Brooklyn Burger Bar

Hamburg, DE
www.brooklynburgerbar.de



The Order:  The Def Jam, medium rare. Beef with Fourme d'Ambert, Arugula, Beefsteak Tomato, and Bacon Marmalade.
Side Order:   Sweet Potato Fries, with Red Ranch Dip. Fried in Canola oil and tossed with sea salt and cayenne.
€10 + €4,50 = €14,50
Drink Order:  Pilsner Urquell
Burger Menu Rating:  9/15




I know what you were thinking. A new burger place in Brooklyn! Well you thought wrong. Sorry to disappoint. But for all you Germans reading this. YOU can be excited about a new burger joint in Hamburg! The new Brooklyn Burger Bar (the 2nd "NY Style" burger restaurant in Hamburg), from owner Steffen Schröder of Streit's Lounge, is doing some interesting things with their burgers, and with a dedication to sourcing locally, and making everything in-house, you can be sure that they care about their product. The buns are made by a local bakery that uses only organic ingredients for the buns, delivered fresh every day. The same goes for all the sauces they use. The beef is supplied from a distributor in the north of Germany. It's grass-fed and the cows are raised (somewhere) in the north of Germany as well.

As far as taste goes, this burger is doing something right, and something a little different, but it's really difficult to put my finger on it. The Fourme d'Ambert, one of the oldest French cheeses - a blue cheese - adds a nice musky flavor, but overall this burger is really salty, and it's salty to a point of distraction! Perhaps it was the bacon marmalade, which was delicious and added a nice texture that was slightly buttery but with big firm chunks in it. My experience with bacon in Germany has been that it's generally very salty, so perhaps the bacon and the amount of salt they used on the patty combined to overwhelm the rest of the flavors of the burger. That all being said, there were some other spices in play here that I couldn't exactly figure out. It was almost a combination of Middle Eastern spices, or some kind of curry powder on there as well. There was a distinct tang to the flavor of the meat that I was able to discern that had me very excited.


The Def Jam laid open.  Unfortunately overcooked to medium, instead of medium rare.

The other thing about this burger was that unfortunately as I ate my way from the center to the outside, it got less and less exciting. The patty was overcooked (-1) to begin with, but then it was also very unevenly cooked. Towards the edges, the patty became completely gray, dry and a bit tough (-1). This burger could have easily scored an 11/15 just by cooking this correctly.  Perhaps they didn't compress the center of the patty, and maybe the grill wasn't hot enough. Either way, the cooking of the patty could use some help here. Overall there's room for improvement on the burger. Being cooked correctly would be the first major order of business, and then balancing out the flavors would follow. If they can pull that off, they'll have one heck of a burger here.

The sweet potato fries and spicy ranch dip are pretty stellar. If you're reading this Steffen, PLEASE DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THEM! They were addicting and perfect. A tiny bit of smokiness, the right amount of salt and cayenne, and the ranch dip made these things impossible to put down. By the end of the meal, we were all full, but still chowing down on our healthy portions of fries. €4,50 is a bit steep for this side, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't pay for it every time I went there.


The Brooklyn Classic, with Romaine, Beefsteak Tomato, Red Onion, Pickles and Ketchup.

Aside from burgers, which dominate their food menu, Brooklyn Burger Bar also serves two salads, two other meat dishes (the chili sounds the most intriguing), and a boatload of delicious cocktails. We sampled a few that were all spectacular. Given Schröder's bar experience in Hamburg already, this is nothing less than should be expected from his new venture.

If you're planning on going here, plan on being disappointed. Not by their food. When we left were full, and satisfied. No, plan on being disappointed by the inability to get a table at this place. Two of us had to email and call multiple times to try to get a reservation. Here's an insider's tip: make sure you try to make the reservation at least two days in advance.  However, this isn't a guarantee that they'll actually write you back. Don't bother calling, and don't bother sending them an email like their answering machine tells you to. Send them a message through their Facebook account. It took them a full day and a half to write back to me to tell me they didn't have a reservation for me, by which point my friend had a reservation already (who wrote a day after I did).


If this doesn't say 'classy', I don't know what does.

On top of all of that, everybody in town is talking about 'the new burger restaurant on Alter Fischmarkt by the Scientology place' so don't expect to be able to walk in and get a table, or even a seat at the bar, unless MAYBE you get there right at 6pm when they open, and they're in a charitable mood.  They're swamped every single night, with every table booked.  If the masses are any indication, they're doing something right.  Granted the burger scene in Hamburg isn't much to speak about on the whole, but as they get settled get everything figured out, and if they can make some major, but easy, improvements, Brooklyn Burger Bar is sure to be a fixture in Hamburg for years to come.





