Where's the Beef, Enid!

Venue: Enid's

Location: 560 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Date of Visit: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Burger: Burger and Fries

Average Score: 5.9
Price Range: $$$$$

Mike: This time around, my fellow Burgerlers and I found ourselves at Enid’s, a little hipster joint just off McCarren Park in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. To be frank, this was not our intended destination on this outing; but, just because our primary objective fails, doesn’t mean our burger appetites should follow suit. So, we had to improvise. This would be the first burger we’ve tried that makes no claims, whatsoever, to being the best this or that, which was kind of refreshing. Enid’s burger and fries has no rating, no hype, and no clever name…maybe Enid is just too hip for that sort of thing.

This burger comes on a sesame seed bun with the standard lineup of toppings: lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion; but, the onions are pickled, so that’s a bonus in my book. We each decided to add a topping of our choice; and, though my counterparts went with the bacon, I opted for the blue cheese. When my burger came out, I immediately noticed the size discrepancy between the patty and the bun. After all, it is rather difficult to miss a half inch difference in diameter! After I piled on the toppings and top half of the bun, I bisected my sandwich, only to find that it was clearly cooked medium well, despite the fact that I ordered it medium rare. With two strikes against it before the first bite, I was beginning to understand why this burger has no reputation to speak of.

The combination of pickles, pickled onion, and blue cheese gave this burger the majority of its flavor. One thing is for certain, it wasn’t getting much support from the meat. This was likely a case of under seasoning; but, it could also have been because it was overcooked, therefore a bit dry, which prevented the flavors and juiciness of the meat to come forth. As for the bun, it was pretty typical. There was no overwhelming flavor there, but it was fresh and the moderate toasting it was given offered a just enough crunch and proved integral to its dexterity. Then again, a bun fresh out of the bakery would have held up to this overcooked patty. The best part of this meal was, by far, the side of fries. At least Enid got something right! The serving was ample and they came out hot, crispy, and lightly salted. It is highly probable, however, that the amount of fries that accompany this meal is some sort of compensation for the burger’s shortcomings.

In closing, it is reasonable to say that I was greatly disappointed in this burger outing. I strongly believe that a meal that appeals to all of the senses will provide the greatest satisfaction. Aside from the meat patty being undersized, the presentation ranked high in my opinion; unfortunately, this burger fell short with respect to the other, more important, aspects. So, if you are ever in Greenpoint and you’re looking for a “plan B” place to eat, there are several other fine restaurants in the area…do you like Polish food?

Overall Rating: 6.2

Kenneth: Walking into the hipster bar/restaurant which is Enid’s, we were approached by a young blonde lady asking if we were planning on drinks or dinner. So, we promptly ask her, “how is your burger?” With a little thought, she said it was good. So, we agreed to stay for dinner. Enid’s burger comes on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions, with additional topping for a dollar more: bacon, or cheese which includes blue cheese, and cheddar. So, I decided to add just bacon to my medium well burger, which arrived a little more on the well side, but still juicy. The bacon, however, fully covered the burger like a baby wrapped in a blanket; and, it was thick with just a light char. Perfection! On this day, it was better to put my ketchup between the bacon and the fresh veggies instead of on the bun above the veggies.

GRRR! Enid’s bun to patty ratio was just, well, just … I never thought anything could make me as mad as having my last few bites of a burger to be all bun. As soft and well toasted as the bun was; it was gigantic compared to the patty, with a surface area approximately one square inch greater than that of the patty. I have to admit, the bun’s integrity held up well. Thank goodness I opted for the bacon, which added meat surface area, flavor, and texture when mixed with the pickles and onions. Overall it was a decent burger experience, I just wish the patty was larger; and the bacon is a must!

Overall Rating: 6.0

Jeff: The arrival of my medium rare, bacon, no cheese burger was a site to behold. The ample fries poised next to it looked so good. I sometimes use fries as a stomach opener; a primer if you will. I dove right in and found these fries delicious. Not too hot and just the right amount of crispiness and internal fluff.

The burger right off the bat was not to my liking. Now I know why my eyes gravitated to the fries. Why is there at least a 1/2” ring of bun encircling the patty? True, there was ample bacon placed on top of the patty and its flavor was good; but, why is the bun extending beyond the meat? The last bite of any burger should contain the meat of the burger, not just the bun. Temperature-wise my medium rare was prepared medium so that sucked. It wasn’t dry, but it wasn’t what I ordered either. I didn’t get the sense that if I returned it that it would be prepared the right way, so I continued eating. I mean, for crying out loud, it’s a burger! The patty wasn’t extremely thick, so preparing it to temp shouldn’t be that hard. The place didn’t appear to be slammed, so what was the deal?  Maybe they were concerned about e-coli, I don’t know; but it wasn’t a winner.

Back to the fries, my god they’re good. They were still warm after a few bites and the consumption of my burger. Even after they had cooled a bit, their texture was still deliciously good. The fries didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary. They were of average thickness and length, no special seasoning that I can determine; maybe it was the oil they were cooked in. To be fair, the visit to Enid’s was a last minute decision based on a private function barring us from our original choice. That said, with no claims of their own, it’s very telling that my last thoughts on the burger are actually about the fries.

Overall Rating: 5.5