This Bird Has Flown the Coop

Venue: The Burger Guru

Location: 98 Berry St., Brooklyn, NY

Date of Visit: Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Burger: Ostrich Burger

Average Score: 6.6
Price Range: $$$$$

 

Mike:  Anytime someone makes an assertion that something is the best, it tends to pique my genuine interest.  However, when it’s a self-proclamation, the only thing piqued is my skepticism.  This was the case with The Burger Guru and their “Ostrich Burger.”  Though, I will admit that I was both interested and skeptical.  For one, having never before tried an ostrich burger, I was interested in giving it a taste; on the other hand, I remained skeptical because, can it truly be the best, as they claim it to be?

            At The Burger Guru, their basic burgers come with your choice of meat, green leaf lettuce, red onion, tomato, and a “really good pickle” served on a sesame seed brioche bun.  As mentioned, we were there to sample the ostrich.  Having never tried the bird before, I asked the staff how they recommended it be cooked.  When the reply came, “I don’t know, I’ve never had it before,” I questioned the validity of their “Guru” moniker; then I decided to order it medium and hope for the best.  Because ostrich is such a lean meat, I feared it would become dry if overcooked.

            The burger arrived prepared as ordered, but the patty was a tad on the small side; and, I don’t know if it was the ostrich or what, but it was severely lacking in the flavor department.  The few toppings that this burger had were fresh enough, but that wasn’t enough compensation for the weak patty.  And, really, there should be no bonus for fresh toppings; that should come standard on any burger.  The bun, perhaps, was the winner on this burger.  Its flavor stood out far and above any of the other flavors on the burger.  This, in my book, is a problem.  The bun shouldn’t be the only worthwhile and memorable thing about a burger. 

On paper, the Ostrich burger had promise; in actuality, it was dull and uninspiring.  It just looked barren and pathetic.  If you feel like trying it, despite this review, I might recommend upgrading to one of their “House Combos,” where you have the choice of several additional topping combinations.  Several of the “House Combo” options could vastly improve this burger; or they could just serve as a Band-Aid for a wound that will never heal.  Oh, and that “really good pickle?”   …I can’t say that I even remember there being one.

Overall Rating: 6.6    

Kenny:  Walking into Burger Guru, I was excited to try my first ostrich burger; of which I did little research on how I should have it.  I ordered the burger medium and normal, without any of Burger Guru’s house combos, which are what makes Burger Guru so interesting.  The house combos have extra toppings, like "The Sunshine," which has avocado, baby arugula, and Monterrey Jack, or "The Village," which has fried egg, bacon and yellow cheddar.  All standard burgers are served with green leaf lettuce, red onions, a slice of tomato, and a pickle on the side.  After waiting for a bit, the new frontier of the ostrich burger finally arrived on a big metal tray.

          My excitement was overflowing as I started to construct the burger with the fixings provided and a bit of added ketchup.  The first bite was now at hand and it was gamey.  Outside of how gamey the ostrich meat was, it did have a good flavor and its supporting cast was great.  The topping were very fresh, but the burger lacked any kind of flare.  However, the sesame seed brioche bun was my favorite part of this burger.   I would like to return to Burger Guru to try a different type of meat and one of their house combos.

Overall Rating 7.1   

Jeff: Guru: noun

4. A leader in a particular field: the city's cultural gurus.

           I’ve always wondered what eating the meat from a flightless bird might taste like. I knew ostrich meat was lean and can easily be overcooked if one isn’t mindful. I ordered the burger medium per the waitress’s suggestion and without cheese. I wanted to taste what clean organic ostrich would taste like as a burger. My burger arrived in a tin tray, open-faced. The burger looked small. A precooked weight of 6oz is decent enough but this looked really small. A huge bun didn’t swallow it up; the bun fit it just right. Maybe it was the massive amount of fries that came wit the burger in the same size tray. Trust me, two people can easily share one order of their fries. After my first bite I could see why the diameter of the burger was so narrow in comparison to its thickness. If the thickness of the patty were thinner then one might not taste anything. This was a bland tasting burger. No salt or pepper could be detected, but the red onion and tomato definitely shined through. The patty was more moist than juicy, which is a weird sensation to bite, chew and taste. The bun is ok but nothing to call home about. It held up well, but there wasn't too much that it had to contend to begin with. What’s going on? Was this not prepared by a burger guru? Where’s the flavor? I added what I recall was the chipotle mayo in hopes of that helping things but it didn’t. This is one bird that has flown the coop.

Overall Rating 6.1