Last night, we had the pleasure of dining at the Vortex for our very first time! Even though we are long time Atlanta natives, we had never eaten here before and were obviously excited about all the hype. Rachel was our server. She was nothing but an absolute sweetheart. She gave us some awesome recommendations and really guided us through the menu with some tasty selections. We started off with the "cheese balls of glory", which was A-MAZING! They are little balls of fried cheese curd and jalepeno goodness, dipped in a spicy ranch dipping sauce.. YUM! And great to share with 5 people. Rachel also recommended the "dixie wrecked taters" and added her own little touch to them, as we had a non-red-meat-eater dining with us. I enjoyed a fantastic IPA on draft from New Realm, which is one of the newer brewery's added to ATL recently, and it was pretty freaking great! Their beer selection has lots of local brews, which is always nice! My cousin ordered the Hip-Mo-Tizer, which came in a collectible tiki mug. It was super cool and tasted fantastic. It has quite the punch! For dinner, Rachel recommended some of her favorites, which we ended up going with. The "blue shroom" and the "four horsemen" burgers, which were out of this world delicious, and a side of the fried zucchini slices (also dipped in that spicy ranch!). Overall, Rachel made sure to keep us entertained the whole time and really made us feel welcomed. It was such a cool experience and we will definitely be back for some more creations in the near future! Thanks again, Rachel! read more

I think we expected outstanding burgers and bar food. Fries were not fresh .. iced tea was so weak we sent it back. The atmosphere is fun but the food can only be described as mediocre. read more

I picked up some friends form the airport and headed over here for a late night dinner. We wouldn't see our waiter for 15-20mins at a time. One person ordered a drink and 10 mins later we still hadn't received the drink so we stopped the waiter and told them we will just take our check. She replied by saying they already pored it, which late said "I guess we can take it off the check." I had a Cajan black bean burger which had a lot do be desired and a salad (which was big and good). Other people had other types of burgers which I was told where amazing. I would go back but not order the same item. I would also plan on sitting around for a long time because it could take 30 to 45 mins for the waiter to take your order after you have been seated. read more

I'm giving Vortex just 2 stars because the hostess was quite rude and condescending, and the food and service overall was mediocre. The Hostess: We arrived at 3:30p on a weekday to have a late lunch. We were a group of 7, but 2 of our group were running ten minutes late. Vortex was practically empty, but the hostess did not want to seat us without our full party "in case there is a rush." (Which, by the way, did not happen... 3:30 on a weekday...) She did not offer us menus or a seat at the bar, but made us stand in the practically non-existent lobby and wait. When she did seat us (again, in the practically empty restaurant), she separated our group into two tables with a half wall between us. After seating us, she said "make sure everyone orders something so you don't waste my server's time." What in the world. We came to eat, we waited like you asked... We would have left, but we're very hungry by this point. The Food: I wasn't impressed. The burgers have creative toppings, but the burger itself is not well-seasoned. My burger was over-cooked. For the price ($9-12 per burger and side), I expected a much better burger. The Service (waitress): Our waitress was polite and kind, but did not know the menu. Maybe she was new, but that doesn't excuse that she could not answer any questions about the food or beer because most of it she had not tasted. Our food (for our table of 4) also took a long time to come out (possibly explaining the over-cooked burger!). Overall, very disappointing experience, and we will not be back. read more

The Vortex is a legend ..and it never disappointed. Afternoon snack, dinner or late night - this place is hopping every hour. Food is good, not crazy expensive and wait staff is usually pretty good too. read more

I've read plenty of reviews on this place and I was super excited to finally get a chance to go. I went with my boyfriend and one of my good friends. My boyfriend ordered the lemon pepper wings, my friend had the Chicken tenders and tots and I ordered the Blue 'Shroom Burger with fried Zuchinni. 1. Wings- Mediocre. I've had better at Joe's to Goes 2. didn't taste my friends tenders...but she said "It was mediocre." 3. Blue 'Shroom Burger- just "okay". the fried zuchinni was good but my mom has made better. The service was a little slow but I understood because it was a Saturday night. They have pretty specific "instructions" on their menu. It says if you want to separate the checks, let the waitress know in the beginning. I did that. But what I DID NOT know was that if you made this request, the gratuity would automatically be added in. Now, I have no problem with leaving a tip, I just want the choice if I am not with a party of 6 or more (when gratuity is automatically added in) OVERALL: I can honestly say that I will not be visiting the Vortex again. "Best Burgers"---Meh! read more

An ATL staple. Awesome give-no-fucks atmosphere, staff is funny and quirky, every time I go there I notice something new in decor (not because it is new, but because there's so much to look at). Get the ATLien drink it will rock your world and mess you up. Burgers are epic and their tots are my favorite. I love this place so much. read more

Skull and bones....not quite; just a good vege burger and tots.

