The Citiblog

Is New York Ready for a $9 Burger?
November 17, 2005, 12:35.22 am ET

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If you haven't noticed there's a new crop of burger joints crowding the city and drawing crowds. They're offering natural cuts of beef and some lofty prices to match. We tried three of these new-fangled burger joints, beginning with the New York Burger Company. The spot at 303 Park Avenue South (between 23rd and 24th Street) kind of resembled a fast-food joint. There was no wait for a burger here, meaning the patty is probably sitting and waiting on the grill. The signiture New York Burger is a 6 ounce patty of Coleman's natural beef served in an oversized brioche bun that kept the burger together.

A medium burger arrived medium-well. But the meat was flavorful and the freshly cut Idaho deep-fried in soybean oil (no trans-fats) were excellent. The homemade dipping sauces are also first-rate and come in flavors like BBQ, Chili Pepper and Chipotle Honey. The grand total for a burger, fries and soft drink... kah-ching $8.75.

Next, it was off to Better Burger which recently opened at 587 Ninth Avenue in Times Square. This place feels more like a Starbucks. You kinda want to pull out your laptop as you're waiting for your burger and wait you will.

All burgers are made to order and we were sitting a good 10-to-15 minutes before our burger arrived. The good news is they bring it to your table. We weren't asked how we'd like our burgers and mine looked like it barely touched the grill, which is good if you're ordering steak tartare. Also, the bun was small and the lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and pickle confetti immediately spilled onto the plate. It was a mess. Better Burger's claim to fame is that its meat and poultry is free of antibiotics and hormones. And I must add, the meat is flavorful, I just wish mine was cooked more. The fries on the other hand are air-baked, a little mushy and tasteless along with the watery ketchup which needed salt or something to jazz it up. The grand total for a burger, fries and soft drink... kah-ching $8.25 ($10.25 with a fruit smoothie.)


My last and final stop was at Goodburger at 800 2nd Ave (corner of 43rd Street) in Turtle Bay. Even from the outside I knew I was in for something special. I could see huge flames coming from the grill and smell the char-broiled burgers as I entered. You immediately know you are not in Wendy's. There's banquette seating, tiled floors and a marble counter top. It had the look and feel of a friendly neighborhood pub and attracts a family crowd.

Here the wait was not as long and I really liked the fact that I could see them cooking my burger which looked to be about an inch thick. The meat was perfectly crusted around the edges with a pronounced flame-broiled flavor. It held together well even with tomato, lettuce, onion, ketchup mayo and mustard piled on top, even with a simple hamburger bun. And the combination works. It really is a "Goodburger." The only weak spot may be the fries which were your garden variety frozen type, but even they were passable. And aside from soft drinks, you can also order an egg cream, a root beer float or a glass of beer. Goodburger gets high marks on both presentation and taste. The grand total for a burger, fries and soft drink... kah-ching $8.00.

Now, I must say by the time we finished with tax, and in some cases tips (Yes, you may feel compelled to leave a tip.) we were looking at a tab in excess of nine dollars. And while I'm not really sure if New York is ready for a $9 burger - it has arrived and shows no sign of going away anytime soon.

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