Fairway Café/Steakhouse
2127 Broadway (B’twn 74th & 75th)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 595-1888
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3/5
Notes:
- Burger: Fat and juicy. The light seasoning is just enough to bring out the flavor of the beef.
- Bun: Standard, somewhat doughy white bread. Comes dangerously close to being outsized by the patty, but hits the spot.
- Garnish: Bibb lettuce, tomato and red onion. Nothing special, its all about the burger here.
- Mess factor: Surprisingly manageable given the patty to bun ratio.
- Fries: Non-shoestring variety fries with a bit of potato skin left on. Cooked somewhat crispy and modestly seasoned.
- Price: Plain: $8, Cheddar: $9, Bacon & Cheddar: $10
- Bordeaux: 2006 Cloudline Cellars Pinot Noir. This young Pinot had a red fruity flavor that complemented the burger nicely. All this at a nice price.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there, perhaps.
- Overall: Dining at Fairway Café is not entirely unlike dining in the natural foods section of a supermarket–without the florescent lights. Even so, they do a good job of cordoning off the dining area from the shopping area. The open kitchen can contribute to the noise level when busy, but not so much that diners can’t carry on a conversation. Fairway could do much to improve the evening atmosphere by dimming the lights just a touch. They were quite busy when we arrived around eight o’clock on a Saturday night. Even so, we were seated immediately. As we were enjoying our burgers and wine, the dining area slowly emptied. So, if one wants to avoid the rush, showing up later isn’t such a bad idea. Anyone who has visited a Burgers & Cupcakes outpost will find the burger at the café very similar if not exactly the same but for the presentation. If you are craving a burger while in the neighborhood, this is a good place to stop. Be aware that weekend days at Fairway Café can be busy, so you might be forced to shop for legumes in the bulk foods section while waiting for a table.
October 27th, 2007
JP Reardon
AOC
314 Bleecker Street (corner of Bleecker & Grove St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 925-9975
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 4/5
Notes:
- Burger: AOC serves a mouthwatering, charred patty made of high quality ground beef that they’ve seasoned nicely with salt and pepper.
- Bun: A fresh baked bun that was crusty and dusted with flour on the outside and toasted on the inside. It had all the craggy benefits of an English muffin, so that by the end of the sandwich, the bread had nicely captured the flavor of the juicy burger.
- Garnish: We ordered ours with Swiss cheese and bacon, both of which added a nice flavor to the already tasty sandwich. Red onion slices, tomato wedges, and a green salad accompany the burger.
- Mess factor: Thanks to an outstanding bun, there wasn’t a bit of mess to this burger.
- Fries: The fries were a bit of a letdown, especially given how nice they looked. These were thin cut, fried to a golden brown, but too mildly flavored and lacking any crispy crunch.
- Price: $13 (with bacon and cheese)
- Bordeaux: We had a 2003 St. Emillion that was served by the glass. It was a delicious wine to pair with the burger, with a dry, fruity finish that did a good job of standing up to the high stakes of the tasty sandwich.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall:
AOC is a tasteful bistro in the heart of the village, with large windows overlooking the corner of Bleecker and Grove. It was pleasantly quiet and we had no difficulty getting a table right away (especially since it was a warm Wednesday evening and we opted to sit indoors instead of their back garden, where most people headed). They had a groovy soundtrack, played low enough to not interfere with conversation. While falling short of a great rating, they served a burger they can be proud of on one of the best buns we’ve encountered.
October 10th, 2007
jonas
Paul’s Place
131 2nd Avenue (B’twn Aves. 7th & St. Marks)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 529-3033
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 2/5
Notes:
- Burger: Big burger, little flavor. This is accomplished by starting with a patty devoid of seasoning, frying it on a griddle, and finishing it by steaming it under a cover. This cooking method speeds the process and melts the cheese nicely, but delivers a bland burger that falls apart from the first bite.
- Bun: Paul’s burgers come standard on a seeded, white bread bun that adds little to the flavor or the overall experience. Kaiser rolls are also on offer and might be a better choice for such a hefty patty.