Good place to grab a burger and a drink. I think the triple bypass is one of the greatest ideas in the history of man. The elvis burger is unique, although I will say that the peanut butter kind of overpowers the other ingriedents. Worth a trip though. read more

Love it. Never a disappointment. I love the Elvis and Hell's Fury burgers. Oh and we never come without having the potato salad!!! Such a fun an interesting place. read more

Yes i can definitely agree with the other reviewers... prompt service... fun atmosphere... ahhh and yes the tater toots * drolls* which can also be topped with melted cheese and jalapenos for an appetizer! also the selection is great from bison to turkey burgers!!! read more

As part of our somewhat half-hearted effort to find the best burger in Atlanta, some friends and I decided to dine at The Vortex. If you didn't already know, The Vortex is a no-nonsense, 18 and older, "official Idiot-Free Zone." Their rules include "Tip or Die," no bill splitting for parties of 5 or more, no mobile phones while engaging employees, and no rearranging furniture as if you own the place. In other words, don't be a total douchebag; otherwise, you'll be thrown out. The waitresses even offer visual reminders to be on your best behavior with their shirts that read, "Life is short. Don't be a jackass." Follow their simple guidelines, and you'll get service with a smile. So why is this burger restaurant strictly for those 18 and older? Answer: the full bar, the abundance of cigarette smoke, and the portraits of topless women and naked she-devils painted on the walls. It must be cold in their section of Hell, because the nipples on those she-devils are noticeably erect. I ordered the Coronary Bypass, which is a burger that's surprisingly similar to "The Good Morning Burger" from "The Simpsons," and so I HAD to try it. Given the description, I expected the Coronary Bypass to be dripping with oil, but it actually had a very clean presentation with no visible grease, despite the bacon strips and fried egg. BRAVO! And yes, the Coronary Bypass lived up to its name and may have shortened my lifespan! Only after I finished eating the Coronary Bypass did the gravity of the burger settle in, at which point I became uncomfortably full. That said, I did like it, though I felt the need to embellish it with spicy mustard and ketchup. Overall, I enjoyed The Vortex, but I do have one complaint (other than the smoke-filled atmosphere). Although The Vortex has a private parking lot, you have to pay $5 to use it, and you subsequently park yourself rather than having a valet do it. Ummm, I just paid $5 to park my own vehicle? :/ read more

I went to the vortex for the first time this week! I think it is a very interesting place to people watch! I love the atmosphere! and the Burgers there are wonderful! I actually tried 4 different kinds! I will most definitely be back! read more

GREAT GREAT BURGERS! That wait to get in was about 30 minutes on non peak time. Hands down the best burgers we have ever had. We even went with the surprise shots! Luckily they were good lol. read more

Upon the cab driver's recommendation for a great burger, we dined at Vortex before going to a show at The Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points. With so many options of burgers to choose from, even meatless options, I chose the mushroom,bacon, swiss burger with sweet potato fries. Yum! Wash down your meal with one of the many beers on tap, including local brews. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

Atlanta seriously has some of the best burgers I've ever had. And after hearing about Vortex on Man vs. Food, the hype definitely did not disappoint. The first thing that made me fall in love with this place wasn't just the awesome skull entrance, but the fact that it's 18 and over only. YES! A restaurant just for adults, love it. Our waitress was super cool too, very friendly but with a sassy attitude. She gave my cousin a hard time for ordering a salad, asking if he should just hand over his balls now or later. I found this rather hilarious of course because seriously, what man orders a salad at a burger joint? To start off, I got a local beer which was very nice and light which went well with my hearty burger. I chose the Big Blue Buffalo Burger cooked medium rare (of course!) and it was scrumptious. The buffalo sauce was nice and tangy, the burger was cooked to pink perfection and all of that combined with the creamy blue cheese made a big ol' mess all over my hands. A sign of a tasty burger, indeed. Another reason this place was awesome: they have TOTS. And I lurrrv tater tots. They are not easy to come by in my neck of the woods either. But neither are fried plantains with burgers, which they also offer. The nice array of side choices was a really unique touch because who would ever think that fried plantains would compliment a beefy burger so well? Well, they do. And now I know that. My mom chose the plantains as her side with her crazy cactus burger which was the special of the day. I'm pretty sure she also loved her burger as we hardly spoke once the food was brought out. I'm so glad that we didn't skip a visit to this place because I certainly would have been missing out. The only problem I had with this place was the space. Like some other Yelpers have mentioned before, the tables are super close together and you get pretty cramped. I mean, I personally was fine because I sat by the wall but my poor cousin (sans testicles) was constantly getting knocked by people and servers walking past him. Maybe that'll teach him to order some REAL food next time! read more

Always amazing when we come in. Fried pickles and Mac n cheese changas are the best and so are all of their burgers!

