
Essentially the size of a trailer, Ann’s Snack Bar sits on Memorial Drive amidst a wilted row of strip malls. On the outside, there’s a hand-painted hamburger in pastel colors on a sign that reads “Home of The World Famous Ghetto Burger.” Inside, a high-top counter no wider than two feet stretches the length of the interior, lined with exactly eight red-topped stools. Customers can choose to eat in or take out, and all payment must be in cash. Typically the line stretches out the door and around the corner, but there’s usually no line for lunch on a weekday.
The infamous “rules” are painted on an old sign that looks like it’s stepped through the decades from the 1970s. Most of them are comfortingly do-able: do not lay or lean on the counter, do not consume alcohol, do not let children play on counter, do not illegally park on the lot, do not stand at the counter if seats are available, do not curse in the snack bar. The final one is a classic: “No shirt, no shoes, NO SERVICE.” The “no cell phones” rule is unspoken, but in that tiny restaurant it’s hard to be inconspicuous trying to Instagram your hamburger.
Unlike a typical diner, there is no pressure on speed at Ann’s. Sitting at the bar, you can watch the slow makings of your hamburger as the smell of grilled beef seeps into your clothing. The signature dish, the Ghetto Burger, is served on thin Styrofoam plates: two gigantic patties stacked between a sesame seed bun with layers of chili, cheese, grilled onions, crisp bacon, lettuce and tomato. Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise drip down the sides. The burgers come sliced in half, but even those halves are unwieldy, monstrous displays of gluttonous perfection.
A Ghetto Burger will cost you around $10 for a combo with fries and a drink. It will also cost you a long wait and a fair bit of intimidation as the entire staff sticks to the no-nonsense policy set by Miss Ann. But the wait, the rules and the price tag are worth the absolute deliciousness of the Ghetto Burger. Seasoned perfectly, juicy and utterly indulgent, it may have more recent competitors nationwide, but it maintains its title of best burger in Atlanta with ease.
Ann’s Snack Bar
1615 Memorial Dr. SE
404-687-9207