New York Favorites Vol. 3: Best Burgers
My favorite burger spots in New York City
Hi! Hello!
To me, burger places can be sorted into 2 categories: the fast grab-and-go places and the sit down places. The sit down places typically have a meatier burger and more thrills and frills. There was an explosion of smash burgers in NYC in the last couple of years but those were mostly fast casual places. The burgers included in this list today will be, for the most part, meatier and sit down places.
And as always, I am sure that there are some NYC burger “greats” that I haven’t tried yet - I am looking at you 4 Charles Prime Rib. If you have any burger that I should check out, let me know in the comments. Now, on to the burgers!
Minetta Tavern
Originally opened in 1937, Minetta Tavern has entertained the likes of E.E. Cummings and Ernest Hemingway, a classic American tavern meets French bistro. They have two choices of burger on the menu here - the Minetta Burger topped with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions and the Black Label Burger which is probably what they are most famous for - made with dry aged meat. Both are very good. I would recommend the bone marrow to start and pairing all of it with a glass of wine or a martini. A reservation is an absolute must as they are always busy but you may get lucky and squeeze in at the bar. Rumor has it, if you dine solo here they treat you to a glass of champagne.
The Long Island Bar
Originally opened in 1951, they restored and reopened The Long Island Bar in 2013. Just visiting for drinks would be a mistake because they have a great food menu. Once you order their burger with a martini on the side, you’ll want to come back here again and again.
We stumbled in late one night and enjoyed some really great burgers with friends. I would love to come back and start the night here! This walk-in only spot on Atlantic Ave is worth going out of your way for. And fun fact - one of the current owners is widely credited for inventing the Cosmo.
Red Hook Tavern
Red Hook Tavern’s menu pays tribute to classic steakhouse menu favorites - a wedge salad, French onion soup and shrimp cocktail. They became famous for their burgers served with cottage fries and this was a difficult reservation to get. A couple of months ago, we snagged a spot and took the ferry down to Red Hook. Order a martini - they’ve got a couple to choose from on the menu!
Owned by the same people as Hometown BBQ - truly some of the best in NYC - and I’m from North Carolina so I have opinions about BBQ. They have a location in Red Hook but my pro-tip is to go to their location in Industry City. There’s hardly ever a line and Industry City is a great place to hang out - breweries, a sake distillery and more!
Raoul’s
Two brothers from Alsace, France found a restaurant for sale in NYC and moved there to open Raoul’s in SOHO. If you want to try the burger here you have to come for brunch - they don’t offer it on the dinner menu. For a long time you could only order the burger at the bar and they only made 20 a night!
It’s a very peppery burger topped with cheese and cornichon. Definitely worth trying - it holds the number four spot on our favorite burger list!
Au Cheval
Tucked down Cortland Alley in Tribeca, Au Cheval has traditional steakhouse fare. I didn’t have many expectations for the burger at Au Cheval and was excited to try it. I opted to forgo the egg or the bacon that you can add, and after a couple of bites this burger quickly shot to the top of my list.
Au Cheval is owned by the same restaurant group as 4 Charles Prime Rib…so I would argue that the burgers are very similar but without the white glove service that 4 Charles went so viral for. But if anyone can get me a reservation, let me know.
Emily
Emily is by far my favorite burger on this list and it is the favorite for a reason! I can’t even count how many times I have been at this point. I have taken friends and out of town guests and every time the burger is solid. Served on a pretzel bun with caramelized onions - if you haven’t tried this one yet, run. Emily is mostly known as a pizza place and I love that they’ve divided their menu by red, pink and white sauce and they’re constantly changing up the toppings.
Emily now has 2 locations - one in Brooklyn and the other in West Village as well as Emmy Squared which sells Detroit style pizzas. But the Brooklyn location is the one to go to.
JG Melon
This Upper East Side “saloon with food” has been serving up burgers since they opened in 1972. JG Melon’s green checkered tables are iconic as are the cottage fries they serve alongside the burgers. Their house specialty drinks - a Bloody Mary and a Bloody Bull - are a must order. Like a couple of spots on this list they are cash only so come prepared!
Corner Bistro
Corner Bistro hails themselves as “the last of the Bohemian bars in Greenwich West Village” and remains mostly unchanged since they opened in the 1960’s. The bartender was chatty and on a weeknight it was clear that most of the customers were regulars. They are cash only and they’ve got McSorley’s Old Ale House dark on draft. This is a simple burger, a solid go-to any day of the week. It is easy to see why they have so many regulars.
Hamburger America
A little different than the rest of the burgers on this list, Hamburger America is a counter service fast casual spot on Houston Street. Opened by George Motz, the Burger Scholar, who is very very passionate about burgers. We ordered a classic and a fried onion burger and I loved the fried onion burger.
They have a monthly burger special that explores different regional burger offerings. February’s is a CHILI CHEESEBURGER from Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC.
We went to Rolo’s in Ridgewood with friends some months ago. We managed to get a reservation but couldn’t order the burger because it was sold out when we sat down to eat. I will eventually make a point to show up right when they open in hopes of ordering a burger before they sell out. I have high hopes for this one because the steak was one of the best I’ve had and the verde lasagna was a must order!
And since we’re talking about burgers, “how would you like your burger cooked” often comes up at these places. I usually go for medium which usually means the burger is still a little pink on the inside. For context, I always order my steak medium rare.
Are there any other NYC burgers I should try? Let me know in the comments!
Hope you are taking care,
Savannah
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Any of these burger joints offer their burgers Carolina style with chili, slaw, onions and mustard