Scouring the city for the best burger in New York was not an exercise of labor. In fact, I need to exercise after having tasted as many burgers as I have. Nevertheless, I did it for you, New York! Because some lists out there just have it all wrong; at least pertaining to the general historical taste of the black society. AOL’s City Guide has New York Burger Co. as the number one burger joint in New York City, and quite frankly, that could not be further from the truth (I found their burgers to be fairly dry and not too tasty).
Well, you don’t have to worry about this list not meeting your expectations. Young black professionals and the like have already put their stamp of approval on these selections.
What goes into picking the best burger joints? Well, of course there is the obvious, and the most important; the burger itself. A good burger is moist, served hot and doesn’t taste just like ground beef that you bought at the store, but has a particular grilled or fried taste to it that distinguishes it from not only ordinary beef, but from other burgers. However, when determining the best burger joints, you also have to take some of the peripherals into consideration, as well. Every good burger deserves an equally satisfying portion of French fries. Price is always a factor for the young black professional monitoring their expenses. Moreover, a good milkshake to go with your burger and fries is never a bad idea either.
Jackson Hole (4 Locations)
521 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10016
232 E 64th Street, New York, NY 10021
3501 Bell Blvd., Queens, Bayside, NY 11361
517 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Yes, and all four locations are great! Jackson Hole’s subtitle is “Home of the 7 oz. burger!” Now, you tell me what is better than a 7 oz. burger at an extremely fair price. And it’s not just big, but it’s great! In addition, they offer you all kinds of different burgers, including the English Burger, Texas Burger, Copsegmore, and the Eastsider. Toppings range from eggs and ham, to guacamole and cottage cheese. You would be hard pressed to find a bigger burger, for better value at a better taste anywhere in New York City. I’m giving Jackson Hole the Black Oak Nights Seal of Approval, because with a big 7 oz. burger, it would be easy to sell customers on their burgers alone. But no. Jackson Hole also has plenty of other goods. Their steak fries and milkshakes are outstanding, but I doubt you will have room for them after the main course.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries
138 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Look, I don’t really like to go out of my way and say that one place is leaps and bounds above the others, but this place really is. I actually just happen to come across this place when I was walking to Promenade, and the fresh smell of meat and potatoes wafted across my path. I thought I was walking past a steak restaurant. When I went inside thought, I definitely knew I was in a good burger joint, because people were laughing, eating and looked happy. And as we all know, nobody looks happy in New York City. I quickly found out why everybody was so happy. In addition to the free refills, free peanuts and down to earth clientele and service, the burgers are amazing! Their burgers are extremely tasty. In fact, I would eat them by themselves alone. That’s how good they are. They are moist, full of flavor and have this kick to them that I just cannot explain. To top it all off, they have the best fries in the city, hands down! This is not just my opinion; just about every publication on the East Coast has said so. Believe me; you want to go to Five Guys. If you don’t, you are truly missing out on life.
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian
118 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
Welcome to the Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian! Expecting glitz and glamour just like at their hotel, right? Wrong! Wrong! This place will take you back to your college days or roaming bar dives and talking to plain clothed human beings who actually care about more than just their mutual funds and 401K’s. They keep it simple here. There’s no huge wait staff, just a person taking orders, one person working the grill, and the other person working the frier. And for only a few bucks, you can get one of the best, greasiest, juicy burgers in all of New York City. Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian makes burgers the way they were meant to be: simple. Nothing extra, just frying them up with a little flavor. So come check out this easygoing spot disguised in a posh hotel, for a truly great burger.
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