Best Burger in NYC Search: Social Eatz

Social Eatz
232 53rd St. (between 2nd and 3rd Ave.)
(212) 207-3339
Burger: Bibimbap Burger ($13)

UPDATE: *Social Eatz shuttered in March of 2013.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” We don’t mean to get all Shakespearean on you, but it’s a fitting opening to portray the notoriety which accompanies an Eater.com “Best Burger in America” title. Chef Angelo Sosa, a two-time Top-Chef contestant and Jean-George protégé can point to his crowning achievement in burgerdom as a 2011 victory of Eater’s nationally held poll seeking the ultimate burger in all the land. Sosa and his Midtown spot, Social Eatz, sport a few burgers on the menu, from Traditional to Bulgogi with the famous Bibimbap in the middle. An “Asian-American” menu doesn’t exactly scream “find great burgers here!” but we can’t fight the masses nor resist the urge to weigh in on the Bibimbap Burger’s place in burger lore. Poetic, no?

Our Expectations: Bibimbap Burger. Proprietary all-natural beef, slow cooked egg, Korean pickles, and a bit of mayo-based sauce on a buttered brioche bun. The patty is, as our sources tell us, coated in Sriracha and griddled. Conventional it’s not, delicious it sounds.

The Burger

Meat: Structurally, the patty shined. Loosely formed on the inside and well-seared on the outside, juices flowed with each bite. That said, our medium rare temperature was noticeably overshot as the center was more pink than red and more firm than soft. Still, flavor profile exceeded our expectations as the tang of Sriracha was strong and savory. Combining with the aforementioned sear to deliver the definition of umami, we can easily endorse a Sriracha-cooked burger.

Toppings: We’re all for new, different, exciting and we love us some pickled veggies at our favorite Korean haunts, yet those that come with the burger reminded us more of salad than scrumptious. They’re somewhat drowned in sesame-oil and the helping is too heavy-handed. Additionally, the dose of mayo-based sauce is spread a little too thin to make a mark, yet its flavorful when found. Conversely, the slow-cooked egg is superb. Delicately garnished on top of the patty, the runny yolk is heavenly and the true champion of the toppings.

Bun: Buttery brioche is a typical choice for a larger patty, and for good reason. As demonstrated by the Bibimbap Burger, a 7-8 ounce patty needs support from a sturdy bun. We appreciate the accounting for size by Chef Sosa, as it’s far too often underestimated in our adventures in burger eating. One must prepare for a combination of uneven bites, sogginess created by accompanying juices, and the likely overwhelming heft of the patty. Chef Sosa’s brioche delivered in all areas of need in that regard while also contributing a buttery flavor bomb. Still, we were disappointed by an overly dry composition with a lack of soft and airy qualities. Flaking as we ate, freshness was questionable.

Bedlam’s Social Eatz Judgment

Meat (44): Solid structure and ideal sear but mostly overcooked. Though the Sriracha coated and griddled patty was quite flavorful nevertheless.

Toppings (20): Pickled veggies could’ve been executed better with a smaller portion and a little more subtlety using the sesame oil. Conversely, that egg, pure joy.

Bun (17): Points for size, composition, and buttered goodness but not enough to overcome a fairly porous, dry bun.

Ranking: 81 out of 100

Best Burger in NYC Search: Burger Joint

Le Parker Meridien
119 W. 56th Street (Between 6th Ave. & 7th Ave.)
(212) 245-5000
Burger: Cheeseburger ($7.50) 

Ritzy, fancy, lavish, elegant, posh, opulent even? Just some of the attributes you could easily associate with Le Parker Meridien, one of the most expensive hotels in Manhattan. Located a block away from two of the most well-known Deli's in Manhattan lore (Carnegie and Stage), our next best burger NYC adventure took us to the ever-popular, oh-so-secret (really? not so much anymore) Burger Joint. Should we have expected meat stacked like Mount Olympus and to be charged a $5 sharing fee? Nah, it's no Carnegie. With faux wood paneling, a cardboard multi-colored menu, movie posters abound and writing on the walls (literally), we knew this was gonna be casual...that's why we wore our flip-flops. On to the review...


Our Expectations: Burger Joint's Cheeseburger, with "the works." "The works," as we had read beforehand, comes with lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard, ketchup, mayo and a slice of pickle. Yikes. A few toppings we'd like to chuck before even setting foot inside the place. Still, we heard the beef was the type that melts in your mouth, the stuff you'd crawl through a desert or more aptly, an NYC sewer, to taste.


The Burger

Meat: No doubt, this meat has flavor. But what makes it great is the tender juiciness. The type of texture that runs through and through, start to finish, with the first bite as good as the last. Considering its such a compact burger, that's quite a feat. Similar to that cookout burger (grilled on an open flame) you devoured at camp, but ten times better. Yet, without the orange drink and OFF bug spray. To our delight, it doesn't fall apart...a big sticking point, in our opinion, with many sub-par burgers. Even better, medium-rare came out, medium-rare...thank you Burger Joint. Having been one of the minor detractors from our previous review's ranking ( see Five Napkin Burger), Burger Joint got it right. They're seasoned pros, grilling the burger to perfection. A quick tip: You fellas (and maybe even some ladies) might want to grab seconds since one cheeseburger probably won't fill you up. Just remember they don't accept credit cards.

Toppings: One of the weaker elements of this burger, the toppings are a bit average. That's what you should expect at Burger Joint, given the decor and burger style. Then again, that's not to say the place or the burger is average, but continuing with the camp cookout theme, the burger comes with those same campfire toppings. Sadly, it doesn't come with a hot co-ed counselor either...but we digress. Ordering "the works" gets you a few toppings we would instantaneously dismiss from our burger. Mustard, blah. Mayo, double-blah. Still, we dig the pickle, that crunchy dill type that adds some serious snap to your bite. As for the cheddar cheese, it's a solid sideshow to the beef. It melts like it should, draping over the sides of the meat but still keeping its composure. That counterbalances the "just OK" toppings since the cheddar allows the meat to remain the star. Exactly what we want and why we're here. Despite that, those formerly mentioned toppings bring the ranking down a notch...sigh.

Bun: Soft white roll, once again (a la Five Napkin). Slightly grilled, not charred, and done with perfect timing. The bun covered the burger, didn't fall apart through the entire eating experience, and wasn't overwhelming while letting the meat keep spotlight. Still, nothing to write home about (get it?).

Bedlam's Burger Joint Judgment

Meat (43): Awesomely cooked to temperature, flavored with that purpose we had hoped for and good 'til the last bite. The star of this burger.

Toppings (18): Average, but what we expected. Maybe some grilled onions could do the trick?

Bun (20): Just right. Not a star, but done well and chosen wisely. It says, screw those sesame buns.

Rating: 81 out of 100

Best Burger NYC Glimpse: Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien

We at Burger Bedlam care mightily about our beef. We expect it to be cooked with care, flavored and spiced with purpose, and presented with a promise to satisfy. With all of that in mind, a good burger is only showered with praise when there’s something seriously superb about it…translation; it has to meat our expectations. Sometimes though, a burger's quality can often be overshadowed by the mystique behind its location and atmosphere. Such is the case with our next burger review, Burger Joint. Located in the ritzy confines of Le Parker Meridien in Midtown Manhattan, Burger Joint gets as much buzz from its design (faux-wood paneling, diner-like surroundings) as it does from its cheeseburger. Some call it the "textbook burger." Some say there are none better. As we prepare to make our venture for answers this weekend, we do so with the hope that Burger Joint cooks carefully, is full of culinary purpose, and is ready to satisfy these two burger bloggers. Stay tuned...