- Garnish: Make it deluxe and it comes with lettuce, tomato and pickle.
- Mess factor: One of us ordered The Eastsider (their specialty). The bun was no match for the gluttonous amount of toppings. The wiser of us chose a bacon cheeseburger, which was more manageable, but still crumbly.
- Fries: Fat steak fries which arrived in a soggy state and lacked any seasoning. If the fries were crispy to begin with, they may have had a better chance of retaining their texture if they weren’t used as a platform for the burger.
- Price: Bacon Cheeseburger: $5.60/8.10. Eastsider: $9.25/11.55 (burger/deluxe)
- Bordeaux: Take our advice and order beer from their limited selection.
- Atmosphere: You could take… On second thought, use your own good judgment here (see below).
- Overall: Paul’s Place came highly recommended, but we were a bit disappointed. Judging from their brisk business, however, it seems that many enjoy their burgers. These are not bad burgers, they just aren’t very well aligned with our tastes. The atmosphere is that of a typical burger joint with tables spaced close enough to sneak a fry from your neighbor. There are also several televisions placed at strategic locations so that you need not pay too much attention to your dining companion or food. The menu claims The Eastsider is their specialty, so even with an excessive number of toppings, it was hard to resist. If you have a hankering for a hamburger topped with cheese, bacon, ham, mushrooms and onions, give it a try. Unfortunately, this pile of artery clogging goodness makes for an unwieldy sandwich. If you attempt this burger, order it on a kaiser roll for sure. All that said, if you’ve got the appetite for a big burger Paul’s just might be the place for you.
September 14th, 2007
JP Reardon
EU
235 East 4th Street (B’twn Aves. A & B)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254-2900
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes:
- Burger: The best thing about the German burger is the smoky, salty flavor of the black forest bacon. The patty itself is no match for its fantastic flavor – and unfortunately, the same is true of the liverwurst or the cheese. This ends up being more of a great bacon sandwich than a great burger.
- Bun: Served on a brioche with a little crunch in the top and enough dough in the middle to absorb the juice of the burger without falling apart.
- Garnish: The only garnish is a small ramekin of “brown sauce” – essentially HP sauce mixed with mayo. No vegetables get in the way of this triple-meat extravaganza.
- Mess factor: The first bite of this burger explodes with juice, but beyond that, the brioche contains this burger well.
- Fries: Nice, crunchy, golden fries, generously salted to compliment the bacon.
- Price: $15
- Bordeaux: We enjoyed a 2001 Quinta Do Carmo, a rich and fruity wine from a Rothschild vineyard in Portugal. It was served slightly chilled, perfect for a hot summer night. The full fruit flavor was highly drinkable and a pleasant contrast to the seasoning of the burger and fries. At $48, not necessarily a bargain, but certainly not a disappointment.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there. In fact, we took two.
- Overall:
Monique joined us to celebrate the launch of the fantastic new design she created for our site (THANK YOU!!!). She ordered the English burger, which lacked the delicious bacon that we enjoyed, but still seemed to come up a little heavy on the salt and too light on other flavors – even without smoked pork to steal the show. The German burger deserves a few enhancements to really show off the bacon – the unfulfilled potential of this burger weighs down the score as much as actual flaws in the delivery.
The décor at EU is warm and comfortable – plenty of glass and wood, 20-foot high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows that open over Fourth street, and classic rock on the play list. Each burger is delivered with a one-ounce mini-bottle of ketchup, which adds a nice touch. Overall, a very fine evening with great company and glimpses of grandeur in the sandwich.
July 24th, 2007
jonas
Good World Bar & Grill
3 Orchard Street (B’twn Canal & Division)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 925-9975
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 5/5
Notes:
- Burger: Peppery at first bite, but there is a lot more going on here. The beef patty is mixed with beets, capers and onions. The flavors complement each other very well.
- Bun: A toasted english muffin. While we’re not big fans of the english muffin bun, it works well here. This is due in part to the patty being sized appropriately. The muffin also does well at soaking up the juice which, by the end of the meal, makes the muffin that much tastier.
