Five Guys and the Burger Joint (in the Parker Meridien on 56th btw. 6+7th) are neck and neck in the 2009 Readers’ Poll for Best Burger in Midtown , and considering I had Five Guys two weeks ago I figured I’d stop by Burger Joint today for a quick comparison.  It’s been almost a year and a half since my last burger there, and I was kind of shocked by how expensive it is!  On first glance it might seem like the same prices as before, but sales tax was included on the old menu but not included on the new menu. So once you add sales tax, everything is 50 cents more expensive than it was before.  Don’t know when this price increase happened (admittedly it might have happened awhile ago) and 50 cents is not a total crime against humanity… but $7.50 for a hamburger, $8 for a cheeseburger, and $4 for fries?  When I first started this site 3 1/2 years ago, a cheeseburger and fries from the Burger Joint was $9.50. Now it’s $12. Come on now!

There was a bit of good though.  There was no line at Noon today, and it’s the Monday before X-Mas!  Craziness.  As for the taste?  Well, I’ll leave that for the big January 4th “Best of 2009″ post.  In the meantime, if you haven’t voted for your favorite burger yet (or any of the 2009 Readers’ Poll categories) you can vote for your faves here>>

Related:
Burger Joint is Latest Victim of Rising Food Costs

Twitter is not just for the hipster trucks anymore! Judging from their tweets it’s clear that the Steak Truck (on Park and 47th) hasn’t completely grasped what twitter is all about (“print this ad with code 7787 and get free soda can with any lunch purchase, but you must present this print .from twitter,s web site.”) but it’s a start. And anybody that uses twitter to give out free food stuff is alright with me.

Speaking of getting deals on Twitter, Burger Joint in the Parker Meridien is also using the social networking tool now (@burgerjointnyc) to let people know about specials. On Monday they did an early bird special, $10 for a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda between 11 and 11:45am. No word on when the next one will be.

Can’t bring yourself to sign up for twitter, but wouldn’t mind hearing about deals from the Steak Truck and Burger Joint? They’ve both been added to the Midtown Lunch Twitter Tracker>>

Related:
Barack Obama Spotted at the Parker Meridien
Five Guys is NYC’s Closest Thing to In N Out Burger
Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien (Original Post 8/21/06)

A friend of mine spotted Barack Obama in the lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel late last night.  I wonder if he ate at the Burger Joint?  Or maybe Topaz Thai next door? Either would have been better choices than what he had for lunch today visiting Bill Clinton’s office in Harlem: “a potpourri of Cosi sandwiches, flatbread pizza, salad and chips.” Terrible.

Best Fast Food Indian: Kati Roll

Despite changing locations this year (Kati Roll is now on 39th btw. 5+6th), Indian burritos just barely beat out old steam table standby (and former neighbor) Minar, on 46th btw. 6+7th.  35% to 32%  Editor’s Pick: Man do I miss being 2 blocks away from Kati Roll.  It’s the unanimous winner.

Best Cheap Chinese Food: Hing Won

“Cheap” is code for fast food, take out Chinese, and while Szechuan Gourmet (on 39th btw. 5+6th) may possibly be the best Chinese food in Midtown- Hing Won/Hop Won wins the battle of the steam tables, easily beating out the competition.  Editor’s Pick:  No secret here.  Hing Won was my first Midtown Lunch post, and still remains my favorite Chinese food take out in Midtown.

Best burger, best street carts and a best pizza shocker, after the jump…

Best Japanese Take Out: Cafe Zaiya

The battle of the bento was won pretty handily by Cafe Zaiya (41st btw. Madison+5th), as it beats out both neighbors Chiyoda & Yagura, plus Go Go Curry.  Editor’s Pick: Chiyoda has got the edge on quality, but Zaiya is the best value and selection (plus the most fun).  Zaiya is the unanimous victor.

Best Ramen (Under $10): Sapporo

There’s plenty of amazing ramen in Midtown, but not all of it is in the Midtown Lunch’ing price range.  Among those chosen few, Sapporo (on 48th btw. 6+7th) edges out Menchanko-Tei (undoubtedly helped by the DOH!).  Editor’s Pick: Men Kui Tei.

