The Burger Joint

The Scene – Around a curtained corner in the posh Le Parker Meridien, a neon burger sign points the way to the city's secret obsession. Suits, tourists and foodies pack this crowded hole-in-the-wall, where names are etched into walls next to kid's drawings and movie posters. Even though it's decorated like a regular's hangout, no one sticks around--the few coveted booths are hovered over shamelessly. – – The Food – So what if orders are taken quickly and strung from a flimsy clothesline--the system works, and you better not slow it down. Thankfully, a succinct menu…

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Editor's Tips

On the Menu:: After 2:30pm, add a strawberry, chocolate or vanilla milkshake to your order. Pitchers of Sam Adams, the only beer sold, go for $17.
When to Go:: Sneak in before noon and get not only a shorter wait, but also one of those hard-to-snag tables.
The Extras:: Vegetarians can order the joint's grilled cheese sandwich--a slightly charred hamburger bun sloppy with melted cheese.

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User Reviews (94)

ambiance	81.82000160217285% positive	“Great burgers, great fries, great atmosphere.” “dont get me wrong here, it is nothing much more then a cheap great burger and some good ambiance and beers.” “Great atmosphere but unimpressive burger” “The place is also a hole in the wall so it's not the most comfortable place.” “The autograph wall is fun to look at.” “throwback wood walls and good music add to the comfortable decor that complements the hamburgers nicely.” “But seriously, decor aside, talk about a damn good burger.” “Nonetheless, I still recommend this place because the location is different and it's a fun place to take a tourist friend.” “After recouping from my disappointment that the famed outdoor burger place was closed for the winter, I made my way to BJ and loved the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere in the middle of a fancy mid-town hotel.” “Very relaxed atmosphere for such elegant surroundings.” “Many times it comes out of the kitchen too well done, which is not fun after waiting in a long line.”
drinks	87.5% positive	“love the fries and burgers and always get a $3 beer.” “No pretension - just a GREAT place to relax, kick back with a burger w/a side of fries and cold beer.” “dont get me wrong here, it is nothing much more then a cheap great burger and some good ambiance and beers.” “Great price for excellent beer and burgers!”
food quality	86.2600040435791% positive	“BEST burger in the city!” “this is by far the worst place i've been for a burger not to mention how rude the cashier is and how expensive it is $7 for a burger that was horrible, I will never go there again!” “The fries are decent but not the best.” “That said, its a very good burger, cooked to order, juicy, and fresh.” “Seriously, what is up with New York not having a decent burger anywhere unless it's at Lugers or made with Kobe beef?” “The burger is juicy and tender.” “worst burger and rude cashier” “The burger was great.” “one of the best burger I had in months!” “however their food is very very very good.” “No pretension - just a GREAT place to relax, kick back with a burger w/a side of fries and cold beer.” “am a burger lover and the only reason I don't think this is the best burger in town is because of the size.” “Its the perfect size, flavorful and is accompanied by a fantastic side of fries, if you so choose.” “Great burgers, great fries, great atmosphere.” “The burgers are a little pricy ($7 for a cheese burger) and small but the burger is really tasty and the amience of the place is awsome.” “The burgers are the best you'll ever have at a cheap price.” “much love these burgers.” “The burgers are good sized, not so big that you can't bite into them, but big enough to leave you satisfied.” “was amazed to actually get a great burger from a place like this.” “I'm sure it brings them good exposure and plenty of those greasy, flame broiled burgers.” “If that is the best burger in New York City, I will not be trying a burger anywhere else when I eat there.” “Decent burger.” “The menu is very simple, as are the burgers, which are juicy and complement the toasted buns.” “dont get me wrong here, it is nothing much more then a cheap great burger and some good ambiance and beers.” “Even though the service is rude, the food is really good.” “which actually has great burgers, that aren't just frozen patties, they're prepared by a chef, and made with 2 different kinds of meat and special seasoning.” “After recouping from my disappointment that the famed outdoor burger place was closed for the winter, I made my way to BJ and loved the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere in the middle of a fancy mid-town hotel.” “Finally someone will start to wrap up the remains of their meal and you have to be quick so you can enjoy the burger joint experience at one of its long wooden booths if you're lucky.” “Finally, after years of searching (sorda) I heard about this shrewd, delicious joint.” “Great atmosphere but unimpressive burger” “Then comes