Cooked Correctly:  3/5
Design/Ingredients:  2.5/4
Plating:  2/3
Value:  1.5/3

Superfine

Brooklyn, NY
yelp.com



The Order:  Superfine burger, medium rare.  With lettuce, onion, tomato. Add pancetta ($1, to add cheese is also $1).
Side Order: Comes with shoestring fries.
 $12 + $1 = $13
Drink Order:  Saratoga IPA
Burger Menu Rating: 6.5/15




 Nestled right in the heart of DUMBO, Superfine is an airy, rustic bar restaurant with an attitude.  I say 'with an attitude' instead of 'with attitude' because it's true.  It can be unspoken, but every time I've been here, the servers have been somewhat surly.  It's interesting, and backwards for such a nice place.  The decor is fantastic, almost a throwback to the 50s, and the menu is interesting, or has been, each time I've gone.  Sadly, though, the burger is not their strong point.


The menu: usually interesting.

To begin with, the burger is totally uninteresting.  Between the superfine grind (see what I did there?) and the meat having been overworked into the patty, there wasn't much left for the burger to offer.  It was completely uninteresting, and pedestrian.  And really overcooked!  Medium rare isn't that hard people!  The bun was actually the best part of the burger!  Soft, a great airy texture, and sopped up the few juices that came out of the burger.  The other ingredients on the burger, however, were lackluster.  None of them were really crisp, and the tomato was mealy and tasteless.  And the pancetta?  Save your money.  It didn't add anything to the burger whatsoever.

Shoestring fries?  Can we ban them?  I hate them.  Actually, they were fine, but it's really hard not to make the fries ridiculously crispy when they're so thin.

The service here is slow.  Ordering, paying, everything about it is slow.  Skip it, or at least skip the burger.




Cooked Correctly:  3/5
Design:  1/4
Plating:  2/3
Value:  .5/3




Hey, by the way!  I'm going to Minetta Tavern tomorrow.  I'm excited.  Are you?

DuMont Burger

Brooklyn, NY
http://www.dumontburger.com/website



The Order: DuMont Burger, medium rare.  On grilled brioche, with Boston Bibb, tomato, red onion and house made pickles.
Side Order:  Comes with choice of fries, onion rings, mixed greens or soup.  I went with the Rings.
$12.50
Drink Order:  Stone IPA
Burger Menu Rating:  10/15




A lot of friends have recommended DuMont Burger in the past.  They talk about how great this place is, how great the burger is, etc.  But I found that all the hype was a bit misplaced, unfortunately.  I was really ready to love this burger, and when I saw the establishment, I was excited.  The entire restaurant seemed to exude burger excitement.  We sat down, and our order was quickly taken, however, that was when the disappointment began.

It wasn't really all that busy when we arrived and ordered; some others came trickling in after we got there, but not that many.  The food took a long time coming out for some reason, but Rob and I had a lot to catch up on, so it didn't seem as long as it actually was.


 A perfect medium rare and a huge patty.

This patty is HUGE.  I mean, really huge.  The meat had a good char to it, adding to its flavor, which was fantastic.  It was cooked perfectly too, I mean, look at that awesome medium rare.  Unfortunately, the meat was worked a bit too much to form the patty.  There wasn't an even distribution of fat/juices, and what was probably once a very coarse grind to the meat was all compacted and a bit mushy.  I don't want you to think I didn't enjoy the burger though (I mean, come on, it's a burger.  Of course I enjoyed it).  The flavor of the meat was perfect, and only seasoned just enough to help out.


 The burger with the condiments added.

The other condiments were fine/average, except for the pickles.  The pickles were delicious!  They were made in house and had a nice sweet and sour flavor that complimented the taste of the meat.  They provided a good crunch (as did the lettuce) which, with the meat being mushy as it was, made for a better mouth feel.

The onion rings were a major letdown.  They had little, or no, seasoning and were way too oily.  Not to mention that some of the onions weren't even cooked all the way through.  There was not a single redeeming quality about that side dish, and they really brought the entire experience down for me.

All in all, this place isn't what it's talked up to be.  It sounds like you're going to get a fancy burger when your go and order, but really, when it comes out, it's just a regular burger with the same normal condiments.




Cooked Correctly:  5/5
Design:  1.5/4
Plating:  2/3
Value:  1.5/3

Bark Hot Dogs

Brooklyn, NY
www.barkhotdogs.com



The Order: Bark Cheeseburger, medium rare. Organic Angus beef, short rib and top round, pork jowl, bark sauce, b&b pickles, lettuce and onion.
Side Order: Fries ($3)
$6.25 + $3 = $9.25
Drink Order: 12oz Bark Red Ale (made by Sixpoint)
Burger Menu Rating: 12.5/15




You thought I was going full-blown Vegan?! No burgers, my lovelies, I will never abandon you. It was just an April Fools joke I swear. No, I didn't eat any vegetables behind your back. No I'll never do it again.

