Ask Midtown Lunch: What Burger Should I Eat Today?
The Blarney Stone’s Burger & Fries
This email was sent to the old ML Inbox before the bad news about Five Guys, but it’s still a good question (especially if you’re craving a burger today, and were thinking about hitting up Five Guys).
“I haven’t had a burger since the summer (eating healthier; not salads or crap like that, just chicken instead of beef). I got a ridiculous craving yesterday, but it was miserable outside. I’m trying to decide which great burger I am going to unleash myself on. I’ve narrowed it down to Blarney Stone, City Burger (the black label is so intriguing) and Five Guys. I know you list Five Guys as your Midtown pick, but I just want to be sure that it’s a better option considering I’m both a steak (Black Label burger) and onion ring fanatic. I’ve been to AHT, but they give too many options. Any advice? Sincerely, dougiec”
This is a tough one Doug. My favorite is Five Guys, but I admit it’s a specific kind of burger for a specific kind of burger craving. None of this is new territory… but let’s weigh your options after the jump. After all, you can never have too much burger talk.
Personally, I love Five Guys Burgers & Fries- but it is not a steak lovers burger. It’s for somebody who loves the In N Out style of burger. Two super thin burgers, covered in cheese and grilled onions (double double baby!), served with fresh cut fries. So good… but from the sounds of it, it’s not what you’re looking for. Plus it’s closed. If you want to be in that area, there is always the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien (which I’m guessing will even more of a mob scene then usual) or the Carnegie John’s Cart, which actually makes a really good, and cheap burger. No fries (or onion rings) though… which is a big negative.
The new black label burger at City Burger has been called the best burger in the city for the “steak lover”, and if high quality meat is what you’re after, this has to be your choice. It’s also the most expensive, and the smallest of the 3. But if flavor is what you’re looking for, and you don’t care about price, this is your burger.
But then you had to go and mention onion rings. Blarney Stone has possibly the best onion rings in the city. While City Burger serves a frozen onion ring, Blarney Stone fresh cuts, seasons, and batters their onions every single morning. And it totally shows. If onion rings and price are as important to equally important to you as the flavor of the burger, then Blarney Stone must be your choice. Sure, the burger to bun ratio isn’t the greatest, but it’s a giant burger, and good enough. Plus, it’s super cheap (especially compared to Five Guys and City Burger.)
Anybody else have any thoughts on this extremely important question?
Related:
The Blarney Stone Burger
Original City Burger Better Than Black Label? Combo Comes Down By $1
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger
Posted by Zach Brooks at 12:00 pm, January 29th, 2009 under Ask Midtown Lunch, Burger.
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28 Comments
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I actually find the burger at goodburger to be comparable to burger joint. AND they deliver. There, I said it.
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Just in case anyone is still jonesing for a burger (duh!), I actually tried the Black Label Burger @ City Burger last night (I’m more of a ML Dinner kind of person when I’m working hard or playin’ harder)… and… eh…. nothing mind-blowingly special. I asked for medium as recommended, absolutely plain. The burger came medium well (and the store was empty so it was delivered to my bar stool and everyone was really nice.). It was good and appropriately steak-y, but I prefer their standard burger with the works.
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I would like to invite you come into Cer te and try our organic beef burger, we are located on 55th between 5th and 6th avenue. The beef is bought from a farm in Maine and we grind the beef in house with brisket, chuck and sirloin. It is clean, lean and juicy with a big steak flavor. It is served on an organic sesame brioche but can stand it’s own on mixed greens as well.
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Jaclyn – Not sure your burger is a “midtown lunch” burger. At $9 bucks, with $2.50 for fries, lettuce, and tomato, that exceeds the $10 comfort threshold many of us follow.
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Jaclyn, Have you heard of the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challange?!? This a perfect way to win us all over and our wallets!
http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2009/01/28/the-midtown-lunch-sandwich-challenge/
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Thanks for this article, I need 5 Guys replacement burger advice.
A part of me died the day Midtown Lunch announced Five Guys was shutting down, kind of the way I felt when I heard the news that John Candy had passed away and I realized there would never be a sequel to the classic, Uncle Buck. Or if there was, it would be a straight to video without him with Louie Anderson named “Uncle Buck II: Electric Boogaloo” or something crappy like that.
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Thank you for the feedback, we will be sure to enter the sandwich challenge!
if you like in n out burgers, try joe’s bestburger in flushing…very tasty and fresh. i know it’s not in the midtown radius but it tastes pretty damn good. take the 7 to the last stop and it’s right there!