Have reports of the demise of the Atlanta burger craze been greatly exaggerated? Homegrown places like Flip, Grindhouse and Yeah all seem to be going strong. And the arrival of the upscale Five Napkin Burger in Midtown brings yet another interpretation.
Five Napkin, which opened in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen in 2008, now has three NYC locations, and new outposts in Boston’s Back Bay and Miami’s South Beach. Its signature burger ($14.95) is big, fat and willfully messy, with 10-ounces of griddled ground chuck, plus gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli, massed on a toasted roll. Beyond burgers, the wildly eclectic menu includes everything from matzo ball soup to sushi and steak frites.
The look: Located in the former Nickiemoto space at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and 10th Street, Five Napkin describes the build-out as “butcher shop chic.” Bright white subway tiles cover the walls. Strings of light bulbs hang next to meat hooks on a metal track that runs around the ceiling. Black leather booths, a dark wood bar, and a spacious outdoor patio offer a variety of seating options.
The scene: One sunny afternoon, the patio was the most popular place to be, as couples and lunching ladies enjoyed a cool breeze and pondered the hefty steak knives servers delivered along with the burgers. Inside, a bouncing alt-rock soundtrack helped create an energetic atmosphere, and an enthusiastic young bartender offered tastes of Atlanta Brewing's seasonal Vanilla Gorilla porter ($7).
The menu: Besides several beef burger styles, there’s also Italian turkey with melted mozzarella and spicy tomato sauce ($13.95), veggie with bread-and-butter pickles ($12.95) and ginger-marinated Ahi tuna with wasabi mayo ($16.95). Fries are included with the burgers, but you may also choose from a variety of other sides, including onion rings, avocado and tomato salad, steamed broccoli and creamed spinach.
The drinks: The bar offers 80 beers, 10 signature cocktails, 50 bottles of wine and 40 bourbons. A recent draft beer list included Wild Heaven Ode to Mercy ($7.50) and Port Hot Rocks lager ($9 ). The bottled list ranged from Miller Lite ($6) to large format Brooklyn Local One ($20). Floats and milkshakes come in new wave flavors like salted caramel.
The extras: Look for a $2 “slider happy hour” from 4-7 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close every night but Saturday. Saturday and Sunday brunch features a burger with country ham and a fried egg ($14.95), along with omelets ($13.75), Belgian waffles ($10.75) and French toast ($10.50).
Dining out
Five Napkin Burger in Midtown
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays- Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays. Brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Bar open late every night.
Starters and sides, $3.25-$9.25; burgers, $11.95-$21.50; sushi, $10.95-$15.95; salads and entrees, $12.50-$21.50; brunch, $10.50-$22.75.
990 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, 404-685-0777, www.5napkinburger.com
About the Author
