Pop Burger -- New York, NY

14 East 58th Street
New York, NY
212-991-6644
website 

I had about an hour for lunch with the LRP (Lovely Romanian Princess), and Pop Burger was close and convenient. It was about noon, and the place was relatively quiet. We ordered some ridiculously over-priced burgers (over $40 for two lunches) at the window, and we waited about 7 minutes for our orders to come up. I ordered the POP Burgers, and LRP went with a veggie burger.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: Yawn. I discovered, much to my bemusement, that Pop Burger served mini-burgers. The patties could not have weighed in at more than 2 ounces each. The beef was mild, bland, and only moderately beefy. As for the cuts of beef in the grind...I guessed it was Chuck. The burgers were basically devoid of character. The beef was a little on the chewy side. It was neither greasy nor juicy. The beef was dull.

The Seasoning: I detected a faint hint of salt on the exterior of the wee patties, but it was not enough to improve the bland burgers.

The Sear: Pop Burger valiantly attempted to sear the waifish burger patties, but a proper sear would have dried out the patties even further.

The Preparation: Well Done was the only way to get a burger this small. The burgers were so small that each amounted to 2 bites.  The beef was ground at a medium setting. I honestly gave up on these tiny pucks of Chuck. They were so uninteresting that analyzing them was nearly pointless.

The Cheese: Pop Burger provided a mini slice of American cheese to top the teensy burger patties. The cheese was fine, but the burger was just dull. The cheese could not save this lifeless burger.

The Bun: Pop Burger served up its POP Burgers on mini-brioches, which were a day past their prime. The buns were bland, dry, and chewy.  Pass

The Meat To Bun Ratio: The dryish brioche slightly outpaced the dryish burger patty.

The Fries: The battered and par-cooked fries at Pop Burger were FAR better than the glorified amuse bouche burgers. The portion was not laughable, and the quality was fine. The fries were golden, crisp, nicely salted, and the crunch of the batter served to balance the creaminess of the centers.

The Toppings: The tomato slices were ripe and flavorful, but the shredded Romaine lettuce was watery. The lettuce served to make a dull burger even more dull.

The Veggie Burger: Woof--this was a $10 breaded and deep-fried slice of portabella mushroom. It was rubbery and greasy. Pass.

The Value: For $9.25, Pop Burger served up 2 miniscule burgers. Each was about 2 bites. When I surveyed my lunch, my initial thought was, "Are you kidding me?"  They were not. A side of fries was $4.25, and that was well over-priced for potatoes, but at least there were more than 4 bites of fries. The value at Pop Burger...it wallowed in weakness.

I was grateful for the company of the LRP, because Pop Burger was a bust, otherwise.

Burger Review : Pop Burger served up bland and tiny burgers for an exceedingly high price.  Don't!

Rating...2 Bites (3 but the Value took this one down a full point)

  

Paul's Da Burger Joint -- New York, NY

131 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-529-3033
website

While in NYC filming the pilot for my fledgling, burger show, the crew and I happened upon Paul's Da Burger Joint. Fortuitously, this place was already on my list of well-reviewed burger shops in the city, and we just happened to drive by it,.The team at Paul's Da Burger Joint was kind enough to let us shoot some footage there. I found it noteworthy that the place was packed with regulars at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon. Some of those regulars were even sporting shirts emblazoned with the restaurant's logo.

Below is how the establishment's website described itself:

"Paul's "Da Burger Joint" was established in 1989 by its namesake Paul. Originally called "Paul's Palace".

It was a family operation run by Paul and his immediate family. To this day, it is run by the same people in the same manner. We can be described as a 50's eatery with counter service, checkered table cloths and vintage decorations. Many people have described us as "their home away from home" because of the friendly cozy environment created by our hospitality and style. Regulars enjoy sitting at the counter, talking with the cooks that they know by name, while eating their big juicy burger and sipping their cold beer.

We offer a wide variety of toppings available on any burger including mushrooms, jalapenos, chilly, bacon, etc to name a few. We make shakes, frosteds, egg creams and soda floats. We provide a big portion of high quality food at a reasonable price and do our best to satisfy all customers and make everyone feel at home. We look forward to dining with you over and over."

I sat at the counter and ordered a 1/2 pound Cheeseburger for $5.50. I was a little concerned that 1/2 pound of meat for $5.50 was to good to be true. I half expected a bland mess, which was beloved by locals for reasons born more of nostalgia than current quality. I was happily incorrect.

The Burger Breakdown...
 
The Beef: The blend in the burgers at Paul's Da Burger Joint was bespoke and prepared off-site by their butcher. That same butcher seasoned the blend. The grind was coarse, and this gave the burger a satisfyingly firm and long-grained mouth feel. The mild funk and iron notes led me to conclude that some dry-aged Sirloin made its way into the burgers. The burger also carried a strong beefy flavor even though it was only cooked to the requested Med Rare. The fat content was a mere 15%, but the burgers were extremely juicy. The beef was somewhere between good and great.

The Seasoning: I noted a mild dusting of salt on the exterior. Mesquite was added by the butcher during the blending process.

The Sear: The sear on the burger patties at Paul's Da Burger Joint was solid. It was even, dark, and crisp. The griddle was hot enough that the sear did not penetrate deeply enough to compromise the Med Rare cooking request.

The Preparation: Did I mention the excellent sear and the perfect cooking temperature?  Watching the cooks create the burgers was entertaining. When an order was placed, they grabbed an 8-ounce ball of ground beef and spiked it hard onto the flat top. That was the extent of the shaping, which the patties received. Interestingly, all the burgers that I watched leave the pass were all generally circular.  The seared burger patties were finished under metal domes, which served to retain the heat from the gas-fired flat top and cook the thick patties more rapidly than an open cooking method. This was like tenting a turkey to reduce the cooking time.

