May 24, 2011

On The Scene: Grindhouse Killer Burgers on Piedmont Grand Opening

Oh Lawd I love me some burgers.

A member of the Atlanta burger elite, Grindhouse Killer Burgers, opened another location on Piedmont and had their grand opening party this past Sunday. If you're familiar with the other location (I could have sworn I posted about it before, but I guess I didn't), this one is way different from a logistics and layout perspective. More like an actual restaurant, not a burger counter.

Our participation in the grand opening party consisted of eating a bunch of awesome food (below), drinking several $3 beers and watching Tongo Hiti, my new favorite polynesian-surfy-loungey band from Atlanta. There was other stuff going on and after we left there was a burger eating contest. I didn't know there was going to be one, otherwise I would have prepared appropriately. Ever since the advent of Man Vs Food I've been looking for a good food challenge.

The entire feeling and concept of Grindhouse makes me fall in love. Maybe it's my affinity for off-beat styles or the marketing professional in me that's in love with the 'brand' they've created. I love everything about this place. Even the band, it fit perfectly with the vibe. Like a juxtaposition of the 'Grindhouse' movie concept. A chill loungey band grooving along like it's a 1970's horror flick and the main characters are riding a coastal road in California on their way to a gruesome ending. But at the last second, they stop in for a delicious burger and the killer misses them completely and chooses to attack some vegetarians instead. Everything turned out better than expected for our main characters this sunny day...so, yeah, as far as the idea of Grindhouse goes, I'm sold sold sold.

Appetizer. Cheesey Poofs. Deep fried pimento cheese. Holymotherofgodilovepimentocheese. And this was deep fried. Came with a sauce, I dipped one in, and it was good. I understand how it helps cut the sheer insanity of a giant ball of fried pimento, but I liked being over the top with mine.

I got the Grindhouse Style burger  (American Cheese, Grilled Onion, Lettuce, Pickles, Grindhouse Sauce) and instead of American cheese I got...Pimento. Seriously, I love pimento cheese. My wife had the Dixie Style (fried green tomato, pimento cheese, carolina cole slaw (diablo sauce on request)) and DAMN, it was good. I pride myself on making damn fine menu choices and this time she won the non-existent, but still sort of real in my head, competition.

It's obvious care goes into the burgers from start to finish. Here's a snippet from Atlanta Magazine on how the ingredients aren't accidents, the components of the burger are all very selected:

Brounstein obsessively researched the details for his burgers. The meat, freshly ground by a small North Carolina producer and delivered every day, consists of a secret blend of chuck and brisket. The bun (“very important”) is a soft potato roll made by a Pennsylvania Dutch bakery named Martin’s. The sauces are homemade. A fancy nickel-plated grill, shiny as a mirror, ensures that the patties cook evenly without sticking.
And then they wrap it all up, halfway, like a burgeritto. The presentation makes it obvious that these burgers are churned out with more love than surburban  burger darling, 5 guys.

I am a Vortex homer, I love that place and I have eaten there way more times than I can count. I am, however, about to become a father and you can't take kiddos into Vortex. So until my kid is 18 or I choose to go to Vortex on a kidless night, Grindhouse is my new ITP burger joint. I do have plenty love for both and an appetite for them to match.


cheesey poofs OMFG CHECK THIS

Poofed Cheese guts


GRINDHOUSE STYLE

DIXIE STYLE AND SOME BANGIN O' RINGS


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