Amazing burgers, both flavor and quantity, prices were on point, service was friendly, attentive, and excellent. I took a date here. She loved it and I ended up getting laid. Therefore, this place deserves 5 stars. read more

The Vortex is wonderful. The burgers are on point (I've tried a different one every time I've been - all delicious, but the blue shroom burger is definitely the best). No one under 18 is allowed in, so you won't have to worry about crying/hyper kids, or the annoying high school crowd. The tater tots are great, the portions are big, there is a large variety (even if you're not a meat eater - the black bean burger is fabulous) and the prices are reasonable. What else can be said? read more

The burgers here are good and it's a cute place to take people visiting from out of town, but the staff can sometimes act like they're granting you some sort of privilege by allowing you to eat there. (The same thing is implied in the multi-column page of rules they hand out with the menus, but at least those are entertaining to read.) From my experience, there is about a 50 percent chance the staff will make snarky comments about your order or otherwise be rude/snobby, and a 50 percent chance they'll be great and not make you feel uncomfortable at all. The food is pretty consistently good. Burgers aren't overcooked and if you order medium rare, that's what you get. It's very good, but not "best burger ever" good. Anyway, if you are already in Little Five and in the mood for burgers and kitschy late 90's style decor (the place looks like someone let Rob Zombie redecorate a Cracker Barrel), I recommend the Vortex, especially if you're from out of town. If it's just great burgers you're after, there are plenty of other places to get them. Just Google "best burgers in Atlanta" and you'll find several long lists of places (spoiler, the Vortex isn't on the lists). If you just want something good to eat in Little Five, go a few blocks out of your way to Fox Brothers BBQ, which even people who aren't big on BBQ tend to love (but be prepared to wait for seating). If you do go to the Vortex, I recommend springing for one of the crazier menu items that you can't get at every other burger joint (but not the Elvis burger with peanut butter and bananas. It's not quite as gross as it sounds, but still ... mushy fried banana in the same mouthful with hamburger is not pleasant.) Overall: food -- four stars; service -- two stars; atmosphere -- three stars. P.S. There is a smoking section in the same room with the non-smoking section. read more

I generally do not rate burger places because hamburgers are one of the perfect foods but today I feel compelled to. I got the Texas melt Burger which comes with onion rings on it. There is also some barbecue sauce on it. I ordered one medium can perfectly cooked onion rings were perfect and the barbecue sauce was tangy and delicious. I can now say that I've had an excellent Burger and have to use this one as The Benchmark from here forward. I definitely want to go back and try a different kind. The place seems a little crowded and smoking is allowed because it is a bar but it is still worth it read more

I used to LOVE this place because of their fried zucchini as a side option. I went the day after they took it off the menu and sadly haven't been back sense. The last couple times I went the food was just ok. It wasn't good enough to make the trip which was pretty disappointing. The wait is always pretty long so don't expect to be able to just walk right in on a weekend. They are also 18+ so don't come as a family either. The reason being I'm assuming is the many pictures of nude women on the walls. I wish the quality of food would revert back a couple years, and then I would be a much more frequent visitor as I was in the past. read more

It's just OK! Not quite what I was expecting by all the hype. The place is very TINY! Was not expecting that at all. The wait was about 30 mins. And You are crammed in there if you sit at a table with people's rear ends right in your face walking by. The burger selection was good. And the burger was good. But that's it. Anybody can fry a tater tot and them be amazing if thats what you say. We ordered a breakfast shot and obviously they did not know how to make it or they ran out of something and did not have the right stuff to make it with because it tasted like a baileys liqueur and then a shot of orange juice! Barf!! I'm not sure I would make the trip back. It wasn't that impressive to me! read more

I hit up the bar to try the Elvis burger which is the burger with bacon, fried bananas, and peanut butter. I was really looking forward to checking this out this slightly bizarre combination. I was interested in the novelty and experience of it, but I didn't really think it would be some burger revelation in terms of flavor and taste. I think I was pretty satisfied with that considered. All the components were solid and the flavors were pretty interesting but it wasn't something I'd probably order again. My main issue with the burger was the amount of peanut butter - I think there was WAY too much on there and it overwhelmed a lot of the other flavors. I tried to scrap most of it off but I guess the damage was already done as it still seemed to be too much. Anyway, the burger was a nice medium-rare as requested which was nice. I ordered mine with fries which were decent but not great - I might skip those. 4 read more

