In researching this article, I broke the first rule of food photography. I ate the food before I took the requisite sexy food shot. It was just one bite, and I felt terrible about it. But can you blame me? Look at those dogs! Charred on the outside and smothered in chili or original hot relish. Barker's Red Hots in Marietta, GA is, without a doubt, the best hot dog in all of Atlanta - bar none. Barker's secret is that the owner, Glenn, grills off his dogs over ripping hot Royal Oak charcoal - blistering, and charring the outside while coaxing it into something otherworldly. But the hot dog isn't the only thing that's incredible at Barker's. Pretty much everything on the menu is cooked to perfection and complements each other really well. Onion rings, fries, loganberry juice. Barker's offers a slice of the Northeast boardwalk via Buffalo, NY right here in the heart of suburban Atlanta. We may not have any great NY style deli's in this town, but at least we've got Barker's and that's good enough for me.
Upon entering Barker's, your first stop is the grill to place your order with the owner, Glenn Robins. Glenn rolls your dogs or sausage out on the grill, and then the magic starts. If you pay attention to the photo on left, you'll notice Glenn works with two pronged grill forks. Of all the grill tools I've owned over the years, the two pronged fork is far and away my least favorite. But in Glenn's hands they are magician's wands. He rolls the dogs back and forth over the hot spot of the grill. As he moves them around, he docks the sides of the dogs with the edge of the tongs. The cuts are not deep enough to really deform the hot dog. They are just deep enough to open up the casing and let a little heat in. I asked Glenn about this and he explained that since he is cooking over 1000 degree heat, he opens the dogs slightly to let a little heat in to allow the center to warm up before the outside burns too much. I remember standing there watching Glenn cook my dogs thinking that what I was watching was a master's class in "knife" skills for a hot dog guy. Glenn is the Morimoto of the two prong fork.
On my last trip to Barker's, I picked up a pound of their dogs for $5 and brought them home to see if I could replicate Glenn's technique. I fired up the grill and took a swing...and a miss. I cleaved the dog right in two. And then again. And again. This is a technique that Glenn has developed and mastered in over 25 years of cooking hot dogs. I had no chance of pulling it off on the first try. I think it is probably best to quit trying and just drive on down to Barker's and let Glenn do the work. Plus, I can't find any Loganberry juice in the Publix, and that's a big part of the magic of Barker's.
In talking to Glenn, I learned that virtually every part of the Barker's experience (including the hot dogs) has been imported from Buffalo, NY. That's a region of the country that I am particularly fond of since my wife is from Corning, NY. My second favorite thing at Barker's is the Loganberry juice. I had to do a little wiki work to find out what a Loganberry was, and I'm not certain if I actually found the right berry. But, I really don't care. All that matters is that when I go to Barker's, I order a delicious glass of Loganberry juice (purple and sweet) and it makes my hot dog that much better. Barker's has a retro-beach-boardwalk vibe, and I found it perfect that they keep the Loganberry in that cool beverage dispenser you see in the photo. Who has those anymore? How great!
So, how about the fried stuff? Delicious. The fries get a quick kiss of vinegar before being served. The onion rings should make the Varsity ashamed for their lack of effort. The prices? Completely reasonable. I take my family here for lunch every couple weeks. My two daughters are able to eat for right around $3 dollars each. The ambiance is awesome. The music is great. The restaurant is spotless every time I step foot inside. Is it obvious yet? I love this place. I wish I could own one. In fact, the opportunity is there for those brave enough to enter the restaurant world. Glenn is moving into his first franchise effort and was still seeking investors last time I visited. If you want a piece of the next great hot dog sensation, make your next stop Barker's and throw your money down.
Barker's Red Hots has an interesting history behind it. Glenn was Atlanta's first licensed street vendor and began his career working in Woodruff park. Coincidentally, my best BBQ buddy and mentor, Dave Poe of Dave Poe's BBQ, also began vending BBQ under the Stump and Sons banner at that time in Woodruff Park and is a long time friend and colleague of Glenn's. Dave Poe is as big a fan of Barker's as I am and he has some great stories about selling food alongside Glenn in the park. Over the years, Glenn has collected great reviews from heralded publications like the New York Times, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Conde Naste Traveler all telling you the same thing I am telling you now. Go get you some Barker's.
Here are a few more random photos of one of my Barker's visits. If you love hot dogs as much as I do, please take the time to stop by the corner of Windy Hill Rd. and Powers Ferry Rd and take a virtual visit to some of the best food that Western New York has to offer.
