This place is great. They have an good ambiance, very helpful and friendly wait staff, and most importantly, awesome food.
The burger was cooked exactly to order (well done after my problems last week) and was delicious. The bun was pretty good. The fries were very crispy and tasty. The only problem with the burger was that it was a touch small. The guy at the next table had the right idea by ordering the double burger.
The beer selection was a little obscure but the waitress asked each member of the party what they liked and we all ended up with beers we were happy with.
Overall score 78/100
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Molly's Shebeen
Driven away by the 45+ minute lineup at Shake Shack we strolled a few blocks away to our backup: Molly's Shebeen. Molly's makes the believable claim that it's the most traditional Irish bar in New York. The selection of beer, although limited, is certainly very Irish and very delicious.
It's a dark, cavernous bar, you need to go down a few steps to enter. The few lights there are are orange. The floor is covered sawdust. This is strange. Regulars perch on the bar swilling back pints of Kilkenny's, Guinness, Harp and Smithwick's.
The service was very prompt, and the food delivered quickly. The burger was quite large, I suspect bigger than the 10 oz. they describe on the menu. It took a few bites to overcome my fears of an overcooked burger, but it was quite juicy and pink in the center (although hard to tell through what little orange lighting there was). The burger did have quite a well-done crust though, a bit peculiar, but it did lock in the beefiness, the juices and the flavor. The burger did not stay together well, an attribute that gets more and more important with each burger I attempt to stuff in my gullet. It was a surprisingly beefy tasting burger, not overwhelmed by the cheese, onions, lettuce (lettuce can't overwhelm very well, maybe only air?), tomato, and the obligatory ketchup and mustard. The bun was not memorable, the fries decent and plentiful. Overall this was a tasty burger, certainly better than average, but nothing special.
One of my fellow adventurers was horribly ill the next day. I felt great. It was a large burger and a lot of food, with a few pints I felt quite full and not quite right for a little while after, but experienced nothing resembeling food poisoning. My burger was also medium rare, because I like meat, not medium well like his because he's an idiot.
It's a good bar with decent, but not great food. The Waterfront Alehouse is only a few blocks away.
It's a dark, cavernous bar, you need to go down a few steps to enter. The few lights there are are orange. The floor is covered sawdust. This is strange. Regulars perch on the bar swilling back pints of Kilkenny's, Guinness, Harp and Smithwick's.
The service was very prompt, and the food delivered quickly. The burger was quite large, I suspect bigger than the 10 oz. they describe on the menu. It took a few bites to overcome my fears of an overcooked burger, but it was quite juicy and pink in the center (although hard to tell through what little orange lighting there was). The burger did have quite a well-done crust though, a bit peculiar, but it did lock in the beefiness, the juices and the flavor. The burger did not stay together well, an attribute that gets more and more important with each burger I attempt to stuff in my gullet. It was a surprisingly beefy tasting burger, not overwhelmed by the cheese, onions, lettuce (lettuce can't overwhelm very well, maybe only air?), tomato, and the obligatory ketchup and mustard. The bun was not memorable, the fries decent and plentiful. Overall this was a tasty burger, certainly better than average, but nothing special.
One of my fellow adventurers was horribly ill the next day. I felt great. It was a large burger and a lot of food, with a few pints I felt quite full and not quite right for a little while after, but experienced nothing resembeling food poisoning. My burger was also medium rare, because I like meat, not medium well like his because he's an idiot.
It's a good bar with decent, but not great food. The Waterfront Alehouse is only a few blocks away.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Molly's.......by default
Originally the plan was to go to Shake Shack to try one of the most hyped burgers in the city......but since it was Thursday and in the 70's we needed a back up......sure enough as we entered the park the line was to the other side of the park......about a 45 minute wait just to order......SS burger better be the best goddamn burger out there but that is for another time......
Molly's is an old Irish pub style place nothing fancy, darkly lit, and such......this would be the first place we would use our score cards to actually be able to compare one place to another going forward.......saw dust on floor...a plus in my book and a waitress that spoke like she was just off the boat to further add to the Irish pub experience.......of course guinness on tap....the seating was crowded in the booth section they were made for 2 people not 4 and the condiment selection was just mustard and heinz 57......beer selection 10 on tap and about as many in the bottle.....the fries needed salt though were a good wedge style size....good crispiness for a wedge though the amount was a bit on the short side.......the bun nothing special there at all.....the burger was a big size and at first glance I thought was well done....this seemed more to do with the lighting than anything else.....the holdtogetherness also seemed at first to be an issue but mine lasted long into the meal.....juiciness.....none....pickles a bit of an oddity in that they came in two giant wedges that you can't put on the burger itself.....not much of a help.
The bathroom I was told was not up to par but I didn't see it myself......
The overall score for this establishment is a 53 out of a possible95.......right in the middle of the road......nothing special here........
A word of caution........as of the morning after one of our team has come down with what appears food poisoning......now this could be from anything and since we all ate basically the same burgers (his was medium well the other two medium rare) it's hard to say it was from the food there......but.......he has thrown up twice during the night and feels like crap (as well as having issues with his craps) today and is currently lying down in a chair as I write this review.........