On a side note, in doing more reviews with the new rating system, I've noticed a flaw that I must rectify. Somehow, I gave the Plating category 4 points, when it really should have 3, and the Design/Ingredients category 3 when it should have 4. So I'm switching them. It'll allow more room for the burger itself to shine. Hope you like it. Previous reviews will not be edited. We (I) only look forward here at Burger Menu.



I know you're thinking 'but wait, this is a hot dog place,' and you're right to be hesitant, but this is a good burger! Not exactly cooked perfectly, they usually cook the burger medium well because of the pork in the meat, but they cooked it between medium rare and medium for me, so not bad. A simple burger but with great ingredients. The flavor of the meat is perfect in tandem with the sauce and the meat flavor still shines through. This is almost a fast food burger because of its size and taste, so it competes with the likes of Shake Shack in the Fast/Casual category (as it was put to me last night), in which it definitely holds it's own. I scarfed this thing down in a second, and I wasn't even starving.

The fries are perfect and well worth the three dollars. A good amount of fries, perfectly seasoned, these are thin crunchy AND soft fries. Cooked just the right amount to get that dichotomy of texture that fries need to have.

Bark does a $10 lunch deal which includes a burger, fries and a soda. They also do a dinner deal for $11 which includes a burger, fries and a draught beer. Not bad deals at all. Bark is definitely worth the price. They have a frequent eater card, aka the Bark Executive Card, which will get you rewards, like... eat 10 burgers get your 11th free (or something similar). They also sell growlers and will do growler refills of what they have on tap!




Cooked Correctly: 4.5/5
Design/Ingredients: 3/4
Plating: 2/3
Value: 3/3



Announcing! The first Burger Menu giveaway. I just bought a groupon for Prime Burger, recipient of the James Beard Award for "America's Classic Restaurants" and recipient of AOL City's Best "Top 10 Burgers". Up to 3 people can accompany me, which means I'm covering the tab! If you come with me, you get a burger, an order of fries, and a shake. FOR FREE! So. Who's coming with me? Well what I really need is more exposure for the blog. So! The first three people to email me proof that they've shared the blog with at least 5 people (hopefully these are new people), will get to come with me on this burger adventure (unfortunately, if you live outside of NYC, you're SOL, but perhaps another giveaway will be in YOUR city). All you have to do is email the link to this blog ( http://burgermenu.blogspot.com ) and cc me on the email ( theburgermenu@gmail.com ) and you're gold! Points to whoever writes the best writeup. Go!

67 Burger

Brooklyn, NY
67burger.com



The Order: The Parisian, hamburger, medium rare. White wine sauteed onions, mushrooms and dijonaise. Add swiss ($.75)
Side order: Seasoned curly fries ($3.95)
$8 + $.75 + $3.95 = $12.70
Drink Order: Dr. Pepper
Burger Menu Rating: 12/15




Well! Its been quite a while since I've posted a review! Have you missed me? Missed reading about burgers? Well don't you worry. I've been busy, building up a whole slew of reviews for my lovely readers. Its 2012 now, and with all the holiday festivities and resolutions for a new year, I find myself a little behind. That being said, I'm not going to promise to make absolutely every week. Between my work schedule, and money, etc. its extremely difficult to make that happen. But I WILL try not to miss more than one week at a time. I think I can do that. As always, I need you to suggest burgers for me to go eat! And look forward to some special features this year, interviews, trips for special burgers, contests, and rewards! Anyways, enough blather. Onto the review!


This place means business! Excellent. So do I. No frills, the decor is plain and simple, making the focus of the entire experience the burgers. The staff are knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and excited about helping make a decision. Based on my server's recommendation, I made my choice with ease and confidence and when my burger arrived, at first on the table, and then in my belly, I was not disappointed.

This is a BIG, and juicy, messy son of a bitch. Within seconds the plate and my hands were full of meat juices and dijonaise while the burger maintained its shape and form, daring me to continue eating. If you go here, you'll need AT LEAST two napkins, if not three, for this affair. And for $8, this burger is well worth it, both for the size and the quality of the ingredients. The white wine sauteed onions were delicious! The wine flavor wasn't completely cooked away, but the onions were still soft! And then the mushrooms still had a little bit of firmness to them, and the flavor both worked with, and competed with, the wine and the dijonaise for top billing in the flavor contest in my mouth, with no clear winner. The other toppings were crisp, fresh and tasty, not detracting from the burger in any way.

