Press
“Located in the Krog Street Market, what this contemporary space lacks in size it makes up for in charm. The concept is straightforward: sandwiches of all varieties from burgers and oyster po'boys to bahn mi and cheesesteaks. Each one is messy-delicious and over the top in the best possible way, as in the pimento cheese club with house-made pimento cheese, roasted poblanos, fried green tomatoes and bacon sandwiched between bread and seared. Meanwhile, the Italian grinder with all the meats, melty provolone cheese, garlic aioli and cherry pepper relish knocks it out of the park. Of course, there must be fries, and the barbecue version, with barbecue seasoning and a white barbecue sauce for dipping, won't disappoint.”
“Fred's Meat & Bread: To be fair, Fred's offers up a lot of "meat and bread" options beyond its burger, but the Burger Stack here is the undeniable star and the best reason to visit Atlanta's popular Krog Street Market. Atlanta's best burger tastes, as our national burger critic put it, "like a grilled cheese with meat inside it," with bread-and-butter pickles punctuating the richness and a sesame seed bun doing an admirable job attempting to contain all the cheesy, greasy protein. Once you've had it you may find yourself wanting to return to try the cheesesteak or the chicken Parm, but odds are strong to quite strong you'll buckle in the heat of the moment and have another go round with the Burger Stack.”
Matt Lynch, The 31 Best Burger Joints in America," Thrillist
October 20, 2017
“13. BURGER STACK, Fred's Meat & Bread: Atlanta is the king of the burger "stack," which is basically an upscale version of a thin patty double burger popularized in the mid aughts by Holeman & Finch. And everyone in Atlanta throws their hat in the burger stack ring. So what makes the perfection that is Fred's stack all the more infuriating is that burgers aren't even the sole focus of the menu. They've got lots of delicious foodstuffs and all of them are so damn good. They're like the Deion Sanders of the burger world, and I DON'T EVEN CARE IF THAT DOESN'T TOTALLY ADD UP.”
Kevin Alexander, "The 100 Best Burgers in America, Ranked by Our National Burger Critic," Thrillist
May 23, 2017
“BEST FRENCH FRIES”
Best of Atlanta 2017, Creative Loafing
“’Shroom Shire cheesesteak at Fred’s Meat & Bread: Is it possible the best cheesesteak in town could be bested by another cheesesteak on the same menu? Fred’s regular cheesesteak is the standard bearer, but the ‘Shroom Shire version ups the ante, adding garlic aioli and a house mushroom-Worcestershire sauce that gives a powerful umami punch to the gut. Fred’s also mixes in provolone with its usual American cheese on this version. It’s still as gooey and messy as all get out, but a bit more refined."
100 Dishes to Eat in Atlanta Now, Creative Loafing
April 20, 2017
“1. BURGER STACK, Fred's Meat & Bread: . . . The burger stack at Fred’s is the perfect burger stack. The cheese is so well-melted, it almost feels like a grilled cheese with meat inside it. Everything is so perfectly griddled and blended together, and the pickles give it some acid, and sesame seed bun is delicious and greasy, and eating it makes me feel more American and more handsome and like I could re-take the SAT IIs and do slightly better in verbal. It is the best burger in Atlanta.”
Kevin Alexander, "The Best Burgers in Atlanta, Ranked by Our National Burger Critic," Thrillist
November 30, 2016
“I'm so sorry Philadelphia, but the best cheesesteak is now in Atlanta. @fredsmeatbread.”
Alton Brown
June 25, 2016
“BEST VEGETARIAN CUISINE FROM A NON-VEGETARIAN CHEF”
Best of Atlanta 2016, Creative Loafing
September 2016
“The Philly cheesesteak from Fred’s Meat & Bread was everything I heard it was going to be (one of our best sandwiches of the year). The meat is so juicy and drippy, just like you want it. I never need to go to Philly for a fix, but I do need to go to Atlanta now.”
Elyssa Goldberg, "The Best Food We Ate This Year," Bon Appetit Magazine
December 18, 2015
“The Food Hall Phenomenon, Krog Street Market, Atlanta: MUST-HIT: Fred's Meat & Bread”
Andrew Knowlton, Julia Kramer, and Belle Cushing, "The Foodist: The Year in Food," Bon Appetit Magazine
September 2015
“The best cheesesteak is no longer found in Philadelphia.”
Runner Up, Ribeye Cheesesteak at Fred’s Meat & Bread at Krog Street Market, Atlanta
Andrew Knowlton and Julia Kramer, Sandwich of the Year, Bon Appetit Magazine
August 4, 2015
“I don’t even really *like* burgers, but the one from Fred’s Meat & Bread had me fighting my friends for it.”
