Miss Ann's Snack Shack

My friend told me about this burger place when I was in Atlanta last summer, I didn't get a chance to check it out then, but made it my second visit.

Was able to bike around, met up with a friend and we biked down Memorial Drive to Miss Ann's Snack Shack which has been running for 35 years and is run by this woman, named Ann. Apparently she runs the whole thing herself and what makes it most apparent is the wait. I think sometimes she gets help from her brother, but he does things like cutting onions, etc.

I have been warned about waits for numerous places, but never did I imagine the wait that was about to happen.

We arrived, locked our bikes up to a flimsy fence which served as a border between us and a running/gasping/barking rottweiler who casually lifted it's leg to pee once it realised we were not going in to his lot, but still a casual reminder of whose territory it was.

Miss Ann's place looks fairly big from the outside until you realise that there is a whole patio blocked in with screen windows for the stifling hot summers.

But today is cold.

There were 8 people ahead of us and there are only 8 seats as the place is set up like a bar, like a counter. As we walked up, we thought we had to give our names like you would normally do at a restaurant, so we walked in and Ann yelled at us to get out and 'what were we thinking' there were people ahead of us, we turned around and walked out meeting the folks standing outside waiting with smiles.

So we took a seat on the plastic chairs and waited, then we came to the conclusion that maybe she might not take debit or credit, our inclination was right. My friend went to get money while I stayed and guarded our spot.


He came back half hour later, by then we had been waiting for an hour and a half.

The people who were in front of us mostly got in and the two people who made it in first still hadn't eaten yet.

There was a sprinkling of folks who were obviously regulars waiting in their cars or in the patio with us. A few people mentioned that they usually don't wait this long, one person tried to get in front of everyone until Ann told him where to go so he left. Some of us tried to figure out what the difference between the ghetto burger and the hood burger - no conclusion yet...

Finally, we got in two hours after arrival and that uncomfortable feeling crept up on me that I had to use the bathroom, They said there wasn't one there, so I walked to three different gas stations looking for a toilet and no one would let me use them.

I came back and she still hadn't taken orders yet.

I made a comment under my breath on how 'i am spending money there, they should at least let me use their toilet'

Ann's brother decided to let me use their toilet after he heard I still hadn't found a bathroom yet. The counter is set up so you can only enter it from one way and so when I got behind it I had to walk past all the eating customers and Ann and her brother cooking, but alas, my bladder got emptied.

When I came back and sat down that is where the fun began...or had it already?

This one man beside me was in serious doubt that I couldn't finish the ghetto burger and kept on insisting that I get the double cheeseburger. No way in hell did I wait in line just to get a cheeseburger, I wanted the ghetto burger, even though you are looked down upon for not being able to finish what you eat and wasting all that good food, I still wanted to risk it.

I ordered a ghetto burger with fries and a lemonade.

I could have just got full on the lemonade alone that was about a gallon sized drink. Your fries are served before your burger.

I ordered the ghetto burger with everything on it, it consisted of:

a bun
2 handcrafted beef patties weighing in about 1lb each topped with cheese
4 pieces of bacon that is deep fried
tomatoes
onion
lettuce
mayo, mustard, ketchup
and last, but not least - chili (which, by the way, is more beef)

I cut it in half,

Let me remind you that the Wall Street Journal has claimed this place to be one of the best burger joints in the United States.

I made sure I didn't get full on the lemonade or fries and I just started digging in. I finished the whole thing and that is when finally Miss Ann took an interest in me. She said I was the only woman she has seen in her life finish the ghetto burger - maybe one other one.

Well, I did feel proud. I really did.

I also discovered the difference between the ghetto and hood burger, the hood burger has coleslaw on it, that is it...

All in all the meat of course was delicious, but I have to say that it isn't the best burger I have had, and one thing I could say is that its missing is a sauce. I know that some burger connoisseurs may say it is all in the meat, or the toppings, but obviously it is the whole package.

The ghetto burger is big and it is hand formed and cooked fresh in front of you. That is about it, other than that I can name a few places that have tasted better.

Is Miss Ann 'crazy' or 'mean'? No, she is busy and likes things run a particular way and isn't afraid to let you know, that's all.

I heard rumours this place was closing, well, I wish Miss Ann all the best and I hope she has someone to look after her now and can rest and enjoy the next segment of her life, she is a sweet yet strong woman.

I finished my burger around 4:00 that afternoon, which means that I basically waited 3 hours for a burger. I did not have breakfast and I did not have dinner. In fact, I am not sure what I did that day except eat a burger.