Midtown Lunch

At some point in the review of the sliders at Bill’s Bar and Burger (on 51st btw. 5+6th), both Josh Ozersky and Ed Levine at Serious Eats make mention of White Castle. Ed finds out that they source the slider buns from the chain, while Mr. Cutlets proclaims the sliders to be like a high class White Castle. But comparing these sliders to White Castle is selling them short, as every White Castle experience I’ve ever had is punctuated by soggy, greasy, wilting buns and overwhelmingly onion-y meat – the sliders at BB&B certainly are not. Nonetheless, spurred on by two very favorable reviews by these high profile foodies, I decided that I had to check them out for myself.
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What significance does 3 ounces have? Aside from the threshold of liquid & gel carry-ons that the TSA enforces flyers to adhere to, or perhaps a double shot of tequila chugged on a dare, 3 ounces is the difference in size between Bill’s Bar & Burger’s ‘Classic’ burger and their ‘Original’. And it makes all the difference in the world.

I’ve paid several visits to BB&B (on 50th btw. 5+6th) after Jeremiah’s initial assessment, and like Jeremiah, I opted for the thriftier 5oz ‘Classic’ ($6.95), which only drew a lukewarm reaction. On a recent visit curiosity and hunger got the better of me and I coughed up the extra $2 to upgrade to Bill’s ‘Original’ 8oz burger ($8.95), and an extra fifty cents for a topping of caramelized onions. This simple act of gluttony, it turns out, was the right decision.

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Josh Ozersky was one of the original Bill’s Bar & Burger cheerleaders, and the opening of their new, massive Rock Center location hasn’t changed his POV.  He was there on opening day, and filed this little video proclaiming the sliders (a new item on the Midtown menu) the thing to get.  “Like a giant, high class White Castle”.

Check out the video after the jump.

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Since Bill’s Bar & Burger opened in the Meatpacking District late last year, I was under the impression that it was meant to compete with Shake Shack. I can’t speak to the original location, but after eating at the new Rockefeller Center location (51st btw. 5+6th), I can tell you that Shack Shack has nothing to worry about. This comparison isn’t about the quality of the food (we’ll get there), it’s just that Bill’s offers a completely different experience.

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If there was any doubt that the new Bill’s Bar & Burger (on 51st btw. 6+7th) would have any trouble filling up their new mammoth Rock Center location, you can put those questions to rest. (Of course the rain probably doesn’t hurt.) There’s a wait for tables but it’s not too bad (aka it’s crowded but not insane.) Customers all seem to be in a pretty good mood. I was able to walk right in and grab a seat at the bar (it was the only one available.) Food came about 12 minutes after I ordered it. Not bad at all for a first day…

The wait is finally over… Bill’s Bar & Burger is supposed to open in Rockefeller Center today (on 51st btw. 5+6th), so I swung by after work to see how things were shaping up. There was plenty of activity inside as employees were running around and the space looked ready to go. A sign in the window announced they’d be open 11am-9pm, and that hours would expand to 11am-11pm starting Oct. 4th. Chris got a preview of Bill’s back in July, during Rock Center’s Taste of Summer event, but the burgers weren’t even close to made to order. They had a friends and family event yesterday, but we’re still waiting for our first official taste. Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments.

Feast NY has an update on the long awaited branch of Bill’s Bar & Burger in Rock Center.  According to them the location is not only opening on Tuesday, but it will also have some new sandwich and salad selections not on the menu at the MePa location- including “a riff on In-n-Out’s West Coast classic called the Sunset and Vine” and “a grilled chicken BLT on a poppy seed roll; Asian chicken salad; Rockefeller salad topped with fried oysters, gruyere and bacon with Champagne tartar sauce; falafel; and even meatballs.”

Back in May Lunch’er “Chris” was kind enough to tell us about Arirang’s kal gook soo, and the soup from the Korean Noodle Soup cart on 49th. Yesterday he checked out the Taste of Summer event going on in Rock Center during lunch through Thursday, and filed this report for those who were considering checking it out…

There’s nothing like a generous tip, and thanks to yesterdays tip about the “Taste of Summer” thing going on in front of Rock Center (which includes a sneak peek of the much anticipated Bill’s Bar & Burger), I rushed over to check it out. Just like last year, Rockefeller Center has beckoned a selection of restaurants from the subterranean corridors in order to vend a budget friendly (almost all items are under $10) taste of their wares on the ground level main plaza. In the midst of the lineup of chain restaurants, harmless delis and upscale steakhouses, are there any bright spots in Rock Center? And what’s this hubbub over Bill’s Bar & Burger?

Find out after the jump…

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