The Best Burger EVER!

[JasonEvans]

I just got back from lunch at Ann's Snack Bar (http://blissfulglutton.blogspot.com/2007/08/anns-snack-bar-memorial-drive.html), widely known for having the best hamburgers in the land (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117348069193432668-3Vp_rYqpZJRILUpFrHCpe4FFjVk_20080312.html?mod=tff_ main_tff_top).

I went with fellow Dukie Jonathan Ganz. We arrived at 11:05 and Ann had just taken the first batch of 8 people into the joint. We had to wait for those 8 to be done before we could go in. It took about 45 minutes. Ann came out and took our orders just before we went in. Jonathan and I both had Ghetto burgers. The Ghetto consists of 2 gigantic patties (looked like they were about a pound each before cooking), homemade chili, several slices of deep fried bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, and mustard. I got mine without cheese and onions (a mistake, the onions looked fabulous after being cooked).

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz214/JasonDukeEvans/IMG00245.jpg?t=1257367569

Just watching her heap all that meat on the griddle is enough to clog an artery. She cooks all the burgers right next to each other, constantly flipping them and mashing on the meat to get a little bit of the grease out. Wow, there is a lot of grease!!

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz214/JasonDukeEvans/IMG00247.jpg?t=1257367669

The burgers arrived and they were massive. Food is falling all over the place. Eating one of these things with a nice shirt and pants on is not a good idea. Watch out lap, here comes some meat and chili!!

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz214/JasonDukeEvans/IMG00248.jpg?t=1257367765

Most folks try to use the plastic knife and fork to chop the burger down to edible size. Not me! I picked that sucker up and opened my mouth as far as it would go. Idiot that I am, I forgot that the burger had just come off the grill seconds earlier -- it was hottt!! I let it cool for a minute and then tried again. It was hard to get the middle part in my mouth at one time but I managed to grab at it from the sides and it ended up working just fine.

Ohmygoditweasgood!! This was deserving of all the accolades and praise. The burger was a ton to eat, but I was in burger heaven. I just kept pounding it back, enjoying every bite. I would stop to sip on my lemonade or eat a few fries every now and then and look at the increasingly smaller Ghetto burger. with just a couple bites left I turned to Jonathan and told him I was sad to see the meal ending.

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz214/JasonDukeEvans/IMG00249.jpg?t=1257367899

I dunno how, but I got the whole thing down and even finished my fries. Jonathan said watching me wolf it down inspired him and he managed to eat everything but the end of his bun (he left half a plate of fries behind too).

Folks, I cannot describe how good this was. Mmmmmmmmm. My stomach still feels quite full several hours later and there has been some grumbling going on down there, but I would not do anything different. I am gonna go back to Ann's some day soon and take my sons. This is an experience and a meal not to be missed.

--Jason "any Atlanta Dukie who has not done this... get yourself to Ann's NOW!!" Evans

[aimo]

Food porn.

[rthomas]

Your arteries thank you for not eating the cheese.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Good Luck

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Whoa. I'll chug some Pepto for you.

If ever in DC, I highly recommend coming over to Arlington to try out Ray's Hell Burger.

[davekay1971]

David Kay
Mid Carolina Cardiology
Office number 704 887-4530

Just thought you might want to have this handy...:)

[Indoor66]

David Kay
Mid Carolina Cardiology
Office number 704 887-4530

Just thought you might want to have this handy...:)

Naaaah, he didn't eat the cheese! :D

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

I must be honest, you can go to almost any new york deli and get a better burger.

[juise]

I must be honest, you can go to almost any new york deli and get a better burger.

It seems odd that the Wall Street Journal would miss such an obvious fact when they wrote that story about Ann's.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I must be honest, you can go to almost any new york deli and get a better burger.

Could you taste this burger over the Internet?

[BlueDevilBaby]

Whoa. I'll chug some Pepto for you.

If ever in DC, I highly recommend coming over to Arlington to try out Ray's Hell Burger.

Try 5 Guys as well.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Could you taste this burger over the Internet?

hahahaha good one but no it's just my humble opinion

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Ymmmm! It looks like a perfect warm-up for a Carnegie Deli Woody Allen! :eek::D

Next time I'm in Atlanta, Jason, I'll give you a call and we'll go to Ann's! I'll leave off the mustard and add mushrooms! :cool:

[77devil]

Goodness gracious Jason, better take a statin.

