And you think Five Guys doesn't work in the same fashion?
I never said they don't. All I would say is that their burgers are pretty weak.
It would, however, be delicious.
How would it be any different? They cook the burger from the raw fresh, and give it immediately to the person who ordered. ;^) The burgers never sit in a warming tray or anything.
are there any other burger places in NYC worth visiting?
Island Burger. Shake Shack (not the best burgers, but better than Five Guys, and with shakes and ambiance). Jackson Hole.
Aw man, the Shake Shack! I never told anyone but a few days ago I once again went out to the city to see Hair (won't go into that) and had lunch there. Very, very excellent shakes and food there; as far as fast food goes.
Aw man, the Shake Shack! I never told anyone but a few days ago I once again went out to the city to see Hair (won't go into that) and had lunch there. Very, very excellent shakes and food there; as far as fast food goes.
The burgers never sit in a warming tray or anything.
You sure about that? I can't see how that's possible. Just because you can't see the warming tray doesn't mean they don't have one somewhere. It's entirely possible that every time you go, it's very busy, and as a result, they cook to order.
No matter which chain we think is best, I think we can all agree that lamb is the superior burger meat.
I few years back, I ate at a chain called Max and Erma's that was like a nicer Bennigan's/TGIF, and they had a sleight of hand artist whose job was to walk around and entertain folks waiting on food with card tricks. It was pretty neat.
Five Guys and Freebirds are probably my local favorites at the moment.
I think we can all agree thatbisonis the superior burger meat.
And for that, I present Ted's Montana Grill. I ate there a couple times the last time I went out to Ohio. I highly recommend the George's Cadillac burger. And for you NYC natives, they've got one in Rockefeller Center West.
Aw man, the Shake Shack! I never told anyone but a few days ago I once again went out to the city to see Hair (won't go into that) and had lunch there. Very, very excellent shakes and food there; as far as fast food goes.
How long did you wait in line?
About 20 minutes. That's the only complaint I have with the place, the lines are somewhat interminable. However my counterpoints to that are A): It's NYC and : I felt that the end justified the means because that was a great Shroom Burger I had.
Yea we have a Ted's Montana Grill around here as well, however they did not have the best bison burger I've ever had....(I'm trying to remember where that was)
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Shack Cam: http://shakeshack.com/ (flash site doesn't let me link directly to cam, but click the link on the page). My wife works a block from Madison Square Park and this has helped in the past. Obviously though, if it's the lunch or dinner time rush you might as well not even look.
If you want another awesome NYC burger recommendation I would like to add The Burger Joint: http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php This place is hidden behind the curtain in the atrium lobby of Le Parker Meridien Hotel and puts awesome meat on buns. I highly suggest you try it.
If any of you ever make your way down to the NJ shore, the best chain restaurant is Surf Taco. Eight locations and counting. This place is amazing. I wept a tear of joy when one opened up less than 10 minutes from my job. http://www.surftaco.com/
I don't know - I used to work at a bar and resturant that sold Kobe beef burgers - the establishment being called Kobe - and they were some seriously awesome burgers, and were extremely well prepared. Sure, they cost 25 pounds, but still, worth every penny.
I don't know - I used to work at a bar and resturant that sold Kobe beef burgers - the establishment being called Kobe - and they were some seriously awesome burgers, and were extremely well prepared. Sure, they cost 25 pounds, but still, worth every penny.
I agree here too. There's a restaurant a block from my apartment that has "Kobe" beef burgers (not real Kobe, but locally-grown, so not nearly as expensive), and they're the best damn burgers I've ever had. I can't imagine what the real deal would be like.
And in general, yes, chain restaurants can be good. Good is a relative term. Now can chain restaurants be the best at something? Maybe. I personally feel that when it comes to hand-held big burritos, Qdoba is king (with Chipotle second), and that is certainly a chain.
I tend to think of it as, if a chain restaurant wasn't good, then it wouldn't be around. Most of them, I don't ever go to, but for a lot of people who don't have the nice alternatives that city-dwellers have, chains suffice.