In the biggest shock, and by the slimmest margin in the entire poll- Two Boots (in the Rock Center Concourse) beats out Little Italy Pizza (on 45th btw. 5+6th) as best slice of Pizza in Midtown.  Editor’s Pick: I enjoy Two Boots as much as the next guy, but Little Italy is my fave.

Best Italian Food: Little Italy Pizza

Little Italy Pizza on 45th btw. 5+6th loses out on best Pizza, but wins Best Italian food in Midtown.  Editor’s Pick: I haven’t been to Lazzarra’s yet, but it’s top of my list to try.  Of places I’ve been to, I’ve got to go with Labeleca/La Bellezza.

Best Falafel & Best Chicken/Lamb & Rice Cart:  Kwik Meal

The Kwik Meal Cart (Main location on 45th & 6th) takes home two victories, winning both the best Falafel category, and the best Chicken/Lamb over Rice.  Editor’s Pick: For chicken/lamb over rice, I still say 53rd & 6th does it best… but I’ve got to agree on the best falafel.  It’s not conventional (yogurt instead of tahini), and it’s small- but man is it tasty.

Best Latin Food: Margon

Old standby Margon (on 46th btw. 6+Bway) takes home best latin food, with over 50% of the vote.  Editor’s Pick:  Growing up in Miami, I’ve got to go with the place that makes me feel like I’m eating lunch on Calle Ocho.  And that is hands down, Margon.  (Although for roast pork, I still think Cafe Cello is tops!  It’s all about the crispy skin.)

Best Indian Buffet (Under $10.99): Spice Fusion

Newcomer Spice Fusion, on 8th Ave. btw. 47+48th wins best Indian buffet in Midtown.  Now let’s see if they keep the price at $9.99!  Editor’s Pick: Spice Fusion

Best Cart (Unique Offering Category): Hallo Berlin

Former Vendy Award Winner, and perennial Midtown lunch’ing favorite Hallo Berlin (on 54th & 5th) beats out the new in 2007 Jamaican Dutchy cart.  Editor’s Pick: A Tie between the Jamaican Dutchy, which I think is the best new cart in Midtown, and the Chapati Roll Cart on 46th- which has gone through the miraculous transformation of standard chicken and rice cart, to worthy replacement for the now displaced Kati Roll.

Best Fast Food Hamburger: Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel

New to NYC chain Five Guys put up a little bit of a fight, but it was no match for one of the true Midtown destination lunches- The Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel (on 56th btw. 6+7th).  Editor’s Pick:  I’m a big Burger Joint fan, but the double burger and free grilled onions and mushrooms make Five Guys tops in my book.

Thanks for all your votes!  And thanks for all the support in 2007.  In the end, who really cares what one fat guy thinks about most of these places?  Your suggestions, tips, opinions and comments on the site are what make Midtown Lunch such a valuable resource for all of us working in this food wasteland.  Keep them coming in 2008!

First off, what kind of burger are you talking about?  Thick or thin? Cheap or Expensive?  If you ask me what my favorite burger place is, I would probably say In ‘n Out?  But it’s only the best when you compare it to other thin burgers… which are mostly found at fast food places.  Most people probably like thick burgers better then the thin patties… but there aren’t too many cheap, fast food places that serve the thick restaurant style burgers.  Then you have the expensive burgers… which are in a class unto themselves.  You know the ones… served at fancy restaurants, made with Kobe beef and stuffed with foie gras that cost a hundred billion dollars.  That doesn’t really appeal to me.  It’s a hamburger.  If I go to a fancy restaurant, I want a real meal.  Not a burger.  I don’t care what animal’s liver you’ve stuffed it with, and how much you massaged the cow before you ground it up… I’m not paying over $20 for a hamburger and fries.  Why stop at foie gras and truffles?  You start stuffing burgers with fried chicken or Chinese food, then you give me a call…

So in my opinion to talk about “the best” or compare burger places across genres is really useless.  If two places are right across the street from each other, and serve the same kind of burger at the same price- compare away.  In ‘n Out is better then McDonald’s.  But to compare Blue 9 Burger in the East Village to the burger at Spotted Pig is futile.  (BTW, if you are a fan of In n Out, and are ever in the East Village check out Blue 9.  It’s the closest thing to a good double double you’ll find in NYC.)