- Garnish: The huge pile of smoky bacon is a fitting garnish for this burger. There is also a green salad with vinaigrette that is meant to be eaten on its own rather than on the burger.
- Mess factor: English muffins tend to make a burger mess prone–this burger is no exception. The loosely packed patty also contributes to the mess factor. Seasoned burger eaters, however, will loose little of this sandwich’s ingredients to the plate or their lap. Large, cloth napkins are provided in case there is a spill.
- Fries: No fries are included so we shared a side. They were thick and tasty but not as crispy as we would like. The spicy mayonnaise that comes with the fries gives them a kick and is a better choice than ketchup.
- Price: $12 (choice of Västerbotten, blue or Jarlsberg cheese)
- Bordeaux: Several wines are on offer. Since one of us was sticking with beer, the other was limited to those available by the glass. The only bordeaux by the glass was a white. We recommend pairing this burger with one of the fine beers available.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall:
We both knew this was a high ranking burger with the first bite. This burger is very unique and should be tried. The kitchen was out of blue cheese, so I went with the bartender’s recommendation of Norwegian goat cheese. If this option is available to you, I suggest you go with it. The dark orange goat cheese is a perfect complement to the bacon. Good World feels more out of the way than it really is. It shares the short, first block of Orchard Street with a Post Office, a shabu shabu place and little else. We were dining late on a Friday night so we ended up occupying a couple seats at the bar. Good World is home to some of the highest bar stools, anywhere. Use care when alighting from your stool if you’ve had a couple drinks. There are several tables around including a few in the rear garden. The tables up front are lit mostly by the street light filtering through the large windows. If you don’t wish to be bathed in sodium vapor light, you should dine at one of the back tables or in the garden. Good World does a brisk bar business on the typical drinking nights but is more subdued at other times. If you want to avoid crowds of imbibers, try going earlier in the week.
June 29th, 2007
JP Reardon
Resto
111 East 29th Street (B’twn Lex & PAS)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 685-5585
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 5/5
Notes:
- Burger: Wow, this patty packs flavor. The kitchen cooks them only one way, medium, but this coarsely ground and loosely packed burger does not disappoint. This is not the typical ground sirloin and the result is a delicious, steaky burger. Think of a really, really good cheesesteak, without the wiz.
- Bun: A soft, white bread bun that doesn’t distract from the flavor of the burger and does a pretty good job of holding the sandwich together.
- Garnish: Passendale cheese, pickle, thin, thin red onion slices and mayo.
- Mess factor: The patty produces almost no juice, which reduces the mess factor substantially. However, the patty is also really loosely packed, which can get a little sloppy, especially with the slippery layer of mayonnaise. Here’s where a heartier bun might be warranted.
- Fries: Fat, Belgian style frites cooked and seasoned they way they should be. Try some of the flavored mayonnaise on offer for $1 each. The lime pickle mayo was especially interesting.
- Price: $13
- Bordeaux: As is often the case, the Bordeaux on the menu were pricier (>$50) than we wanted to spend, so we went for what looked like the best value on the list. We chose a 2003 Herencia Tempranillo that was slightly tannic with nice cherry and blackberry tones. It was a good accompaniment to an excellent burger — but at $45, not really a bargain.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: That this burger is worthy of a “5″ does not come as a huge surprise. In Resto’s short history, it has garnered very favorable reviews. The house-ground burger is an interesting mixture of meat that makes for a steaky flavor not found in most burgers. The standard, white-bread bun that might have been a disappointment in other restaurants works well here. This sandwich is about the meat, not the bread. The fries were made more interesting by the flavored mayonnaises. We sampled the sweet chili and pickle lime flavors. The sweet chili had an artificial flavor of some sort that didn’t seem to complement the fries. On the other hand, the pickle lime mayo was very tasty. As for the dining room, it felt very new and will probably feel more cozy with some wear and tear. The bar dominates the front half of the room but the rear feels a bit empty as it is devoid of any wall decorations beyond the sconces. The wood floor, spare walls and tin ceiling amplify the din of wine-imbibing diners diving into their moules frites. Add to this a steady soundtrack of indie rock and it can be challenging to carry on a quiet conversation. The small plates on the menu are also quite tempting. We sampled the deviled egg (served on pork toasts) and bitter ballen.Both were very, very tasty.
