As a current resident of a certain Mid-Atlantic state that I won’t mention (though Del is aware of it) I don’t get into New York City too often. When I do I like to take in some of the foods that I normally don’t see in the suburbs. Whether it be from a street-side vendor or a restaurant that normally doesn’t set up a location past the George Washington Bridge.
During my last journey to the City I decided to venture into an establishment that I had passed numerous times before, but skipped to go eat at Chipotle next door. The place was brgr. After eating there I’m sorta glad I skipped it previously
Situated a few blocks from Penn Station (between 26th and 27th Street on the 7thAvenue side) brgr is a higher class of fast food restaurant. Think Fuddruckers, but without the balloons and merry-go-round. Exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and bare ceiling rafters give the restaurant a comfortable feel. While it’s not a big restaurant width-wise, it is deep. This provides space for a limited amount of small tables and a long, wood and tile counter that overlooks the open grill.
As the name of the restaurant implies, this is a burger joint. No chicken or fish sandwiches, no wraps, and no salads. You get your burger made of cow, turkey, or the elusive vegetable. Burgers are prepared with all-natural ingredients: no growth hormones or antibiotics in these patties. This is probably the reason why my burger was so small and was complaining of a sore throat. But, I digress.
You can order your burger two ways: either a specialty burger, which contains a variety of toppings, or a la carte. If you love to load up your burger with a lot of toppings, then the a la carte way is for you. However, it will end up costing you a pretty penny if you pile them on. If you only like a few toppings so you can actually taste the meat, then a specialty burger is the way to go.
I decided to let the menu make my choice and selected the Beautiful Day Burger. It comprised of one beef patty, American Cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ‘brgr Sauce.’ I asked to remove the onions but kept the brgr Sauce, even though I didn’t really know what it was. I also ordered a side of Russet potato fries (they also have a sweet potato variety) and a fountain drink. There are no ‘Value Meals’ at brgr, so those need to be purchased separately.
Including tax, my simple meal cost a whopping $12.55, with $7.55 being for the burger itself. Now, I understand this is New York City — one of the most expensive places to eat. But, even that was a bit much. Especially since the burger I received was on the small side (though, the sizes of the fries and drink were worth the price). If the burger had been something totally out of this world I guess I could have forgiven them.
Sadly, the burger was simply a burger. Actually, it was a bit less than that. Greasy and cooked on the rare side (to the point that the beef told me it was grass fed), my Beautiful Day Burger was just an Average Day Burger. Even with the mystery brgr Sauce there was no flavor to this piece of ground beef. I don’t think the inclusion of the grilled onions would have helped it out.
If there was any consolation it was a good batch of fries. Hand cut, they were just the right texture: not too soggy and not too crisp. And, as mentioned above, there were quite a bit of them. So much so that I couldn’t finish them all.
Overall, I would recommend that you walk right past brgr and save your money for a decent burger that can be had at one of a million joints in the city. However, if your meat absolutely needs to be treated like royalty while getting a mani/pedi, then brgr is the place for you.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Apr 01, 2009 @ 10:31 EST5EDT