Lucky for us, when it comes to eating a hamburger, for lunch in Midtown, it doesn’t matter what you like- the choice for best burger is pretty clear and easy.  The Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel.  While I’m sure the name conjures images of some fancy burger served at an overpriced hotel restaurant with white tablecloths- here’s the best part.  It’s a dive, and it’s hidden smack dab in the middle of one of the nicest hotel lobbies in Midtown.

Pictures, the +/- and more after the jump…

It’s hard to call the Burger Joint “hidden”, because it’s become pretty well known (the lines can attest to that).  But the truth is, if you don’t know the Burger Joint is there, then you will never know the Burger Joint is there.  There’s no real sign, or windows looking in.  Just an unlit aisle, next to a large brown curtain with a little neon hamburger and an arrow pointing in.  If there wasn’t a line coming out the hallway, you probably wouldn’t even notice it walking through the hotel lobby.

Once you make it inside, you find one of the true hidden gems of Midtown.  The “kitchen”, if you could call it that, is a grill behind the counter where you order.  The menu is pretty small, and like it says “If you don’t see it, we don’t serve it.”  Hamburger ($6), Cheeseburger ($6.50), French Fries ($3), Grilled Cheese ($5).  That’s it.  There are milkshakes if you show up after 2:30 (supposedly that’s when the line dies down, but on a Wednesday at 2:30 it was still going strong for us).  A bunch of wooden tables to sit at, and a bar with some stools.  That’s about it.  Here’s a picture of the burger from their website:

Here’s the picture of the burger I ate:

I can’t decide which picture looks more appetizing!  Despite my horrible photography it really was delicious.  I won’t go too much into how amazing the burger is, or why it’s so good.  The last thing I want to do is draw the ire or attention of burger afficianados quick to tell me how much better some other place in the city is.  Listen pal.  We work in Midtown.  This place kicks ass.  I don’t care what you say…

But I will say this:  It’s a little thicker then a fast food burger (but still in the fast food vein).  If you like that, you’ll like this burger.  It tastes like it’s been grilled on a BBQ, because it has been.  If you like that, you will like this burger.  It tastes like it was cooked fresh, using really good beef, because it was and it is.  If you like that you will like this burger.  If you order it medium rare, the inside will be deliciously pink.  If you like that, you will like this burger.  Will you like it better then (insert your favorite burger place here)?  I don’t know.  Is it worth $9.50 for a cheeseburger and fries?  If the thought of eating at McDonald’s or Burger King (again, or for the first time) sickens you- then yes, it is most definetely worth it. 

Transcendant experience?  I couldn’t tell you, because I’ve never gotten that feeling from ground up meat, grilled and served on a roll.  For me, that “seeing god” experience is reserved for that 3rd plate at an all you can eat chinese buffet.  I must be a communist.  Feelings of euphoria aside, it is a damn good burger, and I’ll go back again and again.

THE +

• Tastes like a real hamburger, made with good meat, that’s been chargrilled on a BBQ

• Your lunch is causing the lobby of a super fancy hotel to smell like chargrilled meat

• Slightly thicker then your regular fast food burger

• They will make your burger medium rare if you want it that way (and it’s thick enough to make a difference)

THE -

• There’s no grilled onions.  I’m a big fan of grilled onions.

• For some $9.50 for a cheeseburger and fries is too much.  I understand.

• The wait.  It’s a pain in the ass.  Despite being a “hidden gem”, this place is pretty well known as it pretty packed for most of the hours that you would consider eating a meal that could be called lunch.  Best case scenario, get there right at noon or after 2:15.  Chances are you will still have to wait, but the wait will be shorter.

• It’s really small, and getting a table is like winning the lotto

 

***ADDITION***  Thanks to an annoynymous tipster we have discovered that you can not only call ahead and place your order- but when you arrive you can skip the line, go to the side of the counter to pay, and receive your food!!!

The Burger Joint, in the Parker Meridien Hotel.  Enter on 56th btw. 6th & 7th.  Look for the big brown curtain in the middle of the lobby.  (There is an entrance on 57th, but it’s easier to find the Burger Joint from the entrance on 56th).  212-708-7414