[Jim3k]

That's disgusting.... :D I mean, who takes a digital camera to a greasy spoon and takes pix of the snarfing....???

[Indoor66]

That's disgusting.... :D

Your just jealous. :p

[-jk]

Your just jealous. :p

Argh!

-jk

[juise]

Argh!

-jk

Was that a grammar "Argh?"

[cf-62]

I must be honest, you can go to almost any new york deli and get a better burger.

Dude, that's some serious NYC-colored glasses. Over the last 10 years, I've traveled fairly extensively for my job, always searching for the best burgers. Many times, I have tried to find a good place in NYC. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a single place in New York that even comes close to places such as Joe's Cable Car (Daly City, CA), Nations Burger (Bay area), Tommy's (LA), Hap's Grill (Salisbury, NC), Snuffers (Dallas), etc.

I have had natives take me to their favorite places -- to no avail. I ask every concierge for a recommendation -- and get blank looks. If you know of a specific place where there's a great burger, I'm all ears -- because I'll be up for the Gonzaga game and want to find a burger joint in NY. But to make that statement just smacks of pure NY attitude -- without much to back it up.

[cato]

Dude, that's some serious NYC-colored glasses. Over the last 10 years, I've traveled fairly extensively for my job, always searching for the best burgers. Many times, I have tried to find a good place in NYC. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a single place in New York that even comes close to places such as Joe's Cable Car (Daly City, CA), Nations Burger (Bay area), Tommy's (LA), Hap's Grill (Salisbury, NC), Snuffers (Dallas), etc.

I have had natives take me to their favorite places -- to no avail. I ask every concierge for a recommendation -- and get blank looks. If you know of a specific place where there's a great burger, I'm all ears -- because I'll be up for the Gonzaga game and want to find a burger joint in NY. But to make that statement just smacks of pure NY attitude -- without much to back it up.

In other news, the sky is blue.

[Jim3k]

Your just jealous. :p

I admit I do like a good bacon cheeseburger. And my cholesterol numbers are low. :p

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I ask every concierge for a recommendation -- and get blank looks. If you know of a specific place where there's a great burger, I'm all ears -- because I'll be up for the Gonzaga game and want to find a burger joint in NY. But to make that statement just smacks of pure NY attitude -- without much to back it up.
You can get a good burger anywhere. Go to the Carnegie Deli and have the world's best pastrami sandwich instead! :cool:

[moonpie23]

was that a defibrillator on the wall near the grill?

[77devil]

You can get a good burger anywhere. Go to the Carnegie Deli and have the world's best pastrami sandwich instead! :cool:

I don't know Ozzie. I've had some great pastrami in Philly. Guess I'll have to subject myself to the hardship of testing your premise during the trips North for the preseason NIT and Gonzaga games.

[cf-62]

You can get a good burger anywhere. Go to the Carnegie Deli and have the world's best pastrami sandwich instead! :cool:

Yum Ozzie,

Now I'm drooling...

[Wheat/"/"/"]

That does look like food porn..LOL

I have a cousin that still owns Melvin's hamburgers in Elizabethtown, N.C.
Been there since at least the early 60's. Right on HWY 87 in the middle of town.

I grew up shooting pool and racking tables for a dime a game there before they did away with the pool tables in the late 70's.

Pretty famous burger in those parts, and for good reason.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

You can get a good burger anywhere. Go to the Carnegie Deli and have the world's best pastrami sandwich instead! :cool:


I don't know Ozzie. I've had some great pastrami in Philly. Guess I'll have to subject myself to the hardship of testing your premise during the trips North for the preseason NIT and Gonzaga games.
You will NOT be disappointed, I promise you that!

Yum Ozzie,

Now I'm drooling...
Me too!

[Channing]

Ann's is unbelievable!!! For anyone who wants to try, better hurry up. I think I heard that Ann's is closing in the next year or so...

[blazindw]

Anytime I'm in Durham and it's a weekday, I try to go by Wimpy's...awesome burgers. But, it's only open till 2pm M-F.

And, as a resident of the DC area, I highly recommend Five Guys and Good Stuff. I still need to check out Ray's.

[rthomas]

Next time I'm in Chandler, Arizona - this is where I plan to eat:

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

And, as a resident of the DC area, I highly recommend Five Guys and Good Stuff. I still need to check out Ray's.