Our Favorite Burgers All Over the Country, Bon Appetit Magazine
June 26, 2015
“Chef Todd Ginsberg uses stellar ingredients to upgrade classic sandwiches at Fred's Meat & Bread. But he has no problem using American cheese on a cheesesteak.”
Food & Wine Magazine
May 2015
“The Italian Grinder at Fred’s Meat and Bread: Northerners may scoff at the idea of getting a proper grinder sandwich south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but chef Todd Ginsberg’s rendition at Fred’s Meat and Bread belongs on the map of grinder greatness. The stall’s masterly, house-baked hoagie rolls from baker Rob Alexander set the foundation for a mouthwatering parade of aged provolone, mortadella, salami, and house-made porchetta rubbed with chilies, fennel seed, and orange zest. There’s also a luxurious spread of creamy aioli, tart chopped cherry peppers, and a pile of iceberg lettuce threads soaked in olive oil and red wine vinegar. It’s all grinds of glorious.”
“Cauliflower and eggplant banh mi at Fred’s Meat and Bread: Chef/owner Todd Ginsberg's epic cauliflower-eggplant banh mi is a holdover from his stint as Bocado’s head chef. Ginsberg and crew roast, and then flash fry, the cauliflower before tossing it in a lively Thai vinaigrette. The florets are stuffed into a crusty roll with slick sliced eggplant, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled carrots, daikon, and a spicy, chili-lime mayo. No meat, no tofu (though there is fish sauce in the vinaigrette), just the tastiest, veg-friendly banh mi around.”
“The months Todd Ginsberg spent at the General Muir perfecting a glorious ribeye cheese-steak, spicy Korean fried chicken sandwich, and porchetta on ciabatta have culminated in a lively stall in Krog Street Market. Counter stools are prime real estate, and there’s a big demand for anything from a smoked catfish po’boy to an eggplant and cauliflower banh mi that’s remarkably meaty. Thick-cut french fries - served plain, dusted with herbs, or coated in Old Bay - are the perfect side.”
Christiane Lauterbach, “Fresh on the Scene: Fred’s Meat & Bread...,” Atlanta Magazine
February 3, 2015
“Hot Dish: Ribeye Cheesesteak. Meet the defining sub at Fred’s Meat & Bread, Todd Ginsberg’s stellar sandwich stall in Krog Street Market. Ginsberg originally planned to serve strictly burgers until he and his partners remembered the Philly cheesesteak. ‘Like the burger, it’s another all-American sandwich you grew up with,’ Ginsberg says. ‘I also thought it could be improved upon.’ Improve he did. The nine-inch cheesesteak is a vision of sliced ribeye, white American cheese, and onions. It’s a rich stunner nestled in a soft hoagie roll from Rob Alexander, Ginsberg’s bread master at the General Muir.”
Evan Mah, “Todd Ginsberg improves the Philly cheesesteak,” Atlanta Magazine
February 17, 2015
“Yes, people, the most exciting thing happening in Atlanta dining today is in a food court.”
“That cheesesteak, impossibly juicy and swimming in a slurry of fat and cheese, piles with impunity into a split roll. No need to go to Philadelphia anymore: Here’s the real deal.”
“Yet nothing could improve the double-stack burger. Here, the foil wrapping enhances it and makes it all the more the apotheosis of a certain kind of burger, all steamy and knobby. It is just so meaty/juicy in all the right ways, and cheesy/goopy in all the right ways and bready/cottony in all the right ways, that for several minutes I couldn’t be disturbed with anything else in the world.”
John Kessler, Yalla! and Fred’s Meat & Bread Restaurant Review, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 12, 2015
“The burger stack . . . is as classic as fast food gets with two generous beef patties griddled with crispy edges, a juicy interior, gooey melted American cheese, crunchy bread and butter pickles, and house-made mayo all on a lightly buttered and grilled bun.”
Angela Hansberger, “First Look: Yalla and Fred’s Meat and Bread,” Creative Loafing
January 14, 2015
“There are so many crazy-good/can’t stop thinking about it, options on the menu. But, if we had to choose just one perfect meal it would be the ribeye cheesesteak. This is probably the best version of the famed sandwich you’ll find in Atlanta. Tender steak grilled with onions and melty cheese. And the bread that perfectly soaks up the flavors and holds it all together. Add a side of mouthwatering Old Bay fries and you’re set. Last meal worthy.”
Krista Miller, "The Low Down: Fred’s Meat and Bread," Atlanta Eats
January 13, 2015