DrNetwork

I'm on a mission to find the best hamburger in New York City. Can anyone make a suggestion? I'd like the restaurant to be within reasonable walking distance of the MTA subway system (say less than 5-6 blocks).

IMDonehere

Obviously there is no such as best. And in NY there are price tiers for burgers and all sorts of places that make them. We now have a whole bunch of places that make designer burgers where a meat supplier makes a special blend.

What is your price range?

Almost every place in Manhattan will be relatively close to a train station.

Fra_Diavolo

For $35 smackers db Bistro Moderne http://www.dbbistro.com/nyc/menu/ will sell you a righteous burger, just a few blocks from the subway.

THE ORIGINAL DB BURGER
Sirloin Burger Filled with
Braised Short Ribs
Foie Gras & Black Truffle
Parmesan Bun, Pommes Frites

doug_stallings

If you do a Google search you will find at least 100 different "Best Burger" lists online, and everyone will have some of the same culprits. It really depends on what kind of burger you like and how much you want to spend. 99.9% of these places are close to a subway stop. So just look at the lists and see what you like.

Gekko

The best burger is indeed much ado about personal preferences. As a true aficionado, here is my list:

1. JG Melon on 3rd Avenue
2. Corner Bistro in the Village
3. Genesis on the UES
4. burger joint hidden inside the Parker Meridien
5. Alder (but closing at end of month)
6. Upland (but the burger is not on the dinner menu)

Shake Shack is great for fast food. And this may be apostasy, but I think Minetta Tavern's black label burger is overrated. There, I said it.

sf7307

Gekko, you're not alone. In fact, I was looking at your list thinking, please please don't name Minetta Tavern! We were very very disappointed.

Grandma

I've never been there… but lots of people like 5 Napkin Burger.
You can check it out on line at open table.com or Yelp.

Grandma

The address is opentable.com …… all one world. (Spellcheck *!@**!)

BigRuss

http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/05/th...hamburger.html

DrNetwork

Appreciate the input. I would have to say that I'm looking for a burger under $10 (for the burger alone), $15 if you are looking at burger, fries, and drink. If you have to charge more than $10 for a burger, you are just catering to the snobbery. I'm a regular guy, looking for a regular good burger. I'll have to try out JG Melon on 3rd. And doesn't a hamburger have to be made out of ground beef (or a reasonable facsimile)? What is this about "braised short ribs"? Does that qualify as "hamburger"? I think I could throw filet mignon and smelly cheese between a bun and possibly wow somebody. Nope, looking for the best hamburger, here. Keep it up folks. You are doing the Lord's work here.

IMDonehere

Best dive burger-Paul's Da Burger Joint. The waitress calls you "Hon" and means it. Few tourists.

Brindle Room, Spotted Pig (great, great straw fries)

Corner Bistro-Zoo on the weekends

Place in Parker Meridien


Over rated-Shake Shack, 5 napkins, Joe Junior's

HappyTrvlr

PJ Clark's has a good burger and good atmosphere in it's historical building.

RoamsAround

Not to hijack this thread but some 35 years ago when I worked in NYC a coworker and I decided to try and find the "best hamburger in midtown NYC".

We ate hamburgers or cheeseburgers, fries & a soft drink everyday for lunch for about 2 months. We didn't have a lot of money in those days and if memory serves me right we probably didn't spend more than $4 or $5/person for each meal.

It was a fun adventure that resulted in a lot of tasty burgers and a realization that "best" only lasts until the next "best" one comes along.

nytraveler

If you're looking for burger, fries a drink and tax/tip for less than $15 you are really limiting where you will go.

This is burger, fries and soda for $12, meaning soda for $2, fries for $3.50 and burger for $6.50 - this won;t even cover the cost at a basic diner place.

What you want at PJ Clarke's will set you back about $28.

orangetravelcat1

Is Jackson Hole still around?

nytraveler

Yes, there are several of them still around - although I was never that impressed with their burgers. And what the OP wants would set him back about $20 including tax and tip.

I think his price range is going to really limit his options to little more than fast food places.

obxgirl

Limit his options? It's a hamburger fer chrissake.

BigRuss

>

Unless you're just looking for Mickey D's, there is no end to the varieties of ground beef.

What do you think short rib, filet mignon, brisket, flank steak, NY strip or beef tenderloin are once they're put through a meat grinder? GROUND BEEF. You see, BEEF comes from a bovine, and once the meat goes through a grinder, it has been GROUND. It's the mix of cuts that the various burger places from small scale good (not BK or McD, but something like Five Guys or In-and-Out) to high-end let-us-all-fawn-over-this-reworking-of-base-workingman-fare-into-culinary-masterpiece (about 2/3 of what IDH listed) use to set themselves apart from just the grade D ground chuck you get in the 99-cent burger chains.

I agree with your premise that the prices on some of these burgers are nuts, but (1) Manhattan, (2) NYC, (3) better quality meat, (4) gourmet pretensions (and it'd be worse if you were in Alaska, Hawai'i or any of the US territories due to shipping and infrastructure issues). There are Five Guys in NYC too and that's a dang site less expensive.

And if you want literal HAMburger, you need to grind up the roasted arse of a pig and put it on the grill ;-).

fdecarlo

BigRuss, one of the best final rimshots I've ever read. Sooo true.

Had to laugh at these prices too. $35 in my part of the country buys one a full filet mignon dinner, Harris Ranch no less. You can cut it with a fork.

IMDonehere

Do you also think frankfurters are made from people named Frank?