June 3rd, 2007
JP Reardon
Hudson Corner Cafe
570 Hudson Street (@ 11th St.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 229-2727
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 2/5
Update: Hudson Corner is closed.
Notes:
- Burger: Hudson Corner Café serves a half-pound burger that emphasizes quantity over taste. The lean beef patty was dry, a bit chewy, and lacked flavor and seasoning.
- Bun: The sandwich is held together nicely by a seeded and slightly stale white-bread bun. Part of the success of the bun should be attributed to the dryness of the burger.
- Garnish: The burger was served with lettuce, tomato and a fat slice of red onion. We ordered our burgers with cheddar cheese and bacon, both of which came in hearty proportions to match the size of the burger. Even with the plentiful pile of pork atop the patty, their was still a surprising lack of flavor to the whole experience.
- Mess factor: The sandwich held together nicely, minimizing the mess factor and leaving only a slight film of grease on our fingers.
- Fries: The fries were thinly sliced and fried to a nice crisp – but lacked the seasoning to really make them stand out. Are your sensing a common thread in the flavor department here yet?
- Price: $8.95 for the burger; a dollar each for the cheddar and bacon.
- Bordeaux: Our initial impression of Hudson Corner Café instinctively suggested we order our wines by the glass. We could tell this was not a place to seek out a fine wine. Of the few they had listed on the menu, most were unavailable. They had three anonymous wines to offer – a merlot, a cab, and a Chianti. We tried a glass of each, and while the merlot was the standout among the crowd, it had less to do with its own inherent goodness than the lackluster pours we received of the other two.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl here, maybe, but you probably want to suggest she order something besides the burger.
- Overall: We were skeptical when we saw Hudson Corner Café, empty on an otherwise buzzing spring evening in a prime part of the West Village. However, we were willing to hope for a surprise, a sleeper burger waiting to be discovered.
Once inside, the décor was friendly and welcoming, with large windows overlooking the top of Hudson Street. Unfortunately, the restaurant just didn’t deliver on flavor. A little seasoning mixed with the meat and sprinkled atop of the fries – and a bit more effort in delivering a decent glass of wine – would go far here.
April 30th, 2007
jonas
J.G. Melon
1291 3rd Avenue (@74th St.)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 650-1310
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 4/5
Notes:
- Burger: J.G. Melon serves plump, juicy, burgers that are fried (rather than grilled) and cooked just as ordered. The patty lacks the delicious charred flavor of the grill and also could benefit from a healthy dose of seasoning.
- Bun: A plain, fresh, white, seedless bun. It did a fine job of holding this juicy burger together, but didn’t add much in the way of flavor.
- Garnish: The burgers are accompanied by a thick slice of ripe red tomato slice, thin rings of red onions, plenty of dill pickles, and nice, crunchy iceberg lettuce. We topped our burgers with a plentiful layer of crunchy bacon and melted American cheese.
- Mess factor: Although plenty of napkins are provided, this burger was surprisingly not that messy.
- Fries: Cottage style, round cut fries that were cooked perfectly but lacking in any seasoning.
- Price: $8 (with bacon and cheese, $9.25)
- Bordeaux: J.G. Melon is well known for burgers, not wine. We opted for Sam Adams drafts, served in nice 10 oz glasses for four bucks a pop.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there, maybe.
- Overall: This Upper East Side tavern is known far and wide for its burgers and came highly recommended. This is a good burger, but based purely on the notes above, it’s hard to rate this burger above a “3.” However, there is something about the way everything comes together at J.G. Melon’s that warrants another point. Their checkered table cloths, no-nonsense service and straight-forward menu scream “classic”. That is just what this burger is, a classic. Upon entering, one can’t help but notice the closet-sized kitchen next to the jukebox and across from the bar. In fact, any sort of crowd at the bar will push you so close to the grill, you’ll feel like you should be wearing an apron. The only complaint here is the kitchen’s apparent aversion to seasoning. Both the burger and the fries could use a dash of flavor.