The Cheese: The choices were Cheddar or American. I went with American. Paul's Da Burger Joint applied 2 slices of cheese to its cheeseburgers, so the savory goodness inherent in the American cheese was pronounced and satisfying. The cheese was nicely melted, and it filled in around the coarse beef.

The Bun: The bun was a standard, seeded, lightly toasted, burger bun. It was mildly sweet and a little yeasty. The toasting lent a pleasing crunch around the edges. This toasting complemented the texture of the sear on the beef.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was just right. The chewy, soft bun captured all of the juices from the burger without adding undue breadiness to the bite.

The Fries: The fries were previously frozen, par-cooked, peel-off, steak fries. The fries were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I noted a pleasant earthiness in the thick-cut fries. The seasoning was absent, but this was easily remedied.

The Value: I couldn't finish the meal. It was $5.50 for a 1/2 pound of steak-heavy cheeseburger with a gang of fries on the side. The value was excellent at Paul's Da Burger Joint.

After trying the burger art Paul's Da Burger Joint, I was not surprised at the loyal following they had amassed and retained over the years. The burger was tasty and well-priced. The staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating.

Burger Review : A really, really good burger and an amazing price was enjoyed at Paul's Da Burger Joint.

Rating...4 Bites

Kobeyaki -- New York, NY

293 7th Avenue

btw 26th & 27th Street

New York NY 10001
212-242-5500

Mr. Frankenburger, Protein-Style, the B'Ass Fisherwomen, and myself found ourselves in need of a break from the Javits Center and, more importantly, in need of a burger. Protein-Style, with an eagle eye, spotted Kobeyaki. We had been seeking out a different spot, but I got us good and lost. Protein-Style stepped in like a boss. Kobeyaki was reminiscent of Super Duper Burger in San Francisco. The focus was on organic, healthy, fast food. 

Here are some excerpts from their site: "At Kobeyaki we have a fresh approach to Japanese cuisine by providing healthy, creative and delicious Japanese food in a fast casual environment...

...We believe that raising animals humanely and naturally on a vegetarian diet without the use of hormones is important to the sustainability of the planet...

...All of our Kobe Style Wagyu Beef is naturally raised on family farms without the addition of growth hormones or antibiotics. All the Waygu cattle live on a 100% vegetarian diet and are raised humanly with love and care. Kobe style Wagyu beef contains less saturated fat and more omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids than regular beef which means this nutrient dense protein helps you maintain muscle while burning fat and maintain a healthy weight and healthy blood sugar levels...

...The sustainability of our food sources is important to us and we will continue to strive to partner with vendors who can help us achieve these goals..."

We ordered our meals at the counter, paid, were handed pagers, and we settled in for a 5-minute wait. Expectations were reasonably low, but the place was packed, and the kitchen was jammed with cooks. I counted at least 6 cooks and about 6 counter people. My low expectations were ill-founded.


The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The Kobe beef patty was interesting in terms of both flavor and texture. The beef was beefy, really beefy, and it led me to wonder if Kobeyaki had added a little MSG or kelp to bump things up. It seemed unlikely, but they certainly used something interesting to get so much flavor out of the Chuck. The Wagyu beef was organic and grass-fed, so I guessed that some of the strong flavors were a result of the cattle's diet. The beef was springy in the way that perfectly tender, fresh meatloaf is springy. If they used a filler to pull that off, I was unable to discern what it was. The bite was loose and juicy. There was a minimal amount of oiliness. The patty was strongly flavored and quite savory.

The Seasoning: I ordered this burger with no modifications, so it came fully sauced and dressed. The seasoning was salty and complicated in the way that good Japanese spice blends tend to be.

The Sear: The sear from the flat top was nominal, and this burger would have benefited from a robust sear to hold it together and round out the texture. The juiciness of the burger and the volume of burgers that were being cooked made the moisture conditions impossible to impart a solid sear.

The Preparation: Kobeyaki was packed, and I didn't want to stall the line by asking a bunch of questions. The burgers were cooked to a delightfully juicy Med Well. The burger buns were sauced on both the top and bottom. I gave up trying to analyze the sauces, and simply let myself enjoy the experience. The sauces contained enough oil and creaminess to make up for the lack of cheese on the burger. The burger was wrapped in a waxy paper satchel in a fashion, which I assumed was commonplace in Japan, but it was not something that I had ever encountered in the context of a burger.

The Cheese: There was no cheese, and it was not missed.

The Bun: The bun at Kobeyaki was a simple brioche. It was nicely toasted. The top was not oily. The bun was pleasantly sweet and yeasty. Most importantly it was moist and fresh. The bun competently contained the copious juices from the sauces, slaw, and burger patty.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: Perfect.

The Toppings: The slaw, which topped the burgers, was fresh and crisp. It balanced the delicate sweetness of sunomono with the earthy snap of carrot slivers. I ordinarily eschew veg on my burgers, but in the case of Asian-themed burgers, I have found it most satisfying to enjoy the dish as a whole. Examples of this include MIRU8691 and Neri's Curbside Cravings--both spectacular LA burgers.

The Fries: Kobeyaki offered one kind of fry and that was tempura-battered sweet potato fries. Sweet lord, these were delicious. These were, hands down, the creamiest sweet potato fries that I had ever tried. The tempura was perfectly crisp, and it remained crisp as the fries cooled. The interiors were smooth and gently sweet. The fries were marvelous.

