I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised by this, but In-N-Out has been chosen the Best Burger AND Best Food (for small chains) in Zagat’s Fast Food Survey. We at Hambur.gr congratulate them on this win, despite the fact that one of our perennial favorites, Five Guys, didn’t even make the top 5. We still love a good Double-Double. Animal Style.
The regional burger chain is a staple of American fast food: Five Guys in the mid-Atlantic (and expanding), In-N-Out on the west coast, Whataburger across the southern US…. but I’d never tried goodburger, a New York City chain, until today.
Fortunately, the hotel I’m staying at in New York City is approximately two blocks away from this tiny bastion of burgerdom, located at 800 2nd Ave near the United Nations building in Midtown. I made the solo trek over there, determined to make my first burger of this trip a good one, and goodburger did not disappoint.
The menu options are simple, but exactly what I’d want from a burger joint: hamburger, cheeseburger, double, fries, shakes. Oh, and they have veggie burgers too, if you’re into that kind of thing. Burgers come topped with the traditional variety of veggies and cheese: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and cheddar. But its simplicity is really what makes this burger – and other similar chains – so excellent.
The burger was cooked exactly to my order, a feature not found at most fast food joints. Perfectly rare, yet not dripping with grease. Just enough juices to stain my bun, but not so much that it becomes a sloppy mess. The veggies were fresh and ripe, and added significantly to the flavor of the meat without overpowering anything. And just a dash of ketchup went a very long way. The bun was lightly toasted, and held together nicely as I bit into it. And I was pretty happy with the size of my single cheeseburger, not so big that I couldn’t bite into it, but not thin and flimsy like typical fast food patties.
Perhaps the most startling thing in my meal was how awesome the fries and shake were. The fries, your typical thin potatoes (think McDonalds), were freshly cut and cooked, and the light taste of oil and salt fresh out of the fryer was exactly what I needed with my burger. My vanilla shake, a creamy and sweet concoction that didn’t quite taste like ice cream, but not like milk either, added some much needed sweetness to the fat of the burger.
All this for around 13 bucks, not exactly cheap, but it doesn’t really break the bank either.
The moniker goodburger is about as accurate as you can get. This wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever eaten in my life, but significantly better than your typical fast food joint also. goodburger is a great place to stop in and grab a quick fix if you’re ever in Midtown (they have several other locations as well).
As I posted earlier, the Hambur.grlrs are heading to New York City this weekend (some are traveling today). Well I just stumbled on this little gem, a restaurant called brgr (perhaps an homage to our illustrious name?). It just happens to be in Chelsea, and I think it’s worth a visit while we’re there. That is, if we don’t find ourselves at any of the other 18483895 burger spots in the city.
The Hambur.grlrs mostly work in this office on LA’s westside, very close to the Marina Del Rey location of perennial Angeleno favorite The Counter. Famous for its myriad combinations of toppings, buns, proteins, and sauces, The Counter has become a regular lunch spot for us. Here’s a simple combination I cooked up the other day: beef patty, rare, on white hamburger bun, with Danish blue cheese, grilled onions, and peppercorn steak sauce. A bit on the greasy side for me, but tasty nonetheless. The Counter is sort of hit-or-miss: if you get the wrong combination it can be the worst burger ever. But the flipside is equally true. In fact, The Counter was the first burger I ever ate in Los Angeles (apart from In-N-Out when I was a little kid). So it has a special place in my heart.
