COVID-19 looms large over all of our lives at the moment, requiring some major changes in the way we live. One, to my dismay, is the fact that most restaurants remain closed in Atlanta due to safety concerns for workers and customers. But do not fear. Many are open for takeout, including Bocado, which breaks up the monotony of at-home meals with delectable dishes.
Bocado is located on Howell Mill Road near 10th street. Since many of us are still not leaving our homes except for essential errands, Bocado not only offers great food but a chance to drive around, get a change of scenery and clear your head. When ordering, a customer can select food from two lunch menus depending on which day of the week you want to pick up.
Monday through Friday has a much wider array of dishes for lunch, ranging from grilled cheese to fried chicken to the staple “Bocado burger” and even tuna.
There are fewer options for lunch on Saturdays; however, there is a Saturday-only burger called the Westside Burger on the menu. If you are not hungry for lunch, you can order off the dinner menu. The dinner menu includes sides such as salad and cheeses and offers entrees such as lobster, chicken, steak and both of their burgers for the main course.
Bocado has something for everyone. However, I discovered that they truly do specialize in burgers, and as a result offer a family-style meal plan which includes four Bocado burgers, fries with all four burgers, salad and Holman and Fitch bread. This option is actually cheaper than buying three burgers by itself. My family decided to go family-style, and we dug in.
First, the salad. It was extremely large as it had to feed four people, but they kept it simple. Lettuce, cheese and dressing. It was a solid salad, but nothing to write home about. Next is the bread. My mom particularly was very excited about the Holman and Fitch Bread because apparently it is “very, very good and world famous.” I did not know about that until I tried it, and now let’s just say I understand why it is world famous.
The bread also came with a garlic dipping sauce that was not very good, so either eat the bread by itself or find a dipping sauce of your choosing; either way, it is divine. Next up are the French fries.
As any person who eats hamburgers religiously knows, these can either make or break the meal, and Bocado’s fries hit the mark. They were perfectly salted and tasted great, and I am sure they would have tasted even better if it wasn’t for the 20-minute drive home before they could be eaten.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Atlanta-famous Bocado burger. The patty is on the smaller side; however, they make up for that by making it a “stack” (double patties). It is topped with American cheese and house-made bread and butter pickles. Unfortunately, since the pickles were not dill I did not eat them, but they looked great for people who like bread and butter pickles.
You can also add bacon, which I did. I do not take the title of best burger in Atlanta lightly, as it has to contend with some high quality competition, such as Houston’s and Bobby’s (my former employer), but this one is definitely in contention. It was juicy and cooked to perfection and the condiments complemented it perfectly. All in all, Bocado offered a great meal.
One new section I am adding to my review is sanitation due to these unusual times. Bocado had all their bases covered here. You cannot go unless you order online beforehand. Once you arrive, a server in a mask and gloves asks you to roll down your car window and writes down your name. No one is allowed to leave their car.
When the food is ready, the server brings it out and places it in the backseat without touching anything, before leaving. They want to keep all their customers safe, and they do it well. I can tell you for a fact that I will be eating takeout from Bocado again, and I urge you to do the same.