This Columbus restaurant has the best city burger, 1,000s of GA voters say. See our poll results

When it comes to burgers in Columbus, opinions run strong and the thousands of votes in The Ledger-Enquirer’s Best Burger Poll prove it.

Columbus staple The Cannon Brew Pub edged ahead of over a dozen other restaurants to take the crown. The contest was close, especially in the final stretch. Several local spots, some newer, some longstanding favorites, were in the mix, but in the end, voters went with the classic.

And honestly? They’ve got a point.

As any good journalist does, I stopped by The Cannon this week to “fact-check” the results. I sampled their signature Cannon Cheeseburger and my lunch-buddy tried the sliders topped with beer-fried onions, which the manager said was just a mini-version of the Bama burger.

It’s a good thing my vote didn’t count, because after a few bites of that burger, I would have voted twice.

The Cannon’s burgers go beyond the basic

The menu isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it does take its burgers seriously. There’s the classic Cannon Burger, of course, but also options like the Midnight Burger with a sunny-side fried egg on top and the Don’t Ya Know Burger that features Wisconsin cheese curds tossed in Buffalo sauce.

One of the more eclectic burger choices is the seasonal Elvis Burger, here for the summer. This particular is built as an homage to the King and has peanut butter and caramelized bananas (if you know, you know).

I was pretty skeptical, but our server, Molly, vouched for its popularity, and claims it’s much more popular than a burger with peanut butter should be.

The Cannon Brew Pub is a key part of Uptown lore

Located in the heart of Uptown (or Downtown, if you’re a person of a certain age), The Cannon Brew Pub has been part of the Columbus food scene since the 90s and was a vital part of the area’s gentrification.

The Cannon has an undeniable charm, which is not pretentious or try-hard — maybe because the building itself is likely over a century old or maybe because you can drink your way into a mug with your name on it.

Putting the “brew” in Cannon Brew Pub

The Cannon is one of the few establishments in town that makes its own beer on-site. The beers are all cleverly named and Columbus-themed, referencing some of the community’s most notable cultural elements.

One of the most popular beers, Red Jacket Ale, is named in honor of the Columbus Guards, a local militia company formed in 1835. The Guards were presented with a brass salute gun, which they affectionately deemed “The Red Jacket,” after the color of their uniform jacket. I

Other beers are City Mills Wheat and Goldens’ Ale, both of which are a nod to Columbus’ manufacturing and mill past.

I ordered the Cannon Cheeseburger, medium, with the sun spots and raspberry dipping sauce and paired it with a Goldens’ Ale.

What’s your Cannon order? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.

This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM.