Now that my stepbrother and his family live in the Atlanta area, I not only get to see them more often, but I also get to Atlanta a lot more often, and one of the upsides of that is that I get to try some great new restaurants from time to time, like the oddly-named Seven Lamps in the trendy Lenox area of Buckhead. Seven Lamps is a hip restaurant and bar featuring “new cuisine” and innovative cocktails, but what lured me to the spot was something of a secret, although a not-so-very well-kept one, namely a delectable burger called the 50/50 Burger that isn’t even on the menu. The 50/50 burger is half beef brisket and half ground round, served on brioche with pancetta and grilled cheese, and usually comes with Thousand Island dressing and pickles, all made in-house. I’m not a fan of pickles nor salad dressing, so I dispensed with them, but the burger was amazing, probably among the 5 best I’ve had in my life, cooked over a wood fire and precisely to my “medium rare” order. It came with cottage fries, which were unique and extremely good, crusty on the outside and as soft as mashed potatoes inside, coated with a cayenne-based dry rub. Both came together at $10, making it the best bargain in what is not an inexpensive restaurant. While Seven Lamps has a selection of desserts, I was more impressed by their offering of espresso-based drinks and their use of Atlanta’s superb Dancing Goats Coffee from Batdorf and Bronson. I must conclude by pointing out that the service was extremely attentive and prompt, and that the atmosphere, while noisy, was warm and cheerful. All in all, I left full and contented.
Seven Lamps
3400 Around Lenox Rd
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 467-8950