Dining Out Southeast: Atomic Johnny's, Gadsden, AL

Now that August has arrived, it is officially my BIRTHDAY MONTH!  And during August, it's our tradition to try new restaurants and experiment with new foods.  That's my present to you to review new places and to give you some insight into some locations that may not have made it to your culinary radar yet.

We'll begin with our lunch today right here in my own hometown.  Atomic Johnny's is located at 510 Broad Street in Historic Downtown Gadsden. Their concept is built around their "Grenades."  The Grenades being a one-of-a-kind item for the South. Their crispy french fries are piled sky-high with your choices of steak, pulled pork, grilled chicken, or seasoned ground beef and then smothered with their house-made queso. Choices of toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, sriracha mayo, Bourbon BBQ sauce, hot or mild buffalo sauce, and sour cream.  Sides offered include pico de gallo, guacamole, queso, and slaw.

As tempting as those choices are, we will save that experience for a dinner time meal.  As we reviewed the menu, we went with our standard appetizer order for a sports bar/casual restaurant type place:  fried dill pickles.  

The menu describes them as house-fried pickles served with homemade ranch dipping sauce.  $6.00.  Now we have eaten our share of fried pickles.  These were some of the best, if not THE best, we've ever had.  The slices were coated with a light, thin batter, then fried super crispy.  The ranch dipping sauce was served alongside.  My only slight critical suggestion would be to offer a half size order option for a lower price or to increase the amount of deliciousness that's in that full order basket. 

I chose The Johnny - a single patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheddar cheese.  $8.00 Served with fries or slaw.  All burgers are cooked to medium unless otherwise noted.

Let me tell you about this burger.  First of all, it was a six napkin burger.  Think about that.  Six napkins!  The burger itself was perfectly cooked, the lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp, diced onions (instead of sliced!), and a slice of cheddar. I was a little cautious of the cheddar instead of good old melty American, but it was a nice choice.  The burger was nicely seasoned with no need for additional salt and pepper. Mayo, mustard, and ketchup were provided. The fries were hot and crispy.

Sweet Harold chose The Piglet - a double order of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Sriracha mayo. $7.00 Served with fries or slaw. Well, Sweet Harold wanted both, so he ordered a side of slaw for $2.00.

Here's his review of both. The bacon was perfectly cooked and was a more than ample serving even considering the menu clearly says "double order." The Sriracha mayo added the perfect amount of heat. 

The slaw was a mixture of purple and green cabbage with LOTS of shredded carrots. He noted it was very creamy in texture.

Our server was helpful with suggestions, didn't rush us, and kept the drink orders refilled without being asked. 

Other appetizers include chips and queso, chicken tenders, and chicken wings in the following flavors:  hot, mild, lemon pepper, BBQ, or garlic Parmesan.

Sandwich options include The Mouse Trap: grilled steak, onions, bell peppers with melted provolone and Swiss cheese $10 and the You Clucking Me?:  grilled or fried chicken breast smothered in buffalo sauce, topped with grilled onions, bell peppers, lettuce, and tomato.

Burger choices include a taco version including guacamole, one topped with pulled pork, a double patty burger with Sriracha mayo, and several others.

Luckily for us, we'll be able to return soon to try our favorite combinations on the Grenades, sandwiches, and burgers!