Your First Look at the Frites N Meats Burger
I hate decisions. Quite frankly, they’re one of the reasons I avoid pay-by-the-pound lunch bars because I want a little bit of everything on display. And I’m no different when it comes to choosing a place to eat every week or two to write up for Downtown Lunch. So on Wednesday when we heard about the Frites N’ Meats truck opening, it was like the clouds had opened and the sun was shining on my little cubical. And the best part? The menu was just two items! Burger + Fries. And I had to write about both of them? No choices? The heavens were definitely smiling… or so I thought.
I don’t know if you cared to look outside on Wednesday, but it was horrific. The rain and wind were coming down hard and fast with very little reprieve. And let me tell you, the wind tunnel effect from all those high rises did nothing to keep me warm and dry. But like the postman, duty called. I grabbed my buddy, and Downtown Lunch co-contributor Lunch’er Kevin, and we made our way to Greenwich and Chambers to meet the sons of bitches who decided that this was the day to open.
We found the big, yellow truck easy enough. In case you can’t tell, it’s the one with the superhero cow on the side. We arrived just as they were setting up, so we took a moment to review the menu and then ordered. Kevin ordered the grass-fed Angus on a brioche bun with Brie and onion jam, while I went with the Wagyu on potato-onion with cheddar and applewood smoked bacon. Just typing that made my mouth start to water a little. They’re happy to cook to order but when left to their own devices, they cook medium rare, which happens to be just how I like it on most occasions. And I know this is the third week in a row for me, but I went over the $10 limit and splurged on an order of frites and a dipping sauce. How could I not? The place is called Frites’N’Meats!
The wait took a little long, but they were cooking everything from scratch as we ordered it, so I certainly couldn’t complain. Grabbing our bags, we ran to the nearby Whole Foods to get out of the rain and enjoy the meal. Unwrapped and still plenty hot, we tore into the burgers amid handfuls of fries.
The burgers were very well cooked, though mine tended more toward the medium side unfortunately.
Kevin generously allowed me a bite of his, however, and it was divine. Part of what took away from my experience, I think, was my choice of bun (which come from Balthazar Bakery). The potato-onion, while a damn good piece of bread, is more of a rustic dinner roll than what I’d choose for a burger bun. Kevin ordered the brioche, but I’m guessing they gave us the wrong bun because that looks like a sesame seed bun to me. Kevin was hoping for brioche, but I’m not a huge fan of brioche buns so the mistake was a blessing as far as I was concerned. And the onion jam? Get this on your burger… I’m not kidding The bacon was very good too (and, in hindsight, maybe not the right choice for a Wagyu burger), but that jam!
The frites were good also, and came with garlic and sundried tomato aioli, but definitely not the star of the show. They lacked a bit of crispness and were a touch salty. It was also their first day, so they’ll probably get better. The dipping sauces were good, especially for just the 50 cents extra.
Despite the rain and the wind and the misery, the day ended up being a very good one because of that burger being in my belly. To be honest, the Wagyu burger here didn’t change my opinion that Wagyu doesn’t belong in a burger (I don’t know, it just loses something in the process), but I don’t know of any other place you’re going to get it from a truck, so what the hell, y’know? But I’ll definitely be back in the future, and early too. I swung by there yesterday, and the line was pretty long (apparently they were having some issues.) No need to rush though, I have a feeling these guys will be around for a while longer.
THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)
- Well-cooked, tasty burgers
- Wagyu burger from a truck? Unheard of!
- A wonderful array of accoutrement for your burger and frites
THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)
- Why you gotta get all fancy with the roll? I just want a good burger bun
- The frites were a touch on the soggy side and mighty salty
- Wagyu doesn’t belong in the burger form
Frites N Meats, Greenwich & Chambers (Follow them on Twitter)
Posted by Chris Seamens at 10:00 am, October 30th, 2009 under Frites N Meats.
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Best downtown lunch review yet.
Sad on the overcooked-ness of that burger though.