Disjointed

Venue: Burger Joint

Location: 119 W. 56th St., New York, NY

Date of Visit: Tuesday, Sept. 25 , 2012

Burger: Cheeseburger

Average Score: 4.9
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: Burger Joint is quietly tucked away in a discreet corner of the lobby in Le Parker Meridien Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  Their burger has been raved about by locals and tourists, alike; placing it on a pedestal among New York’s best burgers.  Burger Joint has been on the Burgerler radar since the beginning, so I relished the opportunity to finally check it off the list.

            Ordering was simple, as you're offered only two choices: hamburger or cheeseburger.  I ordered the cheeseburger, medium, with “The Works,” minus mayo.  The Works is their preferred method of ordering a burger with everything; which includes lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo.  As I waited patiently for my order to come up, I took a moment to take in the atmosphere.  There were several tightly knit tables and a few booths, parted by the line that quickly grew beyond the entrance way.  As I scanned the room, I noticed that many of my fellow diner’s consumed their food with what I identified as a primitive haste.  Once my name was called and I returned to my table, I immediately understood why. I felt the pressure from the patrons waiting in line, their eyes fixed on the crowded tables, mentally coercing us to “eat quickly and leave, so that I may sit.”  Not to mention the impact the claustrophobia had on me to do just that.

             The burger was handed to me (no plate or tray) wrapped in white paper that had become mostly translucent from the grease.  Once unwrapped, it was obvious they hadn't prioritized form over flavor; my only hope was that they didn’t forget about the latter.  The patty was of average size, blanketed with a melted slice of American cheese, and sat on a humble supermarket bun.  The toppings were dumped on the thing with the systematic assemblage of mass production that reminded me of various less desirable fast food establishments.  The burger was prepared as ordered, but the meat was lacking enthusiasm in the flavor department.  The patty kind of rode shotgun while the mash-up of toppings took the driver’s seat; and the bun was in the back, just along for the ride.  The only thing the bun did do was soak up the extra grease; which it did quite well, without falling apart, I might add.

            Overall, the Burger Joint Cheeseburger is a basic, no frills no thrills, American classic, designed for one purpose: to ebb one’s hunger pangs.  Neither flavor, nor presentation, was a factor for this underwhelming experience; but, who has time to appreciate these luxuries, anyway, when you're choking down a meal.  With that being said, I can understand the hype this place gets.  Burger Joint is a treasure for New York residents and a landmark for tourists, which gives the place a nostalgic charm that beckons people to experience it at least once.  Show me someone who keeps returning for the burger quality and I'll show you a liar or a fool.  Then again, there is no accounting for taste, is there?

Overall Rating: 5.1       

Kenny: Who wouldn’t be excited to go into Le Parker Meridien Hotel for a burger? When you walk into the hotel, you are hit right away with a faint smell of burger meat; but the source is nowhere in sight. After walking behind a curtain and around a corner, there is a little neon sign pointing to Burger Joint, whose direction we blindly follow. When we turned the corner, we were quite surprised by what we found. It was like walking into a little wooden burger shack, small and cozy, except for the fact there were tons of patrons. Finding a seat became a bit of a challenge, since there were more people ordering burgers then there were seats. Like in war, we divided and conquered to get seats. Mike stayed in line, and I secured our seats. I ordered the cheeseburger medium with lettuce tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard with an order of fries to share. This is going to be a short and sweet review. The patty was cooked well and was juicy, but the meat could have had more spice. The cheese was a good touch, I think it was provolone but I'm not really certain. The bun was average but  was toasted, and kept the greasy burger in check. The topping were fresh and the mustard added a good flavor; however, I just wish there was more burger. Maybe I was hungry, or maybe it was the environment, but I killed that burger in no time; and there weren’t any distinct flavors that stood out. This was a standard burger, comparable to Corner Bistro but not nearly as big, just a simple American cheeseburger. If you are in the area, it’s worth it to stop in for the experience, but if you’re hungry, order the burger and fries for yourself, or two burgers. Oh yea the fries…. They weren’t quite impressive. 

Overall Rating 5. 4

Jeff: You definitely forget that you're inside Le Park Meridien Hotel when eating a Burger Joint. I understand the decor of it, being a burger joint. A place to transport you away to some far away downtown, or outer borough place, letting you forget that you're in mid-town Manhattan. The thing is, if all I wanted was a run of the mill burger from some nondescript joint, I wouldn't travel to mid-town for it; nor would I go there if I was already in mid-town, especially for the experience of having people stand directly over you asking if you're almost done, increasing the sense of urgency to woof down your burger without being able to enjoy it. It's a fast pace experience for sure, best suited for the people of mid-town who have a short lunch break.

           My burger was ordered medium and came medium rare. The bun was toasted but squished, which shouldn't have surprised me because you can see the super-market, pedestrian looking plastic bagged buns stacked on a shelf above where you place your order. The onions were thinly sliced and the beef tasted like hamburger from a grocery store-bought package. The tomatoes weren’t mealy, but their flavor wasn’t pronounced either. The lettuce was lettuce. The flavor of the cheese was neither a stand-out or a deterrent, it was just there.

           None of this would’ve mattered so much if after eating my burger I wasn't still hungry, but I was still hungry, and that did not stand well with me. I was so hungry in fact that I ended up going to Chipotle afterwards.

Overall rating: 4.2