With an afternoon meeting in Buckhead, and a need for lunch, the stars aligned for a visit to Bones.  Bones has been a Buckhead fixture for over 35 years and is one of the places you go for a “power lunch” in the city.  On this occasion though, I wasn’t looking for a “power lunch”, but rather for a “burger lunch”, as their house burger had recently been proclaimed as the best burger in Atlanta, by Atlanta Magazine.

Bones is a steakhouse, in the “classic” sense of the word.  And by “classic”, I don’t mean the Western Sizzlin’s and Bonanzas of my childhood.  Wood paneling, leather chairs. white tablecloths and servers in ties abound, and the service is spot on.  I appreciate a place that remembers the name on the reservation and remembers (and uses) it, throughout the meal.  “What will you have Mr. W?”  It’s a simple thing, but it always makes me feel special.  

On to the meal.   I was here for the burger, so the burger it will be. 

Eight ounces, cooked to a perfect medium rare, on a Parker House bun, topped with cheddar cheese and a tomato fresher than any you can find in the local grocery store this time of year.   This is a great, beefy burger.  I was very pleased.

The burger is typically served with onion rings, but I’m not an onion ring guy, so I went with the hash browns.  One of my fellow diners ordered the rings and there were three of them on the plate with his burger, almost the size of the burger in diameter.  Then my hash browns showed up.

The picture doesn’t provide context – this round was at least eight inches across and fried to a crispy, brown perfection, topped with sour cream and onions.  I don’t know if there is such a thing as a connoisseur of hash browns, but if there is, this should be at the “fine” end of the spectrum (Waffle House would be at the “classic” end).  There was no way that I could eat all of these myself, so I shared a few bites with my table-mates.   And when I go back for one of those “power lunches”, I may replace my side with the hash brown, and be the envy of the table.  

I see why this burger was rated highly.  There are a couple from that list that I like a little better (Miller Union and Muss & Turner), but that choice is a matter of slight degrees.