Molly's is an old Irish pub style place nothing fancy, darkly lit, and such......this would be the first place we would use our score cards to actually be able to compare one place to another going forward.......saw dust on floor...a plus in my book and a waitress that spoke like she was just off the boat to further add to the Irish pub experience.......of course guinness on tap....the seating was crowded in the booth section they were made for 2 people not 4 and the condiment selection was just mustard and heinz 57......beer selection 10 on tap and about as many in the bottle.....the fries needed salt though were a good wedge style size....good crispiness for a wedge though the amount was a bit on the short side.......the bun nothing special there at all.....the burger was a big size and at first glance I thought was well done....this seemed more to do with the lighting than anything else.....the holdtogetherness also seemed at first to be an issue but mine lasted long into the meal.....juiciness.....none....pickles a bit of an oddity in that they came in two giant wedges that you can't put on the burger itself.....not much of a help.
The bathroom I was told was not up to par but I didn't see it myself......
The overall score for this establishment is a 53 out of a possible95.......right in the middle of the road......nothing special here........
A word of caution........as of the morning after one of our team has come down with what appears food poisoning......now this could be from anything and since we all ate basically the same burgers (his was medium well the other two medium rare) it's hard to say it was from the food there......but.......he has thrown up twice during the night and feels like crap (as well as having issues with his craps) today and is currently lying down in a chair as I write this review.........
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Molly's
This place FAILS in every way. I got terrible food poisoning. The following day was terrible.
Don't go to this fucking shithole.
Don't go to this fucking shithole.
Monday, May 18, 2009
WATERFRONT ALE HOUSE
This local joint is located in mid-town (at least to me).....and is a fine, fine burger......first things first...guinness on tap always a plus, not to mention 15 or so other beers on tap....the condiments were readily available on the windowsills with many choices of mustard and such.......the establishment itself is an old local tavern type hangout with a waitress to match.....good service and friendly......
Now the burger was about as good as any other I have consumed......but being hungry and as time passes I am having problems doing a fair comparison.....the fries delicious, the burger cooked just right (medium rare), the environment friendly and casual.
I would put this burger joint a step below dumont burger and perhaps equal to corner bistro......we will have to work out a more mathematical way of comparing the burgers in the future.......overall an excellent burger and hangout joint......minuses its location.
Now the burger was about as good as any other I have consumed......but being hungry and as time passes I am having problems doing a fair comparison.....the fries delicious, the burger cooked just right (medium rare), the environment friendly and casual.
I would put this burger joint a step below dumont burger and perhaps equal to corner bistro......we will have to work out a more mathematical way of comparing the burgers in the future.......overall an excellent burger and hangout joint......minuses its location.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Waterfront Ale House
A strong showing this week. The Waterfront Ale House is a pub on the corner of 30th and 2nd, boasting bad food, warm beer and an ugly owner. The burgers were so good they can easily get away with this.
It seemed to be full of regulars, mostly having an after work drink, indulging in (at least) one of the nineteen beers on tap. I'm always a little intimidated by beer menus of that stature...which to pick? I want to try them all, but I know I shouldn't and they probably won't let me.
The Ale House appears to be a standard pub, but between the beer selection and the burgers it is anything but. The service was very quick, we received our burgers much faster than expected. A stunning array of condiments, including home made hot sauce, home made barbeque sauce and something called "sauce" line the windows and ledges. The burger is served with waffle fries, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. The bun is a tasty, flaky brioche. You can a variety of cheese, fried onions and chili to your burger. I can't resist fried onions and this is the cheeseburger society, so a melting of cheddar was in order.
The burger was a great ball of beef. They cooked it medium rare when medium rare when asked and cooked it more when (for reasons I cannot understand) asked. The burger was very juicy and had it's own distinct taste that was complimented, not overpowered by the cheese and onions. A quality that I've only really come to appreciate recently is the burger staying-togetherness. The Ale House burger stayed together better than any burger the society has tried yet. Few things are disappointing the way getting to the end of your burger, only to find it's a tomato stub, wilty lettuce and ketchup in a giant hunk of burger bun is. Each bite of this burger was tasty and balanced. This was a very satisying burger.
The Waterfront Ale House really delivered. The quest to find the greatest burger in New York may not be over (it may never be over) but I know we've gotten very close.
It seemed to be full of regulars, mostly having an after work drink, indulging in (at least) one of the nineteen beers on tap. I'm always a little intimidated by beer menus of that stature...which to pick? I want to try them all, but I know I shouldn't and they probably won't let me.
The Ale House appears to be a standard pub, but between the beer selection and the burgers it is anything but. The service was very quick, we received our burgers much faster than expected. A stunning array of condiments, including home made hot sauce, home made barbeque sauce and something called "sauce" line the windows and ledges. The burger is served with waffle fries, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. The bun is a tasty, flaky brioche. You can a variety of cheese, fried onions and chili to your burger. I can't resist fried onions and this is the cheeseburger society, so a melting of cheddar was in order.
