Best Burger in NYC Search: The Breslin Bar & Dining Room

The Breslin Bar & Dining Room 

16 W. 29th St. (Between Broadway & 5th Ave.) 

(212) 679-1939 

Burger: The Chargrilled Lamb Burger ($17) 

Consider the scene: A dimly lit British pub with rustic charm and medieval chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. Scenesters, foodies and gastrotourists sprinkled about with more filing in from an adjacent and equally trendy lobby bar. Indie rock and hip-hop beats spinning, bouncing off the walls and echoing through the dining room. All the while, diners attempt to focus on a mouth-watering menu packed with an epic array of indulgences. Can you picture it? Because that, in a nutshell, is The Breslin - April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman’s boisterous barroom attached to the uber-hip Ace Hotel. Since it’s illustrious opening in late 2009, crowds have flocked to the gastro-pub, obsessed with it’s meats, cheeses, puddings and, importantly, a best burger in nyc candidate. We’ve had the pleasure of devouring one of Bloomfield’s creations previously at her West Village joint, The Spotted Pig. Highly ranked on our list, and engrained in our minds and pasted on our palates forever, would we be wrong to expect a commensurate burger at The Breslin?

Our Expectations: The Chargrilled Lamb Burger. An eight ounce lamb patty, topped with feta cheese, homemade cumin-infused mayo and placed on a ciabatta roll. Our first true foray into another meat blend outside of beef (minus Resto’s pork and beef blend), Bloomfield’s offering is not necessarily for the conservative, casual eater. Lamb can be gamey at times, though we visited The Breslin with open minds and clear palates.

The Burger 

Meat: Lamb, as a burger patty, is a different animal altogether…pun intended. While it can often be gamey, it does provide a silky texture and enough fat to render it tasty. Such is the case with The Breslin’s burger. While formidable in size at a heavy eight ounces, the patty is loosely packed, which allows for optimum flavor enhancement in all it’s nooks and crannies. With great balance in seasoning and cooking temperature, the lamb provided rich flavor through and through. A delicate crust made our first bite delectable yet, unfortunately, quite salty. Nevertheless, the salt was easy to overcome care of the supreme texture and tenderness and wasn’t extremely overbearing.

Toppings: As with Chef Bloomfield’s Spotted Pig offering which uses Roquefort, this came with a pungent cheese in the form of feta. While not too cumbersome, the creaminess made way for the lamb to shine, albeit adding a bit more salt to the equation. In similar fashion to the aforementioned Pig’s burger, the feta required some spreading to even out each bite but still provided an excellent contrast to the lamb and in effect, created a pleasant synergy. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the cumin-infused mayo. Innovative? Yes. Delicious? Not so much. We avoided the mayo after a few bites, choosing to enjoy the burger without it.

Bun: Ciabatta is always a pleasant option, proving to be soft, flavorful and an admirable component to the burger’s overall composition. Sweet and fluffy, it was a structural ally to all eight ounces of lamb as ratio-wise it played an effortless role. Still, as with other similarly scaled patties, chewing fatigue was an issue. Finishing the grand patty is a feat in itself and having to chow down on equal parts of bun can be challenging.

Bedlam’s The Breslin Bar & Dining Room Judgment 

Meat (47): Tender, silky and rich, lamb proved to be a spectacular choice for our – ahem – refined palates. Though, a few points off for heavy-handed saltiness and a cumbersome size.

Toppings (20): Creamy and smooth but slightly too salty, the feta was a welcome addition for the most part. The same cannot be said for the cumin-infused mayo, which lacked appeal.

Bun (21): A well-tailored suitor for such a substantial patty, deemed worthy via a fitting burger-to-bun ratio. Tasty and soft, but still a challenge to devour without feeling like a chore.