March 30th, 2007
JP Reardon
Market Café
496 9th Ave (b’twn 37th and 38th)
New York, NY 10018
(212) 967-3892
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 4/5
Notes:
- Burger: Quality ground beef grilled up plump and juicy and cooked just the way we ordered. There was a really nice charred flavor on this patty, but not a lot of seasoning.
- Bun: A slightly chewy kaiser that outsized the burger a bit more than we would have liked, but the extra bun held the sandwich together well.
- Garnish: Crispy romaine, tomato, thinly sliced red onion and a pickle spear. We both opted for cheddar cheese which was plentiful and well melted.
- Mess factor: Juicy, juicy. Only one additional napkin was necessary though.
- Fries: Fried nicely, deliciously salted and sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley.
- Price: $10
- Bordeaux: We paired these juicy burgers with a tasty 2004 Tempranillo Rioja from Biurko. This was a smooth, easy-to-drink wine with a nice hint of cherry that was a bit too soft to stand up to our big, juicy burgers. This was a delicious wine that we would definitely recommend with a less flavorful meal.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: By day, Market Café is a bright, white tiled and quite busy lunch spot. By night, the atmosphere is more subdued with most of the light coming from the table candles. There is a lunch counter that sort of doubles as a bar lining one wall. The art normally showcases one artist and is changed every so often. We’ve consumed many a burger at Market Café over the years. They have changed their bun choice a few times in the past. In our opinion, the brioche style buns they were serving a few years back were superior to the current offering. The constant at Market has been the really meaty, well charred patties and the well seasoned fries. This is a burger consistently good enough to make up for a less than exciting bun.
February 5th, 2007
JP Reardon
Stand
24 East 12th Street (b’twn 5th Ave and University)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 488-5900
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 2/5
Notes:
- Burger: Stand serves up a not overly thick, juicy patty that explodes on the first bite but doesn’t deliver the flavor we were hoping for from a restaurant that specializes in hamburgers.
- Bun: The seeded, white-bread bun didn’t add much to the sandwich and was unable to handle the mess presented by the juicy burger and thinnish cheese sauce.
- Garnish: The burgers come with a caramelized onion “marmalade,” which added a nice, sweet tang to a burger that really needed it. However, one of the real downfalls of this burger was the cheese sauce that was served in a ramekin on the side. Perhaps we’re old-fashioned, but we would have preferred a nice slice of cheese melted on top of this burger. The sauce doesn’t stick with the patty and prevents the bun from holding the sandwich together. The result is a sloppy burger that slides away on each bite.
- Mess factor: A messy burger, especially as we got closer to finishing. In fact, the waiter dropped off extra napkins in the middle of our meal and wetnaps as we were finishing.
- Fries: They offer shoestring and thick-cut fries. We ordered the thinner variety, which were delicious, crispy, and plenty salty. Be warned, Stand takes “shoestring” to the extreme here, think French’s Potato Sticks. The only drawback was that they were so thin that they didn’t allow us to fully soak up the flavor of the homemade ketchup delivered on the side.
- Price: $11, with the cheese sauce and onions.
- Bordeaux: Alas, Stand had not obtained their liquor license in time for our visit, so we paired these burgers with Cokes.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there, but we’re not sure you’d want to.
- Overall: We expected more from a restaurant that specializes in hamburgers. Just about everything on their menu includes a hamburger – even their salad. And you can get a burger on the side of your burger, as well. With burgers everywhere, we expected to come out satisfied. Instead, we felt more than a little let down and even a little hungry (maybe we should have ordered that burger on the side). The drawbacks here were too many to overlook: sloppy cheese sauce, a poorly seasoned burger, shredded iceberg lettuce, and a patty that tried to run away on every bite.
December 22nd, 2006
jonas
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