The Value: I dropped about 15 bucks on a 5-ounce Kobe Beef Burger ($9), a side of fries ($3), and a fountain drink ($2), and I walked away sated and happy with the quality of the meal. The value was completely fair.

I walked into Kobeyaki with low expectations, and I anticipated a gimmicky, low-quality, fast food burger. What I had was a high-quality, flavorful, and well-executed burger. My sole regret was that Kobeyaki did not have the soft-shelled crab sandwich on the menu on the day that I visited.

Burger Review : Win

Rating...5 Bites (rounded up from 4.5)

The Spotted Pig -- New York, NY

314 West 11th Street
New York, NY
212-620-0393
website 

The Spotted Pig was high on the list of most of the New York burger review sites, which I had read. I had tried to go the previous evening, but a 2-hour wait for a burger was not going to happen. I chose a less busy time the following day, and I was seated immediately. Service was friendly and prompt. I ordered the $17 Chargrilled Burger, and settled in for a 25-minute wait. During that time I learned about the burger. I also enjoyed watching the endless parade of kitchen staff shuttling food from the basement storage area, through the dining area, and into the kitchen. In New York, things are different.


The Burger Breakdown...


The Beef: The Spotted Pig worked with a blend of Pat La Frieda-sourced cuts. The burger incorporated Brisket, Short Loin, and Chuck. The flavor profile was mellow, and the Brisket was the flavor that dominated. While very competent, I had hoped for something a little more aggressive in terms of beef flavor, but what I got was a really subtle and thoughtfully prepared burger patty. The fat content was high, but it was well-balanced by the juiciness on the burger. I pegged the fat around 25%.  There was only a mild taste of funk from aging. The texture was springy and moist. All told, this was a very smooth tasting burger. However, this was only determined by eating parts of the burger not covered in the Roquefort cheese. The cheese overpowered the mild beef.


The Seasoning: The seasoning was appropriate to the mild flavors of the beef. The savory blend was applied as the patty cooked, and and it served to round out the mild flavors of the carefully constructed burger.


The Sear: The menu promised a Chargrilled Burger, but the only char that I found was on my bun. The beef was treated to a lackluster set of grill marks. The thick patty certainly could have taken on a competent sear without over-cooking. Still, this was in keeping with the theme of mellow restraint at The Spotted Pig. The grill marks imparted no interesting flavors or textures to the dish.


The Preparation: The burger making process at The Spotted Pig was laudable. The Pat La Frieda beef was ground and gently blended in house. The burger patties were carefully hand-formed into beef pillows a day in advance and allowed to rest for at least 24 hours. During morning a prep a test burger was cooked, and if the test burger was not perfect, then the beef was allowed to rest even longer. The gentle handling ensured that the burgers did not become chewy. The long rest period allowed the copious fat in the burgers to thoroughly re-incorporate so that the burgers would not be greasy. The burgers were cooked on a too-cool gas grill. I imagined that this was intentional, but the effort fell flat in terms of flavor, texture, and presentation. The kitchen sent out a perfect Med Rare in keeping with my request. The 8-ounce patty was cooked so evenly that it gave the appearance of having been cooked sous vide.

The Cheese: The decision to top such a cautiously crafted and gently flavored burger with Roquefort cheese was puzzling at best. It was like projecting Ansel Adams photos at a speed metal concert. The juxtaposition was jarring to the point that the beef was utterly lost in the salty tang of the soft, white cheese. I found this to be an epic misstep.  


The Bun: The top of the bun was charred, and this lent an unwelcome bitterness of burned starch to the bite. Otherwise, the brioche was bland and relatively neutral. It lacked any discernible crispness. The unseared, moist beef coupled with this bun and the creamy cheese made for a very tame mouth feel. This dish needed something by way of texture to liven it up, and the bun was not up to the task.


The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was good. The brioche caught all of the juices without becoming soggy. The mild bun did not detract from the bite--it was barely noticed.


The Fries: The shoestring fries were cut in house and served peel-on. They were thin enough that they did not require par-cooking. The fries were cooked in vegetable oil and finished with rosemary and salt. The seasoning was perfect, and the fries were difficult to put aside. 


The Toppings: There were no toppings, and that was just fine.


The Value: $17 for a cheeseburger borders on absurd. The ingredients were of high quality, but the preparation, combination, and assemblage simply did not support the price point.


The cheeseburger at The Spotted Pig was half fantastic. The beef was delicious and well considered. The cheese was a nightmare, and the bun was dull. The price was too steep when these factors were all taken into consideration. I would recommend trying this burger without the cheese.


Burger Review : Tasty and thoughtfully handled beef at an overly high price at The Spotted Pig.


Rating...4 Bites (rounded up from 3.5)

BareBurger -- New York, NY

535 Laguardia Place
New York, NY 10012
212-477-8125
website

The lovely Raquel, the concierge at the Trump SoHo, recommended BareBurger as one of her favorites. It was a snap to get a table as the restaurant opened, and I had the good fortune of getting some of Misha's time. Misha was a managing partner at Bare Burger and was highly involved in the operation the Laguardia Place location. This was the second location of six with another scheduled to open in mid-November and seven more in the works. BareBurger was expanding rapidly, and I hoped that they were doing it with integrity.

BareBurger took sustainable and organic to a new level. The wood for the tables was harvested from storm damaged trees. The walls were bamboo. The light fixtures were recycled containers. The to-go containers were made of biodegradable corn. The ketchup and mustard were organic. All of the meats were sourced cruelty free, free range, and organic. The meat choices were broad: bison, ostrich, elk, beef, chicken, turkey, and wild boar was on its way the following month. All of the vegetables were certified organic, as well.

