Fellowship of the Onion Rings

Venue: Brooklyn Public House

Location: 247 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Date of Visit: Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Burger: Public House Burger

Average Score: 8.0
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: For our first burger of the new year, we decided to stick close to our roots by paying a visit to Brooklyn Public House in Clinton Hill.  The "Public House Burger" is a half-pound patty stacked to the ceiling with lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw red onion, and two large fried onion rings with the option of your choice of cheese.  I ordered my burger medium with cheddar and a side salad. 

          When the burger came out, I was at somewhat of a loss at how tall it was.  I had heard of people removing the onion rings and eating them as an appetizer, but my thinking was that if it came on the burger, it should stay on the burger.  So, I knew I had my work cut out for me.  I pressed the top bun down as much as possible and went to town.  My first bite was packed full of flavor and texture that really encapsulated the whole experience.  In it, I was able to get the savoriness of the meat and cheese, the cool crispness of the veggies, the tanginess of the pickles, and the salty crunch of the fried onion rings.  The bun, though nothing extraordinary, was apt in its neutrality and set the stage for the array of flavors packed between. 

          One complaint I had was that the meat was over cooked.  After consulting with a few friends about their experiences, I've learned that my burger was not an exception.  This was disappointing to learn because preparing the meat is absolutely essential to serving a great burger, especially one with so much potential as the "Public House Burger." Another thing I might have changed about this burger is the size, or thickness, of the onion rings.  If they were even half the thickness, the burger would have been more manageable without sacrificing that amazing crunch the rings brought to the sandwich.  Finally, I would have liked the bun to be toasted just a hair longer.  By the time I was half way through the burger, the lower half of the bun started to give way to the juices from the meat.

       Overall, I really enjoyed the "Public House Burger."  It had a full spectrum of flavor that hit every taste bud and a complete range of textures that kept every bite interesting.  I was glad to have left the onion rings on, because they were definitely the supporting star of this burger.  Not only did they come with a wonderful crunch, but the breading added a subtle salty/spicy element that put a nice finish on the burger's flavor.

Overall Rating: 7.9

Kenny:  This isn’t the first time, nor the last time, I will find myself in the Brooklyn Public House.  This bar is narrow, and for some reason doesn’t allow Verizon phones to work within their establishment.   Today, I’m here for one reason and one alone, the public house burger.   It comes with tomato, onions, pickles, and onion rings on a toasted bun with your choice of cheese and a side salad, or hand-cut fries for an extra fee.  I ordered the burger medium with American cheese and the salad.

          After hanging out for a little while, I was trying to play on my phone when my burger arrived.  I added a little ketchup, pushed the down the onion rings, and prepared for the first bite.  What is this?  My burger is over cooked!  As much as it angered me, the burger was still very tasty.  The onion rings added a bit of spice from it’s batter and boosted the overall flavor of the burger.  Overall, this was a pretty good burger; I just wished they put as much focus on the temperature of the burger as they do dressing it up.

Overall Rating 7.6

Jeff: Ordered medium-rare and with cheddar cheese, my burger tasted fantastic. Never mind the huge 1/2 pound patty that comprised this burger, the beef tasted great. It was a perfect shade of red and warm all the way through, which was quite an achievement considering the thickness of the patty. I took the advice of Kenny and left the fried onion rings on the burger. In the past, I had always taken them off, thinking that with sliced onions why have onion rings on the burger too? To be honest, I also took the onion rings off because I thought them an extra side that accompanied the fries. Now I know why one should keep the onion rings on the burger. Their flavor and texture went perfectly with my burger. The seasoning and batter thickness of the rings were spot on. Cheers to who ever thought of this. Actually, all of the toppings of this burger tasted great. The lettuce was crisp, the tomatoes were full of flavor, the raw onions were sliced just right, and the cheddar had just the right amount of sharpness.

          For a burger with so much going on and stacked so high, I had a fairly easy time eating it. Nothing slid out of the side or back of the burger when I bit into it. Every bite contained everything on the burger. This was a burger where I truly savored each bite. The brioche bun could’ve been a tad toastier, just for the sake of warmth; but it tasted good and it held up well to the juices of my burger.

         I can’t remember the last time I felt so satisfied by a burger. Considering what many places try to pass off as a satisfying burger, they fail. Either they’re tasty but not filling, or they’re tasty but cost so much I wonder if it was really worth it, or they don’t taste good and they’re expensive. Brooklyn Public House succeeded in my book. At $12 ($2 charge for fries) you really can’t go wrong. I will be back.

Overall rating: 8.4