They recently changed their menu to include pulled pork in nearly all their dishes. I'm not kidding people; they put them in all but one or two of their burgers, their mac & cheese, everything! I'm a fan of bacon, but pulled pork in my mac & cheese is not okay, especially when the server says they can't serve the mac & cheese without pork. I love the atmosphere and I used to love the food, but when you cover everything with bbq pork and take away all options for someone that is not a fan, it detracts immensely from the enjoyment of my meal. It's a burger place, not a barbecue place! I don't understand how pork can be more ubiquitous and inescapable than beef at a burger joint. I settled for a veggie-burger, even though I'm not vegetarian, just to escape the pulled pork, and it was terrible. read more

veggie patty not vegan. It is almost 2018 please update menu to accommodate all customers. Until then I will never visit this establishment until menu is updated. read more

Vortex definitely brings the heat. They have great bar food, great service, and great upbeat atmosphere. We came in on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and it was packed. However, we were able to squeeze into the bar so we settled in and ordered there. After a few killer bloody Mary's we were delivered our food: Fried cheese curds to start, and around the table we had a 'Zombie Apocalypse' burger, a 'Michael Cristo' take on the classic French toast Sammy, and for me I could not resist the 'Hot Southern Mess': a fried chicken, fried egg, bacon, cheese, and white sausage gravy sandwhich. I think this gives you an idea of what to expect from Vortex: over the top and one foot in the grave. Thank you. read more

It's my most favorite bar/restaurant in town. the sweet Potato fries are great and they have like 200 beers to choose from. Nice atmosphere laid back and not uber trendy. read more

The Vortex has great decor. Hello, there is a huge skull over and surrounding the door. You just know the place has to be cool. The burgers are great ,and they offer veggie, turkey, bison, and chicken for non beef eaters. My favorite so far as been the Cajun burger with roasted red peppers, jack cheese, and a few other things.Also, the sides are great. I'm talking some amazing french fries and tater tots. I also really like their cheese dip. Their sweet tea is really good too. read more

Visited Atlanta and Vortex was across the street from my hotel. The burgers were very good and the service was accommodating. The atmosphere was very interesting and eclectic. If your in the Atlanta area and craving a burger it's a decent option. read more

THE BEST BURGER IN TOWN!!! Great location, awesome atmosphere and the burgers are delicious. Everyone who is visiting me in Atlanta has to go there! The menu is so much fun with all the "rules" they put up and it's just a fun place. read more

I was visiting a friend in Atlanta and he insisted on taking us to Vortex to get 'the best burgers ever'. WOW he did not disappoint! Being from the midwest, we usually are served amazing burgers. The guacamole burger from Vortex was hands down the best burger i've had in my life. If I visit ATL again, this will be somewhere I will NEED to go! read more

great drinks! There food was good also, although not much choice for a vegetarian. Our waitress was hilarious and very friendly. I especially like walking through a big skull to go inside. read more

I heard that the food was great here, but I wouldn't know. We showed up with our 3 children and were turned away because they allow smoking. Didn't eat here. Caters to smokers over families. Bummer! read more

They have the BEST burgers in town they are seasoned very well and the French fries are out of this world I will be returning

Great Burgers and fun staff. We had a great lunch there. My only complaint is that they allow cigarette smoking in the bar but not cigar smoking. read more

Went here late after a concert! Had a double decker with fries and some bbq wings . Server was good, drinks are large food was great! Would have gave it a 5 if bouncer had not made me walk back to the car for my id. Mid 30s and still getting carded. read more

FINALLY - a decent burger joint in Atlanta. I live here for a year and this was the ONLY place that I could get a awesome burger!! I'm from SoCal, where the best burgers in the world come from, and this place will always make me one however I want it. I can't wait to go back!! read more

Parking is a pain. Crowded. Luckily I went early enough and it was during the week that we didn't need to wait too long to be seated. I was not impressed by their burger though- just average restaurant burger. I did NOT like the sweet potato fries...*blech*. Wouldn't order those again. read more

I ordered a really phenomenal beer here (Up the Creek) but I'm not sure how much credit I should give the Vortex for that. The food (I had a coronary by-pass) was good, but perhaps not the best burger I've ever had. Felt a little forced, actually. I'm all about a burger place being cool (the Vortex is very cool) but they need to deliver on the burger, and mine was a bit dry, and not terribly flavorful or juicy. read more