It was with a little trepidation that I ordered an Original BareBurger, and I requested Med-Rare after determining that Chuck was a minority constituent of the beef blend. My concern was that BareBurger, in their relentless pursuit of delivering a certain type of product might have lost sight of the goal of delivering a delicious burger. My concerns proved to be unfounded.


The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The 6-ounce patties were a Sirloin-heavy blend of Sirloin and Chuck. The beef was wet-aged and sourced from Blackwing. The fat content was a scant 10%, and that fat was not missed. The burger was wonderfully juicy. The flavors were strong steak and beef with a mellow note of aging. The bite was juicy and tender. The Med-Rare cooking temp let the minerals shine through from the Sirloin.This was highly satisfying beef. I had difficulty putting this burger down.

The Seasoning: A great deal of care went into the preparation of the proprietary seasoning blend, and this savory/tangy mixture was liberally applied to the exterior of the patty as it cooked. The seasoning lent a savory and mild barbecue flavor to the dish. The seasoning was unique, interesting, and it worked perfectly with the flavorful beef.

The Sear: The sear at BareBurger was created using a properly hot flat top. The sear was crisp and dark. It enhanced the already rich and sturdy flavors of the meat and seasoning. The texture was also most welcome.

The Preparation: The beef was ground to medium and gently formed into the thick, 6-ounce patties no less than three times per day. The point of this was not to let the proteins knit together to create chewiness. This attention to detail resulted in a very tender bite of perfectly cooked chopped steak. My Med-Rare request was perfectly executed.

The Cheese: The blend of organic Colby and Jack Cheddars was flavorful and sharp. The cheese lent just enough oil to the dish to round out the mouth feel.

The Bun: I was briefly taken aback to learn that the Brioche buns at BareBurger were sourced from Philadelphia. That seemed like a long way to go for buns when New York had so many good bakeries. The moment that I bit into the moist, firm, eggy, sweet, and toothsome bun, I completely understood why they selected that bun purveyor. The bun was perfect for the burger. It brilliantly absorbed the juices while maintaining its consistency and contributing its own flavors to the dish. The bun was lightly toasted, and in the case of this burger, the crunch was not missed.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect. Every bite was ideal.

The Fries: Wow! The organic, peel-on, hand-cut fries were par-cooked in soy oil and finished in peanut oil. They were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. They were golden brown and perfectly seasoned. I had difficulty not filling up on the fries at BareBurger.

The Sauces: The sauces were best described as smart. I was especially fond of the house-made barbecue sauce. This sauce employed some Indian themes as well as traditional flavors. Since it was a proprietary blend I have chosen not to share the breakdown of the ingredients, which I managed to puzzle out. The chipotle sauce was splendid, as well.

The Toppings: The lettuce and tomato were both surprisingly fresh and flavorful for the first week of November.

The Shakes: I sampled a chocolate shake at BareBurger, and it was marvelous. The ice cream came from Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. This purveyor shared the same passion and commitment to sustained organic food. Beyond that, the ice cream was fantastic. There was an abundance of crumbly, dark chocolate shavings that lent a wonderful texture to the creamy dessert.  I loved the shake.

The Value: A cheeseburger at BareBurger went for $8.95, and that was money well spent. The value at BareBurger was strong.

I walked into BareBurger a hungry skeptic, and I walked out of BareBurger a sated fan. I strongly urge you to try BareBurger. They prepare thoughtful, skillful, and flavorful burgers and fries. I came to learn that the kid-friendly establishment serves a Sunday brunch with Nutella whipped cream on waffles covered in root beer syrup.  It was like they cracked open my head and stole my fantasies.

Burger Review : A wonderful and flavorful burger was enjoyed at BareBurger. Go there and go there soon. I hope that BareBurger finds its way to Los Angeles.

Rating...5 Bites

DBGB Kitchen and Bar -- New York, NY

299 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
212-933-5300
website

For the first burger on this NY trip, I had wanted to try The Spotted Pig, but that spot came with a 2-hour wait for a table. The runner-up choice for the evening was DBGB Kitchen and Bar. Tess of the B'urgervilles and I had high hopes for this spot. We scored the last table in the bar and settled in for an unduly long wait just place our orders. Once ordered, the burgers did not arrive until at least 35 minutes later. We had some catching up to do, but that was a long wait for a couple of cheeseburgers. Nonetheless, we imagined that a burgers with a Daniel Boloud pedigree and a stout $16 price tag would be well worth the wait. We imagined incorrectly.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef:  The 6 ounce burger patties were a blend of Ribeye, Short Rib, and Strip Steak trimmings. The flavor was very mild, and the burgers were pushing 30% in terms of fat content. I assumed that the Strip Steak trimmings were primarily fat. The flavor of the burger could best be described as mildly steaky. Tess remarked that it was the sort of burger that she was glad came with toppings. The beef, while fatty, was also quite juicy. There was no trace of aging, and the burger lacked notes of beefiness, which would have been appropriate. The bite was loose and yielding.

The Seasoning: The burger patty was lightly seasoned with a salty blend.

The Sear: The sear on the burgers at DBGB Kitchen and Bar was meek. These fatty, thick, juicy burgers would have benefited from a competent sear. The lackluster sear did nothing for the burger in terms of flavor or texture.

The Preparation: The preparation was fine. I ordered a Med-Rare burger, and I was presented with a Med-Rare burger. The beef was gently formed into patties during the day shift. The burgers were cooked on a moderately hot gas grill.

The Cheese: The White Vermont Cheddar, $2 extra, was the clear winner on the plate. The Cheddar had character, but not enough to pull the dish out of the mediocre neighborhood where it was slumming. This marvelous cheese was not only shamefully over-priced, but it was also the sole item on the plate of genuine interest.

