Hi-ho, the derry-o - Farm Burger

Yep, another burger place in Atlanta. Did they not get the memo that Atlanta is saturated (poly, mono and trans) with burger joints - and not just average ones. If there was one thing Atlanta didn't need, it was another burger spot. Oh, but wait, Farm Burger is in Decatur proper not Atlanta! Because Cozy Burger Town didn't just open in Decatur along with Wonderful World Burgers & More last year. Oh, and Leon's up the street also serves a grass fed burger (although it sucks). But these ballsy "farm to table" entrepreneurs had to do it. And so, we poured in on their opening day like the happy little grass-fed cattle that we feasted on this evening.

Clearly from their title, it becomes clear what Farm Burger's mission is. They are locally sourcing their meat, produce and for the most part, any product they can. They grind their own meat. Sustainability is of the utmost importance and they even focus on the material they use to serve and wrap their product. They are no strangers to this sort of operation since their parent company is Farm 255 of Athens. Props to them for their efforts in making a better product and environment. On to the food.

The #1 featuring smoked white cheddar, caramelized onions, fb sauce, and bacon ($2 extra)

The burgers here are good, but hardly cheap. Pricing is surprisingly similar to that of Flip's which is kind of disappointing considering the amount of thought and prep that goes into Flip's burgers. Farm's topping list is extensive with common (and free) items and more unique and $2 extra ones (oxtail marmalade and brisket chili). The patties are thicker than Grindhouse and H&F but sadly, are still cooked medium-well. You can certainly taste the grass-fed qualities in the beef which is closer to the gamier bison side of the spectrum than your typical ground chuck. All of the toppings I had on the #1 were quality and the star was the house-cured bacon. Thick, smokey and not overly crispy - it was a pleasant surprise.

O-rings and Fries with smoked paprika mayo

The sides of onion rings and fries were both tasty and fresh but again slightly pricey. Neither were overly greasy, like house made sides can often be and the onion rings were strikingly similar to Flip's. A combined basket of onion rings and fries was $4.50. However you can get a small order of fries with your burger for $1.50. I also opted for a root beer float featuring Albita root beer (tasty stuff). Unfortunately, the ice cream was entirely too icey and not creamy enough.

So we got two #1's at $8 each (plus $2 each for bacon), a small fry ($1.50), onion ring/fry combo ($4.50), and a float ($4). Grand total of $31. Hardly seemed fair to be honest but you have to pay a premium for quality/environmental responsibility.

How does Farm Burger compare to all of Atlanta's burger offerings? It wasn't really significantly tastier than any other options, however the farm to table and sustainable practices sure make you feel good about eating some food that isn't particularly good for you in the first place. The ingredients are surely above average in quality, but not all of them really taste that much better than the competition. Though they serve a good burger, if it was based just on taste, Farm Burger wouldn't even crack my top 5. I find it a shame that they source such good quality beef and then cook it past medium rare. So much potential flavor and juice is lost because of their temperature preparation and I find this to be the case with all the other "fast food style" burgers in Atlanta (although some patties are just entirely too thin to cook that lightly).

Looks rarer than it actually was

If you want to peruse a great article on burger terms, techniques and practices, I highly recommend this one by Adam Kuban.