The team at Chowhound has spoken—and their pick for Georgia’s best burger might not surprise locals who’ve been loyal fans for years.
GEORGIA — With all the noise surrounding trendy burger spots and viral TikTok patties, sometimes the best food still comes from your neighborhood go-to. According to a new Chowhound feature, that go-to is Hudson Grille. Yep, the Atlanta-born sports bar chain just snagged the title of “Best Burger in Georgia,” and food lovers are eating it up—literally and figuratively.
The list, timed perfectly ahead of National Hamburger Day on May 28, rounds up the top burger in every U.S. state. For Georgia, the pick isn’t a hip new food truck or some underground smashburger operation. It’s Hudson Grille, a place known more for big screens and beers—until now.
Why Hudson Grille? It’s Not Just About the Meat
There’s a certain kind of charm to Hudson Grille. It doesn’t try too hard. The decor screams game night. The vibe is casual. But their burgers? They go surprisingly hard.
A lot of people think you need a gimmick—wagyu blends, gold leaf, peanut butter slathered madness—to win best burger. Hudson Grille flips that idea on its head. Their burgers aren’t just about toppings, though they’ve got options. It’s about execution.
The patties are thick, juicy, and cooked right. Not overthought. Just good.
That seems to be what won Chowhound over. Their team focused on flavor, yes, but also on consistency, local buzz, and, as they put it, “an ability to deliver both classic and inventive builds without losing quality.”
The Breakdown: Chowhound’s Burger Research Process
Picking the best burger in a state like Georgia—where food culture runs deep—isn’t a random coin toss.
According to Chowhound’s editors, the process involved:
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Online reviews across Yelp, Google, Reddit, and niche foodie sites.
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Social media polling in local food groups.
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Taste testing by contributors with experience in the restaurant industry.
More than 80,000 burger joints exist nationwide, according to research from IBISWorld. Chowhound whittled that down to just 50 picks. That’s some tight competition.
In Georgia, plenty of names could’ve claimed the title. H&F Burger. The Vortex. Farm Burger. Even the Shake Shack crowd had its say. But in the end, Hudson Grille’s consistency across locations and their balance of traditional and creative builds won out.
Where to Find That Winning Bite
You don’t have to drive to one obscure town or wait in line for two hours behind burger influencers. Hudson Grille is accessible.
Locations stretch across metro Atlanta, including:
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Midtown
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Sandy Springs
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Downtown ATL
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Kennesaw
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Tucker
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Little 5 Points
And each location brings the same energy—big TVs, buzzy crowds, and yes, the same burger that just got national praise.
One person on Reddit said they’d “never even thought of Hudson Grille as a burger spot until now.” But after trying the signature Classic Burger with cheddar and bacon? “It’s on my weekly rotation.”
It’s not flashy, but it hits the spot.
National Hamburger Day Boosts Local Buzz
This isn’t just good press for Hudson Grille. It’s good timing, too.
National Hamburger Day lands on May 28. And like clockwork, restaurants all over Georgia are expected to roll out deals, LTOs (limited-time offers), and new menu items to catch the buzz.
But Hudson Grille has something others don’t—a top nod from Chowhound.
That kind of publicity usually translates into packed tables. It’s happened before.
In fact, restaurants named to Chowhound or Yelp’s state lists often report a 15% to 25% increase in foot traffic during the first month after the announcement. Some even have to temporarily scale back online orders to keep up.
And with Hudson Grille’s mix of regulars and new visitors, managers are bracing for a post-holiday burger boom.
What Locals Are Saying (Hint: It’s Not All Praise)
Not everyone agrees, of course.
Some online reactions have been skeptical. “It’s a sports bar. Come on,” wrote one Facebook commenter. “Best burger? That’s a stretch.”
But scroll a little further and you’ll find plenty of defenders. One X (formerly Twitter) user posted, “Hudson Grille burgers are slept on. Been telling y’all since 2019.”
Food is subjective, and burger debates are basically a national pastime. What stands out here is that Hudson Grille made the list not with a gimmick, but with solid, no-nonsense cooking.
That’s harder to argue with.
The Bigger Picture for Georgia’s Food Scene
Georgia’s been making noise lately, and not just in the burger space.
In 2024 alone, the state saw:
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6 Atlanta-area chefs nominated for James Beard Awards
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4 new restaurants featured in Bon Appétit’s “Best New” list
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A Michelin Guide expansion previewed for Southern states, with Atlanta tipped as a top contender
All that means more eyes on local eateries, more foot traffic, and—yes—more heated debates about who makes the “best” of anything.
But for now, Hudson Grille can ride high on this burger win.