The Bun: What, oh...sorry, I nodded off while thinking back on the bun. The bun was utterly devoid of flavor. It was perfectly neutral with all of the appeal, to the palate, of a sheet of newspaper. The bun was also not toasted, so it sopped up the copious grease oozing from the burger patty. The bun was a lukewarm, oily, bland mess.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This, while completely moot, was fine.

The Toppings: Mine never showed up, and I didn't have the extra 35 minutes to wait on tomato and lettuce.

The Fries: The first batch were mealy, lank, and barely warm--they were also fishy tasting. The second batch was crisp, unseasoned, and they had the bitter after-taste of stale fryer oil.  Yech.

The Value: The value must have been fantastic for DBGB Kitchen and Bar. It was miserable for me. I was most unhappy to have paid 16 bucks for slow service, an average tasting burger, and unpleasant fries.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar was several years old at the time of this review, but the service and quality all spoke to an establishment in its first month of life. I was astonished that the restaurant was packed on a Monday night. Perhaps other dishes on the menu were good, but the burgers were on the low side of average.

Burger Review : A shamelessly over-priced, sub-par cheeseburger was left half-uneaten at DBGB Kitchen and Bar.

Rating...3 Bites (2.5 after the half point deduction for weak value)

Burger and Barrel -- New York, NY

25 W Houston St
(between Mercer St & Crosby St)
Manhattan, NY 10012
212-334-7320

http://www.burgerandbarrel.com

Fat Bruce Lee and I chose Burger and Barrel as the place to acquire some additional arterial plaque while in NYC.  Burger and Barrel opened recently and was the sister restaurant of Lure Fish Bar, where I had been the previous evening with Strawberry Shortcake. The burger at Lure was pretty unimpressive, but the burger cooking A-Team, Chef Josh Capon, had moved over to Burger and Barrel to create awesomeness with ground beef, so we had high hopes. As luck would have it, Chef Capon was in the kitchen that day when we were there for lunch.

The Burger Breakdown...


The Beef: According to the wait staff, it was the same 75:25 meat to fat, chuck heavy blend of chuck, brisket, and boneless short rib. This was same beef that they served at Lure Fish Bar. It too was packed medium firm with a nice, coarse, hearty grind. It had a nice front note of funk, and while it was as lip-dabbingly oily as its counterpart, it was far juicier. Additionally, this beef did taste a little better--it was funky but  more flavorful with some iron notes from the blood--those iron notes were entirely lacking at Lure Fish Bar the previous evening. 

The Seasoning: This burger's exterior was well and properly seasoned on the outside and left alone on the inside. It could have used a little seasoning on the interior, but the blood and powerful funk partially made up for that.

The Sear: It was actually far weaker than we got at the sister restaurant. This was especially off-putting upon noting that they had a broiler available. You will note from the photos that they got a better sear on the cheese than the meat. Seared cheese--I didn't need that--yech.  I guess Chef Capon had better things to do than oversee and adjust the quality that the kitchen was sending out.  Moments after our food came out, he parked himself at a table of familiars. Perhaps he put his time and attention into their food.

A Weak Sear at Burger and Barrel

The Preparation: Probably griddled, since there wasn't a trace of a grill mark. They got our burgers to Medium, which is how we ordered them.

Cheese: American, and it was lost on this burger--the funk and the fat rendered the cheese irrelevant. Additionally, the cheese was scorched, so it lost its creaminess and flavor.

The Bun: The bun was a weakly toasted, neutral brioche. This bun was far superior to the sweet, oily bun served at the sister restaurant.  This bun, based on its relative lack of elasticity, appeared to be light on the egg that was present in the Lure Fishbar bun, which was a plus.

The Meat to Bun Ratio: It was fine--this bun compressed properly and yielded when requested.

The Fries: These were crisp and cooked in peanut oil. They tasted fresh and were seasoned properly--they were pretty great. Oh, the onion rings were good, too--crispy and sweet.

Scorched Cheese at Burger and Barrel

The Value: It was a better-than-average burger. $13 in NYC for a decent burger is almost downright reasonable. Considering the hype on the majority of the food review sites, I had hoped for more.

In spite of a weak sear, scorched cheese, and a half-assedly toasted bun, the quality of the beef and seasonings made the cheeseburger at Burger and Barrel 25% better than the identical fare at Lure Fish Bar.

Burger Review : Burger and Barrel did not live up to the hype, but it deliver a pretty good burger. If you are in the market for "pretty good," then Burger and Barrel is an option. If the chef had been on the ball in the kitchen, this could have been a much better cheeseburger....sigh.

Rating...4 Bites

Lure Fishbar -- New York, NY

The Grilled Cheeseburger at Lure Fishbar

142 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012-3806
(212) 431-7676

Strawberry Shortcake and I settled on Lure Fishbar as the burger to try based upon a pile of glowing reviews from various reviews and blogs--the Internet has never let us down before.  Lure Fishbar was packed, and it was bar seating only, but they had the full menu at the bar.  Lure Fish Bar, as the name would suggest is best known for its seafood, so we had the chili glazed calamari appetizer, and it was pretty freaking great.  I would return for the calamari. As for the burger...

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: 75:25 meat to fat and a chuck heavy blend of chuck, brisket, and boneless short rib. Packed medium firm with a nice, coarse, hearty grind. It had a nice front note of funk, but it was certainly oilier than I was comfortable with.

The Seasoning: Seasoned on the outside and left alone on the inside. Sad...if a high-end burger is full of chuck, then it needs to be seasoned enough to generate some flavor.

The Sear: It was pretty weak in its application to the irregular and medium thick patty on a reasonably hot grill. The sear was not especially crunchy, but it was vaguely present.  