Ranking: 88 out of 100

Best Burger in NYC Search: Waterfront Ale House

Waterfront Ale House
540 2nd Avenue (cross st: 30th St.)
(212) 696-4104
Burger: The Waterfront Burger ($11.95) 

A burger is always enjoyable with a beer…that’s fact. While many best burgers in NYC can be enjoyed thoroughly without a brew in hand, our next burger review brought us to an establishment that might just be the ideal locale to grab a pint and chow down on a sensuous patty of beef. Waterfront Ale House, home to “warm beer, ugly owner, and lousy food” as so defined on their outdoor sign, was Burger Bedlam’s next venture into the foray of finding the best NYC burger. With the beer flowing – microbrews, domestics, and international flavors included – we trekked around the block in our own Murray Hill hood to try Waterfront’s Zagat proclaimed “sublime burgers.” Something of a dive, we take a break from our most recent reviews at “gastropubs” to get down to brass tax, burgers a la carte. Screw the ambiance; we don’t need no stinking ambiance. Give us a burger, beer (ok, beers) and we couldn’t be happier.

Our expectations: The Waterfront Burger. A half pound patty of fresh ground sirloin served with toppings of your choice. We at Burger Bedlam always go for the Bacon Cheeseburger unless the burger establishment is known for something else – a la The Spotted Pig or Shake Shack. Yet, most of the reviews we’ve done come with bacon and cheese…we’re not complaining. Would you? Although we had a hard time passing on the chili topping, as we know how good we know the chili is at Waterfront, but we digress. We will gladly take one for the team and try the bacon cheeseburger.

The Burger

Meat: If you’re looking for punch from a burger, you hope for the meat to knock you out. At Waterfront, you might consider the meat a jab from your girlfriend rather than an uppercut from Tyson. Sure, the meat was juicy, despite its overcooked texture, but it lacked any standout features. Whereas the meat usually sings with seasoning and freshness at many best NYC burger spots, this patty lacked much of either. Under-seasoned is not the way to win our hearts and appetites.

Toppings: Bacon makes us smile. Its one of those foods that can make any burger, breakfast or brunch complete. Waterfront does its part to keep us consistently happy with the pig product as it produces what might be the best feature of their burger. Now, that’s all well and good, but should it really be the case? This is after all, a burger, and not bacon, blog. With that said, it’s got a delectable crisp and smokiness that complements the burger well. As for the cheese, basic American, but melted expertly.

Bun: Solid bun, spanning all sides of the burger and holding up throughout the eating experience. Slightly burnt from toasting, but nothing that affected the taste. Though, does it add to the flavor of every bite? Not so much. Regardless, it isn’t horrible like some other NYC burger restaurants…we’re looking at you, Royale.

Bedlam's Waterfront Ale House Judgment

Meat (29): Still slightly juicy but lacking the seasoning we yearn for, the meat was underwhelming and overdone.

Toppings (20): Standout bacon with the crispiness and smoky saltiness we desire. Waterfront is more a BBQ joint than anything else when it comes to food, so we expect this type of result. The cheese is melted well.

Bun (20): Right size, but slightly burnt, not much of an addition.

Rating: 69 out of 100

Best Burger in NYC Search: The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th Street (cross street: Greenwich St.)
(212) 620-0393
Burger: The Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese ($17) 

With each new review we write at Burger Bedlam, we take some time following our burger consumption to reflect on what we, hopefully, just enjoyed. Often, we visit a restaurant/bar/gastropub and immediately know where to rank the burger and what our review will look and sound like. Further, we tend to feel a sense of accomplishment considering we have taken another step towards our lofty goal of trying every “contender” for the title of best NYC burger. Our most recent review, The Spotted Pig, certainly fell into the category of “highly anticipated” in regard to past critic’s praises, reader hype, and our own ranking expectations. To say that we presumed a top 5 ranking would be accurate, yet, we always try to temper our expectations in order to not put the burger on a “pedestal” prior to reviewing it…unbiased opinion is a must, right? As we said in our preview post, The Spotted Pig is home to the highly praised Chargrilled Burger with a heaping amount Roquefort Cheese. Chef April Bloomfield of Michelin Star and Top Chef (judge) fame has consistently received recognition for having the best burger in NYC. Additionally, the Spotted Pig is home to an incredibly constructed blend of beef from meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, notorious for top notch blends. We hoped the burger could live up to the immense buildup...fingers crossed.

