Bar Frites

Greenvale, NY
www.barfrites.com



The Order: Asian Salmon Burgers, medium rare. Hand cut, with arugula, wasabi aioli on a brioche bun.
Side Order: Comes with fries.
$15
Drink Order: Brooklyn Brown Ale
Burger Menu Rating: 7.5/10




Set off to the side of Wheatley Plaza, this relatively large establishment is airy, and bright, but every time I've been, its been relatively empty. Perhaps it's because its location doesn't lend itself to a lot of upscale clientele (being in a strip mall and all), or perhaps it's because the prices aren't exactly low. Whatever the case may be, I'd say this place is worth going to. With the variety of foods, you're sure to find something you like. I, of course, ordered the sliders (the burgers didn't sound as interesting).

First off, the wasabi aioli is fantastic. Just enough spicyness to it so it doesn't shoot up your nose, but also creamy, and perfect compliment to the salmon. Why? Because it doesn't cover up the taste of the salmon. In fact, it has married it, and they're in a working relationship, with kids maybe on the way. The salmon was perfectly cooked. Medium rare, not dried out, a little flaky, and with a full and delicious taste. There wasn't a lot of arugula to speak of. This, I think, was both good and bad. It served merely as a textural element, but I think having more on it would have made its flavor stand out more so it could be crisp and refreshing taste when combined with the salmon and wasabi.

The fries were simple, lightly salted. They were thin cut. Normal. BUT they have truffle fries, which I think I'll try next time. They're probably going to be worth it (check back for an update). For the price, 3 delicious 2.5oz sliders and fries are definitely worth it.




Sliders Cooked To Order! = +1
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 2pts
Value = 2.5pts

5 Napkin Burger

Manhattan, NY
www.5napkinburger.com


Photo courtesy of the web, originally from 5 Napkin Burger.

The Order: Original 5 Napkin Burger, medium rare. 10oz custom ground beef, caramelized onions, gruyere, rosemary aioli, on a soft white roll.
Side Order: Comes with fries.
$14.95
Drink Order: 5 Napkin Nut Brown Lager
Burger Menu Rating: 11/15




This is a hip little place. Old Edison lamps hang from meat hooks all over this dimly lit bar/restaurant (too dim, in fact, to get a decent pixture w/ my crap phone), while a wide range of music plays, though not so loud you can't talk to your servers or friends. The atmosphere is relaxed, and there's a constant buzz of conversation. And this place gets busy, so I'd definitely make a reservation if you can. I walked in and was able to snag a seat at the bar. The bartender was knowledgeable about the menu, and decisive with her advice, which amounted to 'go for the original.'

This burger is about toppings, taste and mouthfeel. Everything on this burger comes together in a sot and creamy mess that is a delight to bite into. It's all soft around the meat, making he meat stand out and exist as an altogether different texture that is satisfying to sink your teeth into. And the taste of the sauce packs a big punch. In fact, it's almost too much. The rosemary aioli is so strong that you barely get any of the other flavors in the burger, and the meat flavor itself struggles to make its presence known to your mouth. The gruyere and the caramelized onions are likewise thrust aside in the aioli's quest to dominate your taste buds. Still, the burger is cooked perfectly, and the texture of the burger is perfect. Eating a bite of the meat separately from the rest of the burger reveals it to be slightly smoky, and completely delicious, so it's not as if the ingredients aren't all there and holding up their end of the bargain. This also isn't to say that the aioli isn't delicious! It is! Entirely! It's superb! But there was way too much of it on this burger.

The fries are dull and uninteresting unless smothered in ketchup; their taste not only completely lost compared to the aioli, but somehow lacking from the beginning. Perhaps a lack of seasoning, or crunch. It seems like everything about the fries, besides their presentation, is disappointing.

Still, I find myself scarfing down the burger, and fries, in my usual manner, which tells me the burger is, in fact, delicious. It's just a balance in flavor that this meal is lacking.




Cooked Correctly = 5pts
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 2pts
Value = 2

Pop Burger

Manhattan, NY
www.popburger.com



The Order: Pop Burgers (2), medium rare. American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and special sauce.
Side Order: Tater Tots ($4.25)
$8.25 + $4.25 = $12.50
Drink Order: Water
Burger Menu Rating: 6/10




Pop Burger, you are confusing. I have now been to two of your locations. One of you is also a bar/lounge with table service. The other is a pub with lots of wood paneling. I have not to been to your third location, but I have no idea what to expect. If I had known you were all so different, I would not have expected any kind of consistency between your locations, but alas, I was uninformed. But more on this later. This review is for the Chelsea location.

First of all, woah. You can order your sliders medium rare. Most places don't even let you try for fear that they'll get it wrong, or they just don't want to try to cook it to order because its so difficult to do. But at Pop Burger you can! You have balls Pop. You have balls. Service was relatively fast, and the behind the counter service was pleasant. I've never been in here when its very busy, or I should say, its never been really busy when I've been here during either the lunch or dinner hour. Every time, however, the sliders have come out fairly quickly.