Five Guys franchise expansion has been so crazy lately, that's it's likely most people won't need to travel to DC to try some.

[elvis14]

Five Guys franchise expansion has been so crazy lately, that's it's likely most people won't need to travel to DC to try some.

I had Five Guys in Raleigh for the first time last Saturday. It was great and expensive.

[77devil]

Next time I'm in Chandler, Arizona - this is where I plan to eat:

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

Only in America

[rsvman]

Why have a burger in Manhattan when you can go to Caracas Grill and get an arepa?:confused:

Best sandwich I have ever eaten anywhere, at any time, for any price.



By the way, that burger looked pretty good. I don't think I could eat it all, though.

[rsvman]

Slight correction to my earlier post. The place is called Caracas Arepa Bar.

If you're ever in Manhattan you just have to go there and check it out. It's in the East Village.

[grad_devil]

Anytime I'm in Durham and it's a weekday, I try to go by Wimpy's...awesome burgers. But, it's only open till 2pm M-F.

In grad school we'd go there and I'd order the "garbage burger". It lived up to it's name with respect to its messiness. Very delicious...

Jason -- Have you been to wimpy's? Where are wimpy's and Ann's on a scale of 1-10. Just trying to get some comparative data :)

--grad_devil

[bigj4194]

Jason,
I hate you right now. I just finished eating lunch and your pictures made me hungry again. That looks delicious. :)

[Mal]

Couple thoughts:

1. I'm jealous of Jason's experience. Makes my mouth water to see those pics.
2. If there's a better burger than Kuma's, I'd like to try it.
3. Anne's burgers look similar to Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor, which could be the best pre-football game Saturday/Sunday hangover burger of all time. I'll take a quad with cheddar, onion and fried egg on toasted kaiser roll, please.
4. Burgers are very close to jumping the shark. Every recent issue of every food magazine has an article or snippet on the latest big name chef's "new twist on America's classic contribution to world cuisine." New burgercentric restaurants are popping up every week, all claiming some groundswell of word of mouth cult following they generally don't have. The whole "recession chic"ness of the humble hamburger thing has started to get a tad overwrought, commercialized and nauseating. In my humble opinion. C'mon. It's ground beef off the grill with cheese melted on top. I love a good burger as much as the next guy, but do we really need Thomas Keller opening a burger joint?

[Channing]

Slight correction to my earlier post. The place is called Caracas Arepa Bar.

If you're ever in Manhattan you just have to go there and check it out. It's in the East Village.

x2. I stumbled upon this hole in the wall, and it is outstanding. The Arepas and Empanadas are both great.




Jason -- Have you been to wimpy's? Where are wimpy's and Ann's on a scale of 1-10. Just trying to get some comparative data :)


I can't speak for Jason, but I have been to both. IMO, Wimpy's checks in at around a 5 and Anns is a perfect 10. Dont get me wrong, Wimpy's is great, but Anns blows it out of the water.

[JasonEvans]

...but do we really need Thomas Keller opening a burger joint?

See, it says something about my palate that I thought you were talking about mildly-famous poker player Thomas "Thunder" Keller (who lost a ton of weight the past couple years so the Thunder nickname no longer works).

--Jason "http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/44684_L/Thomas-Thunder-Keller.jpg vs. http://www.pokerlistings.com/photos/profile/thomas-keller/thomas-keller-31339.jpg" Evans

[Rich]

Try 5 Guys as well.

In honor of this post I had a 5 Guys burger at lunch today in Madison, NJ. I ate at Noon. It's 4pm and I'm still full.

[juise]

Five Guys franchise expansion has been so crazy lately, that's it's likely most people won't need to travel to DC to try some.

True... we have 4 of them in the Portland (OR) metro area now. I haven't been yet, but I'd like to check it out sometime.


Mal makes an excellent point about the emphasis on burgers right now. Case in point, Portland Monthly ran a "Best Burgers" cover story this summer.

[calltheobvious]

I can't believe no one has mentioned my avatar...

[Jim3k]

I can't believe no one has mentioned my avatar...

It is an outstanding burger insofar as chain burgers are concerned. There are plenty of independents whose products are better. Maybe more expensive, too, so there is a cost-benefit analysis which must be made. I think In 'N' Out does well in that regard.