The Preparation: Grilled, but I couldn't find the grill marks, a little beyond the Medium that was requested. I always order Medium for Chuck, or all that I get is bland. That was OK, since the beef was pretty bloodless. The higher cooking temp brought our more flavor from the Chuck.

A little overcooked

Cheese: American...it was fine.

The Bun: A well-toasted, but overly greased and sweet brioche bun. The bun was a little spongier than I would have liked, and as a result it was on the chewy side.

The Meat to Bun Ratio: The cheeseburger at Lure Fishbar is pretty hefty--around 7 oz., so the staunch brioche held up well to the mass of beef.

The Fries: These were crisp and cooked in peanut oil. They were a little under-seasoned, but after a massive burger, who needed them anyway?

The Value: Meh. It was good burger--it was also a $15 burger, so I had hoped for a little more that merely good.

To wrap this up, Lure Fishbar is a seafood establishment.  They quality of the seafood certainly rose above the beef. They opened a sister restaurant, which specialized in burgers, and that is the subject of the next review, which was conducted on the following day.

Burger Review : Lure Fishbar delivered a competent and satisfactory cheeseburger.

A weak sear at Lure Fishbar

Rating...3 Bites

The Brindle Room -- New York, NY

The Brindle Room
277 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10009
Between 1st Ave and Ave A
212-529-9702
website

We really lucked out and happened to catch The Brindle Room on a night where the cheeseburger was on special/on the menu board. It was not normally on the evening menu. The burger was generally available only for Sunday Brunch and Monday evenings in the event that any beef was left over.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the BurgerBusters have discovered our new favorite cheeseburger in NYC--Tess of the B'Urgervilles, Fat Bruce Lee, Pepsi Max, and I were all in agreement that this was the best cheeseburger that we have had in New York.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef : The Brindle Room's burger was all dry-aged steak trimmings from Sebastian's in Morristown, NJ. This tasted of nothing but prime cuts of high-quality beef. The beef was coarsely ground and left alone until it was time to gently formed it into thick, loose patties. The fat content was high, 30%, but much of this rendered off as the burger cooked. The chef incorporated deckle, the fatty cut from the Ribeye into the blend, so this was delightfully rich and nearly creamy.

Preparation: The best way to describe the cheeseburger at The Brindle Room:  Meat candy!  The burger was layered with a twice-seasoned sear from an excruciatingly hot, unoiled, cast iron skillet that must have been heated with a plasma torch.  This resulted in an even, thin layer of Well-Done beef followed by a ridiculously juicy and lush layer of warm, rare nearly pornographically red beef  in the center. The resulting bite was juicy, complex, and wonderfully meaty.  It was a perfect and refreshingly hot Med-Rare. The burger steamed when cut in half yet retained a nearly raw center. There was no doneness gradient--it went from Well-Done to Med-Rare.

The Sear: The sear was ruggedly crunchy, even, and deeply flavorful. Not a hint of carbon was present--the deep, dark sear provided a brilliant textural counterpoint to a center, which resembled warm, chopped Ahi tuna. The tenderness of the beef at the center was nearly shocking in contrast to the coarse exterior of this thick burger patty

Seasoning: A goodly amount salt and pepper were applied to the uncooked nearly white patty, patty. The seasoning was forced beneath the thin but complete sear, and it was apparent on the surface. The seasoning complemented the burger perfectly.

While eating these relatively diminutive (5-6) oz cheeseburgers all time stopped, and our party entered a burger-induced time warp--we were completely engrossed in the symphony of flavors delivered in the meaty bundles:

1. Salt and crust
2  A rush of beef and fat
3. Juice
4. Iron-laden blood
5. Aged beef funk, which lingered for a moment on the tongue.
6. Repeat. This was musical in its rhythm and precision

The Cheese: Was there cheese?  The cheese was a capable, competent, and flavorful American. Two slices, so double the fun. The gooey American cheese completed the bite in terms of texture and umami flavor.

The Bun: Was there a bun?  It was a double toasted, seeded, hamburger bun.  The hamburger bun at The Brindle Room was not sweet enough to interfere with the complex and savory flavors of the burger. This bun was tender and not even remotely chewy. It was a perfect delivery device for a nearly perfect burger--the sole qualm was that the burger was a little oilier than I would have preferred.

Meat to Bun Ratio: The burger was the clear winner--the juices of the burger overwhelmed and saturated the bun. This was not entirely unwelcome, because the burger was so refreshingly juicy.

The Fries: They were dark  crispy, and hearty--they were heavy on the potato flavor and cooked in peanut oil. The hand0cut fries were perfectly seasoned. They were crisp enough that they made a ringing sound in the metal bowl in which they were tossed to distribute the seasoning.

The Value: At $10, the cheeseburger at The Brindle Room was a lot less expensive ($16 less expensive) than the griddled with grape seed oil, Pat La Frieda, Black Label Burger masterpiece at the Minetta Tavern and just a little bit better. The value of this remarkable cheeseburger was unsurpassed in terms of quality of  ingredients, preparation, and taste.

The amazingly seared and seasoned burger at The Brindle Room boasted more complexity than the remarkable Black Label Burger due to the precision of the cooking process and the variety of the cuts of beef.  Further it was less tricky than the aged steak fat infused delight at the now closed The West Branch.

Burger Review : Fat Bruce Lee and I ordered a second burger to split for dessert.  We could not get enough of it. The best cheeseburger that we have had in New York. Tess was quoted as saying, "I wish I hadn't brushed my teeth after that burger."  It was that good.

