The ol’ patty, bun, lettuce, and tomato regimen just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. The classic hamburger is experiencing a serious upgrade in NYC as of late. And no, we’re not talking about supersizing that Big Mac. Fine cuts of meat and trendy garnishes are de rigueur around town—some burgers are even being spruced up with flakes of bling. So leave the dollar menu behind—these new burger spots kick those golden arches to the curb.
Five Napkin Burger
630 9th Ave. (44th & 45th Sts.)
Hell’s Kitchen 212.757.2277
Refined palates should head over to Five Napkin to try the latest. The signature burger is slathered with rosemary aioli, and your standard cheeseburger here is a rarebit burger with white cheddar and bacon. If these choices are too boring, opt for an ahi tuna burger with ginger and wasabi mayo or a lamb kofta burger with green tahini sauce. The antithesis of a burger-and-beer joint, Five Napkin Burger prefers to pair their burgers with vino. One can only hope it's a matter of time until the service improves to keep up the fancy-pants, white-cloth-napkins atmosphere.
Wall Street Burger Shoppe
30 Water St. (Broad St. & Coenties Slip)
Financial District 212.425.1000
Elitist hamburger connoisseurs have finally met their match. Introducing the Richard Nouveau—a 10-oz. slab of Kobe beef adorned with fois gras, black truffles, and gold flakes. For $175, we’ll concede and call this one a delicacy. But if you can’t quite stomach paying a fraction of your rent on a single burger, there are plenty of options that will only cost you some pocket change in comparison. For $6, you can get a burger with Muenster, avocado, and bacon, fittingly called the Kahuna.
Pop Burger (Midtown)
14 E. 58th St. (5th & Madison Aves.)
Midtown 212.991.6644
The Pop Burger in Midtown has given us another opportunity to experience classic American taste with an avant-garde flavor. Walking into the Pop Art-themed, three-story restaurant, you’ll first notice the Andy Warhol soup can paintings, as prominent as the aroma of the gourmet sliders and fries. With two mini burgers going for $5 at the walk-up counter and an expanded menu upstairs (try the steak frites with watercress for $18), this is grub for the masses. Andy would be so pleased.
The Lever House
390 Park Ave. (58th & 59th Sts.)
Midtown 212.888.2700
Park Avenue types will delight in hearing that The Lever House’s new chef, Brad Thompson, is cultivating a new hamburger to debut this month. The juicy details: it’s going to be charbroiled, topped with red-wine onions and blue cheese, and served on challah bread. From the sound of it, we suggest heading to Bergdorf’s before eating, sans greasy fingers. Bon appetit.
Elizabeth
265 Elizabeth St. (Houston & Prince Sts.)
Nolita 212.334.2426
It’s hard to imagine the chic—read, skinny—crowd at Elizabeth chowing down on the cheeseburger here. But word is even the waifiest of waifs can’t resist this juicy burger with an oversized layer of pan-crisped cheddar ($14) they’ve got going on. Even more awe-inspiring is how well the model folk can keep the messy haute burger off their haute couture.
Coming Soon…
Black Iron Burger Shop
540 E. 5th St. (Aves. A & B)
East Village 212.677.6070
Just like the real estate, burgers in the East Village are turning dapper. Frank Ennis, a bartender from Raoul’s, is introducing Black Iron Burger Shop to the neighborhood. Expect a burger battle to ensue, since Black Iron is just down the street from Seymour Burton, which serves a critically-acclaimed beef patty. From Black Iron’s name alone, we’ll expect the food to be well done when they open later this month.
