The Dudes of Food

Holeman and Finch Public House

2277 Peachtree Road
Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30309

After our Saturday night fiasco (see Chateau de Saigon), we needed to return to the scene of the crime. The burgers were sold out long before we arrived that first night, but we were not going to be done in twice by those hungry hamburglars. Holeman and Finch Public House is known to make the best hamburger in Atlanta. However, they only create 24 masterpieces a night. We returned Sunday for a quite masculine brunch, where it was rumored that hamburgers were served in abundance.

We rolled in with our stylish grey minivan to find free parking around back in the shopping complex. This was the first victory on that mild Atlanta afternoon. Upon entering, we smelled the scent, heard the sizzle, and imagined the masterpiece that was soon to melt in our mouths. Unfortunately, however, there was no open table and a tumultuous wait. We fell once to the hamburglars, and we were not going to fall again. We swiftly sifted through the long line and entered the bar area, where we saw a group of diners paying the check. We hovered around them and, lo and behold, the Dudes of Food found a place to sit, after making only four customers quite uncomfortable. Sometimes the ends justify the means…

Consumer Hint-If there is a wait during brunch, go to the bar area and try to swipe a seat.

We quickly pulled a waitress aside and ordered three burgers. She brought us water as well. Ten minutes later, after watching what seemed like a never-ending train of burgers leave the kitchen for destinations other than ours, three burgers placed themselves in front of us.

The Holeman and Finch burger is served on a homemade, daily baked, bun. In fact everything but the cheese on the plate is homemade. The burger meat is ground fresh and seasoned to perfection before hitting the grill; it was very lean, and appeared to have around an 80-20 fat content (though this is just a guess). The cucumbers are perfectly pickled, creating a sweet crunch upon entering the pie hole. The purple onions are lightly sautéed so they retain a kick but adopt a new sweetness. Even the ketchup and mustard that accompanied the burger have a house touch. Of course, the French fries are freshly cut spuds.

What made this burger so blissful was not any single ingredient, but the amalgamation of each individual component. The proportions seemed to be the success of the dish. Every bite contained a bit of everything, but no one ingredient overpowered another. This burger was well worthy of its $11 price tag.

Want to bring a hot date to a hip place that makes you look like you know your stuff? Holeman and Finch is the way to go! Be warned, they do not accept reservations so you better arrive early if you want a burger.

We met one of the co-owners on the way out, and asked about the twenty-four burgers per night policy. She explained that above being a successful marketing strategy, she does not want her classically trained chefs to spend their nights frying burgers instead of dishing out top notch cuisine, such as their Bacon-Caramel Popcorn or their highly acclaimed Sorghum Glazed Pork Belly.

Is it worth the hassle every weekend to get this burger? Probably not. Is it a nice change of pace for a special occasion? You bet you burger craving butt it is. Though it is not an FSFW, it is a nice night out on the town, with a great ambiance and reasonable prices, especially for the quality of the food.