the waiting- not only for the burger, but to find a table that you can enjoy the meal at.” “Two burgers should be filling, but don't come here if you've looking for that 1/2-pounder with all the fixings.” “Alas, the burger disappointed.” “Order a burger, fries and even a milkshake and it's just enough to satisfy you and NOT feel the need to take a nap, post lunch break.” “The burgers are pretty simple too, fresh beef with all of the standard toppings.” “anyone that thinks different does not know a good burger.” “The hotel is nice and all but the burger joint is by far as nice as that.” “Great burgers but the price ehhhh.” “Once you get your food you can enjoy a truly great burger.” “love the fries and burgers and always get a $3 beer.” “The fries are very crispy, and served in a greasy paper bag to remind you that you're hitting your RDA of fat in one meal.” “Great burgers, Cheap Eat” “But when that curtain pulls back and you get your first whiff of the burger and fries while adjusting from the upscale refinery of Le Parker Meridian to this dive locale of sorts, it just all comes together for the perfect burger experience.” “and the brownies you have to help your self to (they were average) The fries we had were really good and big enough to share between two.” “Although the burger was good i would say it is a pricey 7.00 dollar burger for a burger the size of normal pathmark burger buns although the burger had a good thickness too it i must say i ate it up and wanted more.” “the fries were good.” “It is my second favorite burger in the city (shake shack).” “The burgers are delicious but this place is strictly cash only and the crowds are ridiculous.” “The burgers are great, especially if you get it with the works.” “wouldn't say the best burger!” “The burgers don't really fill you up but the quality is good.” “It's a great place to go with a few friends for some good ol' American food - burgers and fries.” “Great price for excellent beer and burgers!” “But seriously, decor aside, talk about a damn good burger.” “Fresh ingredients lettuce tomato onion !” “No matter all the delish burger options in NY, whenever i'm asked about a burger recommendation, I can't help but throw out the Burger Joint first.” “juicy burgers”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“The menu is very simple, as are the burgers, which are juicy and complement the toasted buns.” “No matter all the delish burger options in NY, whenever i'm asked about a burger recommendation, I can't help but throw out the Burger Joint first.”
overall	100.0% positive	“great place to meet a friend for a quick bite, and feel like you can really catch up in your own cool place.” “was amazed to actually get a great burger from a place like this.” “It's a great place to go with a few friends for some good ol' American food - burgers and fries.”
return potential	0.0% positive	“this is by far the worst place i've been for a burger not to mention how rude the cashier is and how expensive it is $7 for a burger that was horrible, I will never go there again!”
service	66.66999816894531% positive	“Its a total fascade eating here, as most people would never think a little shack type place would exist in such a nice hotel.” “this is by far the worst place i've been for a burger not to mention how rude the cashier is and how expensive it is $7 for a burger that was horrible, I will never go there again!” “Even though the service is rude, the food is really good.” “The place is pretty clean and neat, despite the attempts to give it a "dive" feel; the servers are borderline surly, but that might be because the place gets incredibly busy.” “People are so friendly, even if there is a line.” “The staff is great.” “worst burger and rude cashier” “The people behind the counter are pretty friendly but you should know what you want to order after all the waiting.” “The staff was very friendly, but it was hard to talk with the lound music in the one small room.”
value	80.95000267028809% positive	“Although the burger was good i would say it is a pricey 7.00 dollar burger for a burger the size of normal pathmark burger buns although the burger had a good thickness too it i must say i ate it up and wanted more.” “this is by far the worst place i've been for a burger not to mention how rude the cashier is and how expensive it is $7 for a burger that was horrible, I will never go there again!” “love the place and the price.” “Great burgers but the price ehhhh.” “The burgers are the best you'll ever have at a cheap price.” “dont get me wrong here, it is nothing much more then a cheap great burger and some good ambiance and beers.” “Great price for excellent beer and burgers!”
wait time	66.66999816894531% positive	“great place to meet a friend for a quick bite, and feel like you can really catch up in your own cool place.” “Many times it comes out of the kitchen too well done, which is not fun after waiting in a long line.” “Finally someone will start to wrap up the remains of their meal and you have to be quick so you can enjoy the burger joint experience at one of its long wooden booths if you're lucky.”