What was really nice about these sliders is that they weren't incredibly salty, like a lot of sliders I've eaten. It was great change, and a welcome one. The special sauce on the burger is really tasty, and a little bit tangy with each bite. The meat taste doesn't really come through on the burger all that much; these are thin patties. And hey! They cooked it almost perfectly! Still, a thicker patty would've been welcome. Like last week's burger, the stacking order was a little strange, with lettuce on the bottom, BUT there wasn't too much lettuce, so it wasn't terrible. Noticeable, but not as much of a detriment. I didn't taste the cheese at all, so it seemed kind of a waste, but I loved the bun. Soft, lightly toasted; a good vehicle for these sliders.

I've had both the fries and the tots. Both of them are normal, and lightly salted. I've never had the tots overcooked, though, so I'd say go for the tots as you're more likely to enjoy them (if you like tots, and let's be honest, who doesn't like tots).

As far as presentation goes, they have it all together. Nothing special, cardboard with the Pop logo all over it, etc. but when my order came up - and this may have been a fluke - the tater tots were artfully tipped over and spilled partly out of the cup. Well done preparer. Whether you did that by accident, or on purpose, it made my tray look all the more appetizing, as if the tots just couldn't wait to escape into my mouth.

'Now, Pop Burger. You have three locations. Why are the Pop Burgers at each location different prices? Wait, the fries and tots are different prices as well? Next you'll be telling me that the onion rings and the pop corn are also different prices at your varying locations. What? They are?! This is ridiculous!'

Most of the other menu items that are the same across the three locations are the same price. For best value for the aforementioned foodstuffs, go to their "Pop Pub" location on University Place, just south of Union Square. They're Pop Burgers, fries, tots and onion rings are the cheapest, the burgers coming in at $7.75 (vs. uptown's $9.25 - the burgers are made the same).




Sliders Cooked To Order! = +1
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 2pts
Value = 1pts

New York Burger Co.

Manhattan, NY
www.newyorkburgerco.com



The Order: Chelsea Burger, medium rare. Cherrywood smoked bacon, cheddar, 1000 Island sauce, plum tomato and romaine on soft bun.
Side Order: Blueberry Vanilla Shake ($5.50)
$8.50 + $5.50 = $14
Drink Order: Cherry Coke (fountain)
Burger Menu Rating: 9/15




A name like New York Burger Company comes with certain expectations. I mean, they're basically saying that they, as a restaurant/chain should represent all of New York (or at least all of New York City) when it comes to burgers. 'All of you other burger places should pay homage to our burger prowess.' Sadly, NYBC (as they'll be named for the rest of this post) falls a bit short.



First of all, the stacking order on this burger is a little strange. Lettuce on the bottom? I've never found that lettuce was the first thing I wanted to taste after the bun. Why not put the burger as close to my taste buds as possible? Really? You think lettuce is the best thing? Ok. To each his own, but we're not off to a good start here. Everything else seems in order here, except that the 1000 island dressing isn't drizzled all over the burger, only splashed on in certain places. The tomatoes look a little lonely on the top too, don't they.

The bread here is a bit thick. Too much bread, and too much bread taste when eating this burger. The bun would be great if the meat was especially juicy, but it wasn't. Well to be honest, at times it was, and at times it wasn't. Some parts of the burger were downright dry. This isn't to say that it wasn't cooked to order. I ordered it medium rare, and that's exactly how it came out, but really, I want the entire burger juicy, not parts of it. It was an entirely confusing culinary experience.

Presentation? Eh. They are definitely well put together, using the same fonts and logos, right down to the little Chelsea Burger sticker affixed to the burger wrapper. More like upscale fast food wrapping than anything else. Average. Its at least neat, and clean, and they didn't crush the burger in the foil.

The NYBC 1000 Island sauce really didn't do it for me here. It wasn't very tangy, or sweet, or anything really. It just didn't add anything to the burger and could just have not been there at all. However, this place has a TON of free sauces, and I guarantee you'll find something you like. Dip your burger in them, dip your fries, dip your face. Some of them are delicious. Special favorites were the Chipotle Honey and the Maple Dijon.

The fries seemed overpriced to me at $3, and I was short on time, so someone else will have to tell me how they are. If anything, they'd be a great vehicle for all the delicious sauce. The shake, however, was a complete letdown. It was no where thick enough, and I really didn't wait that long to drink it! The flavor was there, but it was just so much like drinking blueberry flavored milk that I ended up throwing away about half of it. Maybe try ordering it extra thick.

I don't know if I would come here again. The Flatiron Burger looks interesting, but then again, so did the Chelsea. If I'm in the area again, maybe I'll give it a go, but so far, NYBC is a big letdown.




Cooked Correctly = 5pts
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 1pts
Value = 1