I usually don’t post links off of other sites, but Billyboy’s One Man Burger Tour of NYC from Roadfood.com is pretty remarkable. He reviews all the best places with close up pics of each burger, so the reader can select the preferred style and toppings of each beefy wonder. Enjoy!
10 Napkin Burger
December 16, 2009 — wecouldeat5 Napkin Burger
Corner 45th & 9th, Midtown West
I generally like going to the theater, but loathe having to find pre-theater dinner places in the mega-touristy Times Square/Theater District area. Restaurant Row is 30 years past its prime, most of the Little Brazil is gone, and most everything else is over-priced and crappy. 9th and 10th avenues are the only oases for good cheap eats, like Gazala Place, Island Burgers and Shakes, and several Mexican hole-in-the-walls. But if you are going with a date or friends, and want more of a proper restaurant, there is really slim pickins. That’s why 5 Napkin Burger is a welcome newcomer. Yes it’s touristy and unauthentic, I mean the menu contains shrimp tempura, matzoh ball soup and steak frites. But in a land of schmaltz, at least you can get a quality burger, and there is something for everyone on the menu.
We had the colossal Burger for 2 and it was pretty incredible. It was as big as my head, and if you’ve seen my head, that’s no small feat. It is 2 8oz patties, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and 5N sauce. Those ingredients blend to form the same flavor profile of a gourmet Big Mac. And I’m saying that in a good way, because McDonald’s tastes great – it’s just horrible for you. Plus, when eating it, I like I was on Man v. Food, even though I had to share with Spud. It is also comes with 2 sides, a pretty good deal for $22.50. We ordered the bowl of pickles and the onion rings. Both were very tasty.
I also dug the dark, bustling atmosphere and friendly service. Check out 5 Napkin Burger, it’s a fun and satisfying choice in the Theater District. In a sea of losers, these owners know how to create a winner.
Admit it, Danny is a Golden God!
July 5, 2009 — wecouldeatShake Shack
Madison Square Park, NYC
I am not sure that there is a point in reviewing the Shake Shack now. It has become such an NYC culinary landmark that everyone already has a firm opinion on it, ranging from legendary to ridiculously overrated. I definitely fall into the former category, although I love it slightly more in concept than reality. Having a high quality “fast food” burger place in the middle of a formerly shitty park is pure genius. Danny Meyer is a god compared to other restaurant tycoons such as Jean George and Joe Bastainich. He’ll give you a Union Sqaure and Eleven Madison, BUT will also elevate burgers and shakes to an extraordinary level for the everyday $10 lunch. I can’t get into a Babbo or Jean George, even if I wanted to spend $120 on my dinner. But I can grab a gourmet sausage or Shack Burger at the Shake Shack in CitiField or a gourmet lite bite at the new stand by the Delicourt Theater in Central Park. Yes, it is not the authentic hole-in-the-wall that has survived for 75 years making Grandma’s original recipe, but it does not discriminate either. Plus the frozen custards and shakes are undeniably great. People can debate the merits of the burger size and taste all day, but this golden shack has done quite a bit to open up NYC’s cheap eats landscape and has transformed a prime piece of green space, that I used to refer to as “toilet park”, into a destination that contains 90 minute lines. The absurdity of waiting 90 minutes for a burger and shake is another issue, but so is the same wait time for a $200 meal of minuscule portions in an overstuffed and overly stuffy box. Face it, Danny Meyer is The Man. End of discussion.
Note: I won’t support the UWS location. While I am sure the food is just as good, the Shack is an open air only experience for me.
Craving a Burger, Fries and Shake?
May 5, 2009 — wecouldeatPetey’s Burger
30-17 30th Street, Astoria
Petey’s Burger is a brand new fast-food style burger place in Astoria. It’s got the bold polished interior, logo, and menu of a chain, but only operates this one location. Petey’s motto, “A Fresh Touch On An Old Favorite”, describes it’s dual personality. I imagine it has modeled itself on the popular West Coast chain In n’ Out burger with it’s small fresh menu where everything is made to order and there are no frozen ingredients. It somehow wants to be a chain of one, and provide all the taste and convenience of fast food, as well as be the local neighborhood burger joint. It doesn’t completely accomplish either, but does a decent job of hovering in the middle.
Everything we had was a big notch above fast food. The double cheeseburger was big and sloppy with quality meat and all the fixins, just the way you would want it. The fries were long and thin and deliciously crispy. Their patty melt, called Petey’s Melt, was a nicely done version of the classic. I didn’t get to try the shakes, but I heard they will do a tasty chocolate strawberry, even though it’s not on the menu.
Petey’s seems here to stay. It fills the same niche as a Goodburger or 5 Guys (although I haven’t been), for customers who won’t eat fast food and yet don’t want a sit down $12 burger at a restaurant. It won’t be the creative local hangout, but will solidly fill that primary craving for a burger, fries and a shake. WeCouldEat will be back soon – plus they deliver.
Above Average Goodburger
April 16, 2008 — wecouldeatSo we are standing on the corner of Union Square North & West on a Sunday afternoon with a dilemma that only occurs in Manhattan — Where to eat? There are literally dozens of options with two blocks, but we are stumped. We only wanted a snack (read: lunch), because we wanted to go to Florent for dinner in 2-3 hours. Apparently some eateries in Manhattan do close on Sundays, like the two we had in mind: Totally Loaded (the new baked potato place which Spud is drooling over) and Rainbow Falafel which serves a kick-ass cauliflower sandwich. So, without spending another hour looking for the perfect places (which is usually the case), Spud made the executive decision for Goodburger. Hopefully it lives up to its name…
Goodburger
870 Broadway (17/18), nyc
3 other Manhattan locations
Goodburger was actually pretty good. It’s kind the of place that everyone at one time has probably thought of opening: fast food with a conscious. Here you can still have a burger and fries, but the burger is fresh and hormone free, the bun can be whole wheat, the grease is recycled and the packaging is biodegradable. They seem to be getting a little creative with the Portobello burger and Crabby Patty. The burgers and fries we had were good and we even got a nice field greens salad to go with. The atmosphere was slightly better than a typical fast food place and they even had tv’s with an NBA game on. All and all it is a good place for a burger. It ain’t the Shake Shack, but it isn’t McDonald’s either. The prices are higher and the wait is longer, but you can feel better about the whole experience. Because I always like to try new and interesting places, it’s not on my short list of return visits, but it is a reliable backup option.
