Cafe di Sol (Round 4)

Cafe di Sol
Andy's burger

*****

What a better way to start the best day of my life than to start off with an Andy's burger with all of its' deliciousness and then off to the Beer Fest. I also tried the cheese & truffle mac which was tasty. I was a little rushed for time so I burned my mouth shoveling in tasty cheese goodness. So I cooled off my mouth with house made limoncello. Everything I have tried there was super delicious. Whenever anyone asks my fave burger or restaurant I have to choose this one.

The Vortex Bar and Grill

The Vortex Bar and Grill
Black 'N' Spicy Burger

****.5

I'm really glad I don't live closer to the Vortex or I might be one of those people that need the side of their house removed so that they can go somewhere. I definitely would be rolling on a Rascal. I had totally planned on hitting the Vortex before the Blue Man show and jamming out on a full belly. Alas Atlanta traffic disagreed with my plans and I had enough time to park and run to meet the rest of the group at the Livingston. Time for an awesome apple cocktail and then off to the show. So my tummy was growling big time before I made it to the Vortex. It was a crowded Friday night and I squeezed up to the bar to order. I am trying to make my way through all of their burgers so I went for the Black 'N' Spicy to warm me up. Covered in Cajun spices, blackened and topped with roasted red peppers & pepperjack cheese it seemed like perfect option of spicy without being painfully hot. A side order of sweet potato fries and a granny smith Woodchuck cider rounded out my Death Row final meal wish list. The girl sitting next to me was a Vortex virgin so I gave her a few pointers. You can never go wrong with spicy, burger, sweet potatoes & apple products in some combination

Buns & Shakes

Burger & Shakes
16 Oz Round Brown

****.5

Let me start off by shouting to the rooftops about how great this restaurant is: delicious food, GREAT prices and friendly folks. I was really hesitant about coming because all the stars seem to be fated against it. I found the restaurant on Scout Mob and thought  "this sounds like just my kind of place". I punched it in the GPS and headed over only to realize I had left my purse at the last place I had been. I rushed back hitting every red light along the way and getting stuck behind a million people that decided to turn left at the last minute or without a signal. I considered just giving up and going home but had my tummy growling thinking about the burger and yummy shake options. Then I got stuck behind the street cleaning crew all the way down the street. I m so glad I persevered! First off, Sundays it is free parking on the street in front of the restaurant. It is in the midst of the Ga State campus so I am sure they get a lot of student crowd. There was tvs to watch the game and many drink options. I went straight for the big guns with the 16 oz burger and was ecstatic to see they had sweet potato fries. The BEST sweet potato fries in my life I might add! Although I thought the caramel dipping sauce was too sweet but a little bit was definitely a treat. Speaking of treats, the Snickers shake I had while waiting for my burger was full of chocolaty, chunky goodness. The burger was 2 giant 8 oz patties with crisp Romaine tucked between the buns. Very juicy and flavorful. This might just be silliness on my part but I loved the sink in the bathroom and all the record albums decorating the joint. Definitely not an "upscale" kind of place but a place to get tasty food and a fully belly. I was glad I had the Ipod set on dance playlist for the drive home to try to work off some of those calories.

Bocado

Bocado
Bocado burger stack

**

I had been looking forward to eating at Bocado as it had been mentioned in a few of the best burger lists for Atlanta. I got to the restaurant about 30 minutes after dinner started so I almost had the place to myself. It is very open and chic looking. It looks like there is a nice patio for when the weather is nicer, as well. I was very excited to see JK Scrumpy on the beer menu since I didn't think I would see it outside of the Chicago area being an organic cider product. The waiter was very nice and got excited when I told him I was doing a burger blog. He said their burger was "layers of flavor" and that people would say "if they had a better burger they couldn't remember it".  I was certainly eager to try it after the hype. On first glance I was a little disappointed because for a $12 hamburger you do expect it to look really good. I really think it tasted and looked a lot like a Whopper without the special sauce. Two very thin, greasy burgers with unmelted American cheese squares plopped atop. I actually thought the burgers were pieces of bacon when I first saw them. Also he had twisted my arm (not very hard) to get the garlic fries instead of the regular but failed to mention it was a $1 upcharge. I realize that isn't much but considering how un-garlicy they tasted I didn't think it was worth an extra $1. I definitely would go back for the atmosphere, friendly folks and JK Scrumpy but I wouldn't try the burger stacks again. I guess the stack in the name should have been a clue.

Mimi's Cafe

Mimi's Cafe
Mimi's classic burger

***.5

First off, Mimi's is a carbaholic's fantasy. We were greeted with a basket containing fresh rolls, banana bread and some other sweet, delicious bread. My friend insisted I must try the fried pickles which I still think are gross but they did look like they were done well for being fried pickles. I did really like the coleslaw, kind of sweet and peppery. The burger was very juicy and tasty. Something so nice about a burger that can be delicious without a lot of toppings. I was really glad I wasn't sitting closer to the kitchen so that I avoided the jambalaya bath when there was a big collision.  

Cafe di Sol (Round 3)

Cafe di Sol
Andy's Burger

*****

Every time I am here I am amazed by how delicious everything tastes. This time I started off with the Ropa Vieja which is slow braised shredded beef flank steak on tortillas with jalapenos, chedder cheese & chive sour cream. Delicious, I could have eaten them all night. I also tried the home made limoncello, super delicious as long as you didn't get your nose in the glass because then all I could think of was strong lemon scented cleaning products. I'd like to try something else off their menu but the burger is so delicious I don't want to miss out on it. I have a similar problem when I go to an Indian restaurant, I know what I like  and i like it so much I don't want to try anything else because I am afraid it won't taste as good. I wished I had room for dessert but the appetizer and  fries filled every space the burger wasn't occupying in my belly. I think I might end up here every month.