Kobe beef (or the imitation Wagyu beef, which is significantly cheaper and often billed as Kobe beef illegally) should not be used for burgers. When ground and grilled, the fat will melt down and turn your burger into a sloppy mess. Not a problem if you have a huge pretzel roll, but not a good use of the world's finest beef. Beef like that should be cooked sous-vide and seared, or served as sashimi so fresh you can hear the moo. Also, most US Wagyu is grain-fed, so it's very fatty, but the meat doesn't taste as good as true grass-fed Kobe.
I'd rather have a well-balance grass-fed ground beef blend from a great chef than a melty patty of Wagyu any day. Note that I'm not saying Kobe/Wagyu isn't good as a burger (it's probably great), but it probably is better put toward different applications.
In Virginia, we have a really nice Mexican Restaurant Chain called Rancho Viejo. I'm not sure if it's a chain, per se, but I think it has 3 or 4 locations. The food is cheap, I love the white salsa they give with the chips, and it's really filling and delicious. My favorite dish is the chori pollo, which is marinated, grilled chicken topped with chorizo. Soooo delicious.
Kobe beef (or the imitation Wagyu beef, which is significantly cheaper and often billed as Kobe beef illegally) should not be used for burgers. When ground and grilled, the fat will melt down and turn your burger into a sloppy mess. Not a problem if you have a huge pretzel roll, but not a good use of the world's finest beef. Beef like that should be cooked sous-vide and seared, or served as sashimi so fresh you can hear the moo. Also, most US Wagyu is grain-fed, so it's very fatty, but the meat doesn't taste as good as true grass-fed Kobe.
I don't know what the hell they did, but they managed to keep it as a coherent burger. They also served it thick, and medium rare. Lastly - it was absolutely genuine Kobe. There is definitely a trick to it.
They also served Kobe steaks, and so on, so fourth - it's just one of the things they did.
I don't know what the hell they did, but they managed to keep it as a coherent burger. They also served it thick, and medium rare. Lastly - it was absolutely genuine Kobe. There is definitely a trick to it.
They also served Kobe steaks, and so on, so fourth - it's just one of the things they did.
Oh, I don't doubt the legitimacy of their beef. I know Mishima farms sell to a select few people in the US.
Kobe and Wagyu both get like that, but I'd be willing to bet with the right grind and if you included panko and egg as flavor neutral blinders, you could make a mindblowing pub burger.
Comments
No matter which chain we think is best, I think we can all agree that lamb is the superior burger meat.
[Edit] Damn! Pete beat me by 23 seconds.
Five Guys and Freebirds are probably my local favorites at the moment.
If you want another awesome NYC burger recommendation I would like to add The Burger Joint: http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php This place is hidden behind the curtain in the atrium lobby of Le Parker Meridien Hotel and puts awesome meat on buns. I highly suggest you try it.
If any of you ever make your way down to the NJ shore, the best chain restaurant is Surf Taco. Eight locations and counting. This place is amazing. I wept a tear of joy when one opened up less than 10 minutes from my job. http://www.surftaco.com/
And in general, yes, chain restaurants can be good. Good is a relative term. Now can chain restaurants be the best at something? Maybe. I personally feel that when it comes to hand-held big burritos, Qdoba is king (with Chipotle second), and that is certainly a chain.
I tend to think of it as, if a chain restaurant wasn't good, then it wouldn't be around. Most of them, I don't ever go to, but for a lot of people who don't have the nice alternatives that city-dwellers have, chains suffice.
I'd rather have a well-balance grass-fed ground beef blend from a great chef than a melty patty of Wagyu any day. Note that I'm not saying Kobe/Wagyu isn't good as a burger (it's probably great), but it probably is better put toward different applications.
They also served Kobe steaks, and so on, so fourth - it's just one of the things they did.
Kobe and Wagyu both get like that, but I'd be willing to bet with the right grind and if you included panko and egg as flavor neutral blinders, you could make a mindblowing pub burger.