10/22/11

fun experience but not for the burger

by 50burgersangel

My friend and I are on a quest for the best burger. and decided that the ‘Burger Joint’ at Le Parker Meridien would be our next stop. The best burger “secret” in NYC.

In the lobby and down the hall there is a neon sign that only has a burger and an arrow. I kind of felt like i was looking for a speakeasy and there would be a solid door with a guy asking us if we knew the password.

I ordered the works but could feel that if I didn’t have my order ready they would pull a soup nazi on me and send us both home. While we waited for our order we heard place filled with talk “this is the best place to get a burger” “oh wow this is great” “I’ve been coming here since the burger was $5” I just seamed like the place where you bring tourist in for a good story. With my first bite I seamed to taste like a fresh ‘Big Mac’. Maybe the Best ‘Big Mac’ ever, but still it could have been so much more. Perhaps it was their generous use and the mixture of condiments or that the outer shell of the meat was charred (and consequently, all that was tasted in first bite), but, whatever it was, the burger was a bust for both of us. To call this burger average would be borderline generous…. and we certainly can’t see how it’s listed as one of the best in NY. We finished the burger, but couldn’t force ourselves to finish.

For more, other burger reviews and stories from the road search for 50 burgers or bust.

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07/20/11

Better than pretty good...

by FryeGurl

Not the best burger, but better than just good. For the price I feel like I've had better, but I'm glad I went. Probably would go again, but I wouldn't make any special plans to. I bet Tarrantino would appreciate that they have a $5 shake ($5.05 actually).

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02/19/11

Great Htel BUT...

Contributor

It's a great hotel but if any of you are looking to save some $$ then book it at referer.us/8/GoodHotelDeals They usually have some pretty good deals on there!

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06/08/10

Truly Good Burgers!!!

by Noel A

Definitely A Fav !!!

One of the Best Lil Burger joints in the city. I went there once on a lunch run for co-workers and Loved it!!! you know its a good place when they only take cash! LOL .True sign of a great spot!

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03/08/10

My beloved burger

by prlgirl , Citysearch Contributor

No matter all the delish burger options in NY, whenever i'm asked about a burger recommendation, I can't help but throw out the Burger Joint first. It's just so cool for tourists and NY'ers alike. The prestige of walking through the Parker Merdian. Then finding the line that leads to the velvet curtain that is oh so New York. But when that curtain pulls back and you get your first whiff of the burger and fries while adjusting from the upscale refinery of Le Parker Meridian to this dive locale of sorts, it just all comes together for the perfect burger experience. The people behind the counter are pretty friendly but you should know what you want to order after all the waiting. I typically go with a cheeseburger with the works, fries and a chocolate shake. Perfection. Then comes the waiting- not only for the burger, but to find a table that you can enjoy the meal at. Finally someone will start to wrap up the remains of their meal and you have to be quick so you can enjoy the burger joint experience at one of its long wooden booths if you're lucky. But there's also tables and a high table for the newbies who aren't used to the table tracking olympics. Once you get your food you can enjoy a truly great burger. Its the perfect size, flavorful and is accompanied by a fantastic side of fries, if you so choose. The shakes are thick and perfectly blended. You will have to roll yourself out past all the other patrons looking to sidestep you for your seat, but in the end the lines and table hunting are all worth it for the only experience in New York truly worth the velvet rope/curtain treatment.

Pros: burger, location
Cons: seating

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Editor's Tips

10/22/11

fun experience but not for the burger

by 50burgersangel

07/20/11

Better than pretty good...

by FryeGurl

02/19/11

Great Htel BUT...

Contributor

06/08/10

Truly Good Burgers!!!

by Noel A

03/08/10

My beloved burger

by prlgirl , Citysearch Contributor

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