Rating...Five Bites

brgr -- Manhattan, NY

 287 7 Ave
New York, NY 10001-6285
(212) 488-7500
http://www.brgr.com/

This was the second visit to brgr, and I am disappointed to report, that the wheels came off in terms of preparation. Previously, at the same (Fashion District) location, the cheeseburgers at brgr were astounding--this time, they were merely OK.

The Burger Breakdown...

brgr Burger Wrapped

The Beef: Brandt Beef sourced Chuck from California. It was a medium grind, and it tasted relatively fresh.  The blend at brgr was appropriately gamy and provided a great introduction to each bite.  Sadly, the beef was also bloodless, so there was no iron or overt beefiness to round out the taste.  This was the same beef purveyor that was used by BLVD 16 in LA, however, BLVD 16 made good use of a fine product, where brgr wasted these ingredients with poor handling.

The Preparation: They cooked the burgers to a semi-rubbery Well-Done. Gone was the tasty and flavorful sear of the previous visit. These burgers were placed on a too-cool griddle and brought to temp much to slowly. As a result, the proteins in the beef all had time to link up and create unwanted chewiness. It was too bad, because  quality beef like that really deserved more respect in terms of preparation.

The Seasoning: None--this was sad, because previously brgr was kind enough to care about the flavor of the dish.  This time, they choose to serve unseasoned, rubbery beef.

The Sear: None...sigh.  Well, there was a little, but that was scraped onto my bun from the grill and was in way associated with my cheeseburger.

The Cheese: At brgr, they put the cheese at the bottom. There was an upcharge for the various cheeses, but 30 cents for a slice of American was fine.  The bottom cheese would have been a strong move had the burger been properly seared. Instead, this showcased to lack of care and skill at the grill.

Weak Sear and a Flabby Bun at brgr

The Bun: This was a neutral, seeded, hamburger bun courtesy of Pepperidge Farm.  The bun was flabby  and only toasted at the edges.

The Fries: They were hand-cut, peel-on, and cooked in peanut oil.  The fries were crispy and better than the burger.

The Value: The value was weak at brgr.  $6.50 for mediocre preparation is too much to pay for a burger in a town full of decent burgers.

Burger Review : C'mon brgr--we miss you already.  Fat Bruce Lee was inconsolable, since this was the death of the second 5 Bite location in a single year.  The West Branch closed, and the brgr on 7th succumbed to mediocrity.


Rating...2 Bites This was a substantial downgrade from the 5 bites of the previous visit.

Parlour Steakhouse -- 3rd and 90th -- NYC, NY

1600 3rd Ave
(between 89th St & 90th St)
New York, NY 10128

(212) 423-5888

 http://www.parlorsteakhouse.com/

Damn it all--this should have been a good burger.  Parlour looked like a legit steakhouse/raw bar.  Too bad that they couldn't cook their way out of a wet paper bag.

While the beef was pretty good--it was certainly not properly aged.  Not a trace of seasoning, and the last bite was full of gristle. The grind was off-putting. Somehow, they manage to get the beef ground into strands, so the mouth feel was way off, and the beef was not flavorful enough to savor, which left me chewing on some worst-of -both-worlds cheeseburger/steak hybrid.

The bun--what a disaster.  In a fit of cleverness, someone decided that it would be a good idea to toast the top of the bun--did I say "toast"?  What I meant was immolate.  Nothing crappier than dry, flaky, blackened bread.  Additionally, the dry, burnt bun overwhelmed the smallish, unseasoned patty, so I was left with a bunch of dessicated bread after eating this sad thing.

The cheese--somehow they located the world's most flavorless yellow cheese and decided that would a perfect complement to this disappointment on a bun.  Actually it was--if they were shooting for mediocrity, they nailed it.

The fries were plenty salty, so you know that the talentless falks in the back had access to basic seasonings--sadly, they either used too much or none at all.

Burger Review :  I would have been better off with street meat than this 16 dollar waste of ingredients. Also, I resented them for charging 16 bucks for something this bad.  Save your money---go somewhere else--anywhere else.

Rating...1 Bite

PJ Clarke's Sidebar -- East Midtown NYC

http://pjclarkes.com/sidecar/menu.php

Address:
316 3rd Ave
New York, NY
(55th and 3rd)

The last time I was in New York, I was in the mood for a burger. Since I was unable to get in touch with my burger expert friend, I decided to go off on my own in search of a good one (near my hotel). My trek brought me to a little joint called PJ Clarke's. It's kind of an old-school cocktail bar, with a smallish dining room in the back. When I walked in, I noticed a raw bar that looked and smelled pretty fresh, so I was fairly certain I would get some decent beef.

Now, on to the burger. When it came out, it was not much to look at. It was a standard griddle-cooked burger. The bun likely came from a bag labeled "Wonder." However, one bite and I knew this was the real deal. First off, the patty was a bit thicker than your standard American-style burger. More importantly, there was some pretty high quality beef between those store-bought buns. It had a nice sear, and while cooked a bit beyond the medium-ish I requested, it was still perfectly juicy.

Oh, the fat guy from Lost claims this to be his favorite cheeseburger, and you don't get fat eating stuff that you don't like.

Burger Review :  This isn't some orgasmic, blow-you-away burger. It's just a very good one.

Rating...4 Bites

Genesis Bar and Restaurant -- Upper East Side -- NYC

1708 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128
(btwn 88th & 89th St)
212-348-5500
Website

I was riding in the elevator on the way to my friend's apartment and raving about the burger at the West Branch (afterglow, and a kind stranger suggested that I try the Genesis. Most people's taste is in their ass, but I took a chance--hell, it was two blocks away--and I would like to thank that masked man, whoever he was.