The fries here were also well worth it. $3.95 IS a bit steep for a side, but the basket was deceptively large, such that I couldn't finish the order of fries (gasp! I know. A travesty). Seasoned with Cajun spices, not overcooked, these fries were delicious. You'll also need a ton of napkins for these too.

They have a small selection of beer. You can also get turkey, grilled chicken, and two vegetarian options.




Cooked Correctly = 5pts
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 2.5pts
Value = 2.5pts

Dutch Boy Burger

Brooklyn, NY
www.dutchboyburger.com



The Order: Dutch Boy Burger, medium rare. A 7oz patty with beer soaked cheddar, sauteed crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and a sesame seed bun.
Side Order: Comes with fries (during lunch), Onion Rings ($4)
$8.50 + $4 = $12.50
Drink Order: Foxon Park Soda: Iron Brew



Touted as a great new local mainstay, Dutch Boy Burger has garnered over 90 favorable reviews since opening its doors. A tiny little place with a bar in the back, Dutch Boy has a sort of charm in being very bare. The staff is friendly, but I'd fire whoever said it would be okay to play two back to back 311 albums... Seriously. Is it the mid 90s again or something?

Anyways, the service was great, and the burger came out fast. But there isn't really all that much I have to say about this place that is positive. First, I definitely said medium rare. Twice. And the burger came out well done. Not even medium well, which I could understand if they somehow misheard me twice. No, it was well done. And it looked as if they spent a long time working and reshaping the meat. It didn't have that delicious ground up texture. Rather, it looked a bit like meat paste. Gray meat paste. Yum right?

The toppings on the other hand were great, fresh and tasty. They made the burger edible. The onions were cooked properly, the mushrooms were soft, but not too soft, and the cheese was appropriately melty.

The fries were recommended as well, but I was unenthusiastic about them from bit number one. Some weren't seasoned. Some were too salty. Some were burned. Eh. The onion rights at least LOOKED delicious. They were tasty at first, but ended up just tasting like oil. I have, however, recently found that onion rings seem to always taste that way to me now. So maybe it's just me. The seasoning on the onion rings and the batter were great. So I'd say you should give them a go. You might really like them.

Their lunch special (a regular burger, fries and soda for $6.95) is pretty hard to beat, but it's a crapshoot as to whether or not they will cook your burger correctly. This place just doesn't cut it, and can't compete in the NY Burger scene.

The Dram Shop

Brooklyn, NY
dramshopbrooklyn.com



The Order: Hamburger with handcut fries. 2 100% ground grass-fed chuck squares, shredded lettuce, tomato, diced onion, pickle, mayo, and mustard, american cheese ($1), and yummy bacon ($1)
Side Order: Comes with handcut fries, garlic aioli dip ($1)
$11 + $1 + $1 = $13 + $1 (sauce) = $14
Drink Order: Kelso Nut Brown and Smuttynose IPA



Dear readers, I apologize for the lateness of this burger review. It is not for me to hold back from you the delicious delicacies that are out there. I have been stricken by the flu, and while I know this is not an excuse, my avid bovine consumers, I nonetheless needed to postpone. After working until very late, and not getting back to my house until 4:30, and then waking up at 2pm, I was groggy and sickly all day, finally getting back into bed at 10pm. Upon realizing today that while in the influenza infirmary I had completely bypassed yesterday's post, I rushed to the computer to deliver unto you the review of the week as follows.

The two patties of this burger are thin, making it impossible to order it any other way than well done. Adding the cheese and bacon didn't really do anything for the burger (the waitress' suggestion), and though the burger comes with mustard, you don't really taste it unless you actually look for it. We ordered two of the dipping sauces and after trying them I wished that they had just forgone the mayo and mustard on the burger and instead made the bold choice to put on any one of their delicious sauces.

The sauces really over powered the fries, which were nothing to speak of apart from the fact that they were remarkably uniform in thickness, all nice meaty fries but with basically no seasoning, or taste, to speak of.

A solid burger, but not worth $13.

Flatbush Farm

Brooklyn, NY
www.flatbushfarm.com

The Order: Farm Burger (brunch only), medium rare. Add cheddar. Add bacon.
Side Order: Comes with regular fries.
Price: $16
Drink Order: Sixpoint "Brownstone"


The price of this burger gives you more hope than its worth. While a decent burger, it was nothing special, and definitely not worth paying $16 for. A dollar for each addition is fine, but this burger lacked any real taste, even after adding cheddar and bacon. It just needed something more. Some kind of sauce, or aioli. Adding ketchup made the burger just another regular burger.

The fries were great; sprinkled with sea salt, and thick cut. Plain and simple fries are always a good choice.