Review: Eat like a local in Clarkesville, Georgia

Most people believe that the best food on the road is at those little hole-in-the-wall places where the locals eat. The A&E Grill in Clarkesville is just one of those places. No web site, no advertising, other than the simple sign on the top of the white frame building.

The Dirty Burger in all its greasy glory

One of the clues to these local secrets is the parking lot – lots of pick-ups, a few sedans and an occasional Prius parked side-by-side in the gravel lot. Inside, the baseball caps outnumber the pocketbooks 5 to 1. Between the prices and the hamburgers (which have got to be among the top ten in Georgia) you’ll know why.

The daily special is a hamburger, hotdog and fries for $5.75. A regular hamburger is just over $3 and a “dirty burger” is just over $4. When I asked what the dirty burger is, co-owner Ellen Browning told me, “Slaw, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onions. Everything we’ve got back there.” When I asked what is the secret to her fries, she gave me a down-to-earth look and said, “They’re real potatoes. We just cut ‘em and fry ‘em.”

It’s the kind of place where the tea is sweet and the desserts are home-made: banana pudding, red velvet cake, fried apple pies. Ellen and her husband Alan have been running the A&E for seven years, Monday through Friday, 11 – 3. “People said we wouldn’t last a month,” she says, smiling proudly.

The A&E is located at 4739 N. State Hwy. 115 just south of Clarkesville. No website, but if you want to make sure they’re offering banana pudding the day you’re going, give ‘em a call at 706-754-7417.

(Photo: Personal collection)

Permalink |