The Genesis boasted that its beef was 100% Angus. I asked the waitress which cut, and she replied, "angus." No point in torturing her--I dropped it, but with a lowered expectation of being served ground Angus brain and tongue.

What arrived at the table were a couple of flawless burgers. Grilled but with a decent sear, perfectly cooked, the cheese draped over the burger like frosting on a cake, and the seasoning was dead on. While these burgers were flawless, nor were they amazing or especially memorable, they were simply well-crafted examples of the art.

The fries were an unmitigated, limp, greasy wreck. Still, this isn't FryBusters, but be warned--they were completely awful.

Burger Review : The best burger on the Upper East Side with pig awful fries on the side.

Rating...3 Bites

JG Melon -- Upper East Side -- NYC

1291 Third Ave., New York, NY 10021
at 74th St.

212-744-0585

JG Melon in a well-reviewed and Michellin-recommended establishment. The burgers are regularly raved about. Too bad JG Melon couldn't back up the hype with some cheeseburger game. I've been there twice in the last year, and I rate this one a whatever.

Seriously, a meh burger--nearly flavorless.  Great sear, but you've got to sear something into it. Utterly without character or flavor.

Burger Review : Whatever.

Rating...2 Bites

brgr -- Midtown -- NYC

287 7 Ave
New York, NY 10001-6285
(212) 488-7500
http://www.brgr.com/

Go, brgr, go. They did one thing, and they doid it well.

The hook here was grass-fed beef. Normally, this ends up tasting green and miserable, but they made it work. The patties were small, so be sure to order a double. This was a perfect American-style (thin) burger. It had the high-quality meat, the well-seasoned, seared, griddled crust, a nice chunk of melted, sharp cheddar, and a toasted bun that just barely managed to contain the juiciness. It was so flavorful that there was no need for condiments.

When I unwrapped it, it promised to be a hot mess, but all that gooeyness and juice stayed put, and I didn't once reach for napkins.

In the word's of a fellow Burger Buster: "This is better than In 'N' Out."  It really was...the cheddar gave the burger added depth with overwhelming the nicely-aged beef.

Burger Review : The best American-style burger that we have ever sampled.

Editor's Note:  brgr was re-reviewed a year later, and it is no longer great. The new rating is far less exciting.

Rating...5 Bites (this was a 5 Bites burger--it has since faltered)

HB Burger -- Midtown -- NYC

127 West 43rd St. Between 6th Ave and 7th Ave.
212-575-5848

At this point, I am ready to give up on SeriousEats.com. Their burger reviews are glowing BS by wannabe food critics that drop to their knees and worship lousy restaurants with gushing reviews in the hope that these works of fiction land them an actual reviewer’s job. Sadly, these doinks are ruining it for the rest of us. They simply provide misinformation and encourage the public to reward the purveyors of these crap sandwiches with our dough.

HB Burger:

Service—atrocious: the server disregarded everything asked of him and pretty much did whatever he wanted to do.

Burger—WEAK: overcooked, thin, underseasoned. A respected review site raved about the crust on this burger. It was pure fiction—there was no crust on this burger—just grill marks—it’s almost impossible to put a crust on a grilled burger.

Bun—WEAK: untoasted, cool to the touch, bland.

Fries—Overcooked.

Cleanliness—Try not to trip over the enormous cockroach that we found at the base of the stairs near the restrooms.

Frankly, HB Burger is probably aware that they serve a crappy product, but a good review prompted a test drive, and this is what happened.

Burger Review : Save your money—this is a bland, small, poorly prepared cheeseburger.

Rating...1 Bite

The West Branch — Upper West Side — NYC

1278 Broadway at 77th

212-777-6764
http://www.thewestbranchnyc.com/
CLOSED

 A brief moment of silence for one of the best burgers that we ever tried.  The West Branch closed in early 2010.

Until early in 2010, when cattle were very, very good and had led virtuous lives full of good deeds, those cows were ground up and served as burgers at The West Branch.     \

Finally, a burger in NYC that lived up to a price tag in the teens—this one was worth every penny of the nineteen bucks. This was a perfect burger. I had gone back four times, and I do not live in NYC. One more time, and I would have been  forced to join the cast of the Biggest Loser where I would have paid Jillian Michaels to bite a hole in my cheek.

At center stage was a formidable, thick patty of coarsely ground chuck with something special. They ground aged, steak fat into the mix. Think “pancetta” but made from cows. This (tallow) is why the fries at McDonald's used to be spectacular.     Honestly, you could have infused a dog turd with this stuff, and it would have been hard to pass up. If theyhad found a way to weaponize it, our enemies would have forgotten what all the fuss was about.

Apologies for the crap photo--the Samsung Lotus does not come with a flash.........sigh.  

The burger had a perfectly even sear that makes you wish that it had even more surface area. The high heat at which the burger was cooked rendered the aforementioned fat so that it blended with the chuck to the point where everything tasted like steak. The sweetness of the toasted, buttered, sesame brioche perfectly offset the saltiness of the seared crust, and the cheddar, which they used bound the entire thing with a warm and gooey finish. Meat-to-bun ratio: Dead On!   They cooked the burger to medium rare, and anything beyond that would have been criminal, Med Rare---warm, red, center, in this case.

Other stuff: The pickles were sweet, crinkle cut dill, which were made on site. If you get the lamb sausage and white bean appetizer, you will discover that they also make the sausage on site. The fries were things of beauty, as well— thick, crispy skin with a creamy center and a generous dash of sea salt to finish them.

Call your cardiologist and apologize, because this was a burger that  had to be consumed in a single sitting. You would not have been able to stop in spite of your best intentions. WIN

Burger Review : It was truly great burger in NYC.

Rating...5 Bites