The burger was a great ball of beef. They cooked it medium rare when medium rare when asked and cooked it more when (for reasons I cannot understand) asked. The burger was very juicy and had it's own distinct taste that was complimented, not overpowered by the cheese and onions. A quality that I've only really come to appreciate recently is the burger staying-togetherness. The Ale House burger stayed together better than any burger the society has tried yet. Few things are disappointing the way getting to the end of your burger, only to find it's a tomato stub, wilty lettuce and ketchup in a giant hunk of burger bun is. Each bite of this burger was tasty and balanced. This was a very satisying burger.
The Waterfront Ale House really delivered. The quest to find the greatest burger in New York may not be over (it may never be over) but I know we've gotten very close.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Waterfront Ale House
This place is great. They have tons of beer and there was no wait. The burgers were a full half-pound of awesome delicious tasty beef. The place itself is not flashy but also not shabby, more middle of the road pub style.
The burger was big and juicy with awesome condiments. The cheese tasted really good on the burger. Don't get the fried onions. They are a little too greasy. The bun was a very good brioche style bun. The fries were good but didn't come with enough salt and should have been seasoned. They had homemade hot sauce which wasn't insanely hot but tasted great and had a good kick to it. I poured a healthy dose of the hot sauce on my burger and it tasted great.
I will definitely go back to this place.
The burger was big and juicy with awesome condiments. The cheese tasted really good on the burger. Don't get the fried onions. They are a little too greasy. The bun was a very good brioche style bun. The fries were good but didn't come with enough salt and should have been seasoned. They had homemade hot sauce which wasn't insanely hot but tasted great and had a good kick to it. I poured a healthy dose of the hot sauce on my burger and it tasted great.
I will definitely go back to this place.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
DuMont Burger
This place is great. Their burgers are amazing. Their Fries are good. Their beer is fresh and cold. The waitresses are cute. The ambiance is very pleasant.
The only thing that's bad is that the place is in Williamsburg and Williamsburg sucks. (we went to the one on Bedford)
The burger is so goddamn tasty at this place.
There are two burger choices on the menu: Big and Small. The larger burger has a brioche bun and the smaller one has a ciabatta bun. I like to get the big burger on the ciabatta bun.
I want another DuMont burger right now. I want to eat it like an animal and tear it to pieces and make a mess all over myself.
THIS IS THE BEST BURGER I CAN REMEMBER HAVING IN MY ENTIRE LIFE
The only thing that's bad is that the place is in Williamsburg and Williamsburg sucks. (we went to the one on Bedford)
The burger is so goddamn tasty at this place.
There are two burger choices on the menu: Big and Small. The larger burger has a brioche bun and the smaller one has a ciabatta bun. I like to get the big burger on the ciabatta bun.
I want another DuMont burger right now. I want to eat it like an animal and tear it to pieces and make a mess all over myself.
THIS IS THE BEST BURGER I CAN REMEMBER HAVING IN MY ENTIRE LIFE
DUMONT BURGER
It was one of the shittiest weeks as far as the weather in NYC was concerned........rain, rain and more rain......but upon leaving work and heading out to Williamsburg the sky opened up and the sun blazed through.....upon reflection it was a hint of things to come......
I am not a person who travels overseas if at all......so heading out to Williamsburg was no small feat in and of itself and a strike against any burger joint in my book.....but that's me.....so I may have had a chip on my shoulder.........
All worries were put aside once I saw someone elses order.......what can I say......this is a place that lived up to the hype my co-workers gave it........two burgers, no nonsense, pickles sliced and a wedge......right there says class.......fries perfect.......burger just right medium rare was medium rare.....the larger burger was just enough to satisfy my hunger but not too much to make me feel ill......this was the burger so far.
Now to top all this off guinness in a can not the perfect pour but acceptable......but the over the top part was a fucking vanilla shake at the end.....and get this with a large shot of baileys......named (by us) the baileyache......get it......get it.......now what else is there in life.
The only negative I can think of is there is only one bathroom and the joint is small......on the evening we were there it was empty (the ugly weather earlier had scared away the hipsters and the fear of what wet jeans may do to their circulation).......
In any case these are small issues for an excellent burger and fry joint..........
I am not a person who travels overseas if at all......so heading out to Williamsburg was no small feat in and of itself and a strike against any burger joint in my book.....but that's me.....so I may have had a chip on my shoulder.........
All worries were put aside once I saw someone elses order.......what can I say......this is a place that lived up to the hype my co-workers gave it........two burgers, no nonsense, pickles sliced and a wedge......right there says class.......fries perfect.......burger just right medium rare was medium rare.....the larger burger was just enough to satisfy my hunger but not too much to make me feel ill......this was the burger so far.
Now to top all this off guinness in a can not the perfect pour but acceptable......but the over the top part was a fucking vanilla shake at the end.....and get this with a large shot of baileys......named (by us) the baileyache......get it......get it.......now what else is there in life.
The only negative I can think of is there is only one bathroom and the joint is small......on the evening we were there it was empty (the ugly weather earlier had scared away the hipsters and the fear of what wet jeans may do to their circulation).......
In any case these are small issues for an excellent burger and fry joint..........
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