[Farlan]

Anytime I'm in Durham and it's a weekday, I try to go by Wimpy's...awesome burgers. But, it's only open till 2pm M-F.

And, as a resident of the DC area, I highly recommend Five Guys and Good Stuff. I still need to check out Ray's.

I love Wimpy's! They were recently featured on Man v. Food with their Garbage Burger.

[soccerstud2210]

I can't believe no one has mentioned my avatar...

seriously, hands down the best. especially with the fried onions! man oh man. just pure goodness!

[devildeac]

For your "obesification":

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/page/2

[OZZIE4DUKE]

For your "obesification":

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/page/2
I love Monte Christo sandwiches! I usually have one at the Plantation Deli on Hilton Head Island each year when we're down there. They serve it with strawberry jam instead of maple syrup.:cool:

[Jim3k]

I love Monte Christo sandwiches! I usually have one at the Plantation Deli on Hilton Head Island each year when we're down there. They serve it with strawberry jam instead of maple syrup.:cool:

I'm with you on the Monte Cristo sandwiches, Ozzie. Kind of hard to find these days, though. Old traditional coffee shops (like in hotels) aren't really the same as they we in the '60s and '70s. (Dayum, deep-fried club sandwiches -- with strawberry jam and powdered sugar -- just don't seem to appeal to the health-conscious any more. What do they know anyway?) :D

[soccerstud2210]

I'm with you on the Monte Cristo sandwiches, Ozzie. Kind of hard to find these days, though. Old traditional coffee shops (like in hotels) aren't really the same as they we in the '60s and '70s. (Dayum, deep-fried club sandwiches -- with strawberry jam and powdered sugar -- just don't seem to appeal to the health-conscious any more. What do they know anyway?) :D

bennigans has a really good monte too! they serve it with powder sugar too. and a raspberry sauce. and its deep fried...so so so good!

[Billy Dat]

I'm not saying it's the best burger in NYC, but if you are coming to NYC for Duke games and want to head to a landmark place, go over to Williamsburgh and Peter Luger's.

http://www.peterluger.com/brooklyn.cfm

Luger's is famous as a steakhouse, but they serve burgers ONLY AT LUNCH which is served until 3PM.

I had been to Luger's for dinner and their famous porterhouses many times, but made a point last year to finally get over there in the afternoon for the burger. I was not dissapointed.

It's not as "loaded" as the burger that launched this thread, but it is really tasty as they make them from the prime ground up steak.

In deference to full disclosure, the NY Times Frank Bruni made a pilgrimage for this burger and was dissapointed.

http://events.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/dining/18jour.html

I can say that my Luger Burger experience far exceeded his and I think it's worth hopping making the trip. Plus, you can spend some time wandering Williamsburg and observing all the hipsters in their vintage clothes and porkpie hats playing kickball.

[Channing]

for those looking for a burgre in ny:

http://www.burgerclubny.com/

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I'm not saying it's the best burger in NYC, but if you are coming to NYC for Duke games and want to head to a landmark place, go over to Williamsburgh and Peter Luger's.

http://www.peterluger.com/brooklyn.cfm

Luger's is famous as a steakhouse
Growing up in Great Neck, Peter Luger's was literally around 2 corners and down the street. Never had their lunch burger, but the steaks are excellent. http://www.peterluger.com/greatneck.cfm Can't beleive they call it their "newer" location. It was there in the 60's for sure!

But for my trip to NYC in December for the game, I'm heading to Carnegie Deli for ... pastrami! :cool::D:D:D

[Cavlaw]

There's an Irish pub around the corner from my place, which doesn't have its own kitchen so it gets food from the steakhouse two doors down. It's always nice to pay the pub price of $6-7 for a steakhouse burger that's been rated one of the top in Chicago.

[Channing]

visited Ms. Ann's for lunch this afternoon, and the ghetto burger was just as I remember it. I also took a couple pictures, will try and post later. I went with a GI resident ... it was a pretty fun dichotomy.

[dukestheheat]

David Kay
Mid Carolina Cardiology
Office number 704 887-4530

Just thought you might want to have this handy...:)

...totally hilarious! Dang, the best hamburgers in the whole world are sold at Char Grill in Raleigh, North Carolina. Second best: 5 Guys.

dth.