Burger Wars

I truly knew New York City was meant for me a mere three months after I moved up from DC that fall of 2004. I was living in the East Village with my cousin Nate and our friend Zach and we literally had subscriptions to every New York based magazine imaginable. One was Time Out New York and the cover was, The 100 Best Hamburgers in NYC. Wow, this city really read my mind. The rankings went through all five boroughs, from obscure hole in the wall restaurants in Queens to $50 foie gras topped burgers in Manhattan. I vowed to Zach I would try all of them in one year. Ok, that didn't happen, but ever since that article came out I have taken burgers in the city seriously. There has been knock-off rankings from other magazines since, but for some reason I'll take the Time Out one to my grave. (And the rate I'm living, it might not be too far off.)

To be honest, I only remember a few from the list but I do remember the top billing went to Donovan's Pub which is located right off the 7 train in Queens. Zach and I hit it up a few weeks later to see what the hype was all about. Result: It was a damn good burger. Not too thick, cooked perfectly (medium-rare) with a light but sturdy bun and a sliver of onion. You could tell it was cooked on an open flame with a nice char to the outside of the patty. I would definitely recommend this joint especially to someone traveling through LaGuardia as it's close by.

Now comes the hard part: MY personal rankings. To make it easier for everyone (re: myself) I'll just give my top three.

3.) Lure Fish Bar- Sounds kind of silly, as their main focus is seafood, but their Smash Burger (insider tip: need to order it off the menu) is amazing. It almost tastes more like a sandwich than a burger, but in a good way. It's a relatively small compact patty with a smear of their secret bacon jam. The beef is so flavorful the jam doesn't overpower the patty but complements it.

2.) Schiller's Liquor Bar- Located on the Lower East Side, it was frequented by Nate and myself numerous times when we lived up the street. We usually went Sunday early evenings with the New York Times in tow (so we didn't have to talk to each other) and order cheeseburgers and cheap wine. With the beef patty lying perfectly on a toasted sesame seed bun and french fries covering most of the plate, it was like a hamburger version of steak frites.

1.) Burger Joint - Hidden behind a thick red curtain off the lobby of the Le Parker Meridien hotel in midtown Manhattan, this burger takes the cake. Cooked exactly how ordered on an open flame this burger melts in your mouth. Using two types of cheddar cheese (yellow and white), ordering a plain burger is just damn right stupid. Ordering it like a cheesesteak, with or without toppings (I always order  "with the works") makes this the best damn burger in New York City.