Our Expectations: The Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese. Yes, we’ve come for the beef in a pig named restaurant. Just because the name says pig, don’t be fooled, the burger is the true reason to hitch a ride to the west village. Topped with what’s been termed an “ice-cream scoop sized” amount of Roquefort cheese, we expect somewhat of a cheese attack to go with our chargrilled patty blended by Pat LaFrieda. A sizable burger, weighing almost a pound, The Pig’s presentation is a staple in most review’s we’ve read. Donning square grid marks on the bun and accompanied by a huge pile of shoestring fries, the burger should still be the centerpiece of the plate.

The Burger

Meat: Tender, check. Juicy, check. Freshness, check. Seasoned to perfection, double-check. Enough saltiness to whet your palate, but not overbearing, and it comes with a slight crispiness in every bite. As far as beef and preparation, the patty left nothing to be desired. A true testament to the chef, we would gladly eat this burger sans cheese and enjoy it. Further, as expected, our orders were sent in with a medium rare request and came out to the tune of medium rare to medium. Most burgers from our reviews to date have been consistent to the point where they don’t undercook the meat. Trust us, you don’t want to be near that fine line where your cow is still mooing. Though, as Brett stated, his was “maybe a bit closer to medium in looks but not noticeable as I ate.” Regardless of any temperature transgressions (sorry Tiger, we stole your word), which were minimal, our mouths still water as we write.

Toppings: Roquefort, a.k.a. blue cheese, added a dubious amount of creaminess to every bite. Being fans of blue cheese in general, this burger is a must for any blue cheese lovers out there. Yet, blue cheese haters might have reason to be deterred from trying the burger with such a copious helping on top. Though, the burger without blue cheese would still be a great burger. When you got the right bite with the perfect amount of cheese, beef, & bun it was close to perfection. Unfortunately, a slight complaint of ours was the “geography” if you will, of the topping. Having blue cheese piled in the middle of the burger makes for a few potent bites. Easily remedied, just take your knife and spread it out. Its necessary.

Bun: Top notch, the bun ranks up there with the best. Though some brioche buns tend to add too much "nuttiness," this bun added a nicely neutral but sweet flavor. Additionally, the perfectly square grid marks add a nice touch to the presentation but we wonder if the sizable bun might have been a tad big for the patty. Still, it held up to the burger’s juiciness without falling apart or making things messy…who wants to eat a burger in pieces? Plus, aside from the grill marks, the entire bun was toasted well edge to edge.

Bedlam's The Spotted Pig Judgment

Meat (48): Delectable and nearly euphoric. High marks for slight but not overwhelming saltiness and an obviously fresh product. Cooked well and with an accurate combination of juicy tenderness.

Toppings (22): A powerful cheese, the Roquefort was to our liking, but has the potential to overpower an eater. It needs a little more careful spreading across the top of the patty, but it complements the beef mightily. We do wonder, however, what this baby would taste like with some American or if it could hold up sans cheese.

Bun (22): A tad big but not to be overshadowed, the bun stands out for its great texture and perfectly toasted edges. Tasty but still complementary, its a solid bun that adds to the enjoyable eating experience.

Rating: 92 out of 100

Best Burger NYC Glimpse: The Spotted Pig

Readers of Burger Bedlam know that we post our reviews with a focus on the three sections of every burger: Meat, Toppings and Bun. Each review involves a bit of scrutiny with every section and we try not to take ourselves too seriously when doing so...these are burgers after-all, not necessarily high end cuisine. Yet, our next stop in our search for the best burger in NYC brings us to a destination that can't be overlooked for its unique atmosphere and unmistakable notoriety with trendy New Yorkers, foodies, celebrities and tourists alike - The Spotted Pig. Home to a culinary icon in New York, April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig is co-owned by a few other esteemed chefs and restaurateurs (Mario Batali being the most well-known, of Iron Chef fame). Bloomfield boasts a burger that is distinguishable from many others in the city, specifically due to the "ice cream scoop sized" amount of blue cheese nestled on top. Now, we realize that The Spotted Pig will continue our trend of "gastropub" reviews following Spitzer's Corner and Resto, but we know that this burger, unlike the previous two, has more often claimed the crown of many critic's vaunted best NYC burger title. We're ready to take a bite and can't wait to head to the West Village for some "sceney" eating. Stayed tuned...