This joint serves up great pub food for a great price. I came here with a gang of miscreants late night after a whiskey event in Industry City, and I must say: Salty Dog did not disappoint.
I shared the fried chicken sandwich and burger with my wife. Both great. Excellent onion rings and fries too.
SALTY DOG
7509 3rd Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11209
First, check out my Ride & Review video of this place HERE:
This place used to be the original location of Black Iron Burger, I think.
My wife and I stopped in on a mini food crawl and gave it a shot. It was good!
The 6oz patty was cooked properly, with a nice crust from the flat top. The toppings were well portioned, and the bun held up, for the most part.
Fries could have used a bit of salt, but the onion rings were perfect.
I would definitely go back. I really like the cross between a luncheonette and a pub vibe that they have going here, and the staff was delightful. Next time I’ll try their signature burger that has brie and caramelized onions.
LE BURGER
540 E 5th St
New York, NY 10009
Connected to the Moxy hotel near Penn Station is a pretty cool bar and grill that serves up a great burger, named after my friend Dave from Golden Packing, their meat supplier. Check out my Ride & Review video HERE (second stop in the video):
You may think this doesn’t look too great. I thought so too. The cheese isn’t melted and the tomato is too thick. But it is DAMN GOOD! It’s made from ground prime NY strip steak. It’s more like a steakhouse burger than a standard bar burger. Go give it a shot! But skip the “wagyu” pigs in a blanket. They were dry!
LEGASEA BAR & GRILL
485 7th Ave
New York, NY 10018
This new Hell’s Kitchen burger joint is a great throwback to the old fashioned counter style diner joints, like Mikey’s in the Lower East Side (RIP).
This place is absolutely fantastic. Check out my Ride & Review HERE first.
The fries could have used another minute in the deep fryer, but the onion rings were absolutely perfect.
This simple and delicious burger should be at the top of your list of places to try, ASAP!
I loved those steamed onions, and the babka was nice too. I can’t wait to go back!
LOVELY’S OLD FASHIONED
642 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036
This joint is on Houston Street in the Lower East Side (they have a Bronx location too). I had been meaning to ride over and check it out, but one night just recently, Uber Eats showed me a push notification that they had a “buy one get one” offer for their cheeseburger. I gave it a shot.
I liked it! It eats similar to a Shake Shack burger. Sides/fries and chicken items were good as well. I’ll definitely be hitting this spot again when I need a fast food burger fix.
MILK BURGER
321 E Houston St
New York, NY 10002
First, check out this quick Ride & Review video HERE:
I had no idea what to expect when I came here. I had never really had Austrian food before, other than the similarities that overlap with German cuisine. I was blown away by the quality and flavor of everything here.
My wife and I started with some drinks. I stuck with beer, because, well, Austria! My wife had this really amazing apple, cinnamon and beet juice cocktail called Mary’s Secret that was really incredible.
We started with the fried hen of the woods mushrooms, which were perfectly cooked and crispy all around. I loved these.
Next up: the Austrian veal and pork meatballs. WOW! These were served with a mushroom gravy and crispy sunchokes. AMAZING!
The burger, while a bit salty, was really deliciously crafted. The patty was a loose blend of hanger and brisket which stayed tender and juice from end to end.
The bacon and house made mayo, combined with a well-seasoned patty and some melty cheddar, just kicked the salt levels up a bit too much. But I really did enjoy this burger.
The burger also came with herb fries and a dup of really nice dips: a house made ketchup, which ate more like a dark, horseradish based steak sauce (delicious), and dijonnaise.
We also ordered the pork schnitzel, which was easily the best schnitzel I’ve had.
It came with a trio of miniature sides: cucumbers in a creamy yogurt type sauce, muddled lingonberry jam, and potato salad. These, along with the lightly dressed greens, made for a very generously sized entree at just $32.
For dessert, The Royal Nussbaum (spiked hot chocolates) and a really well crafted apple strudel with schlag and creamy vanilla ice cream.
I will definitely be back here again to try more of the menu, specifically the spaetzle and pates.
SCHILLING
109 Washington St
New York, NY 10006
Check out the Ride & Review HERE:
I have to say, the simplicity and perfection of this burger blew me away. My photos suck, because I had to use a flash and didn’t have my light, but I really loved this (photos have since been updated). Nice regular patty – I’m so tired of smash burgers being everywhere now, although it WAS a bit smushed. Not quite smashed. Crisp texture on that patty! Great cheese coverage. Perfect soft bun. My only gripe was that the tomato was cut a bit thick.
I also got a hot dog – they’re split-griddled. PERFECT!
I will definitely be back here again.
BLUE COLLAR HAMBURGERS
160 Havemeyer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
I stopped in here with some of the guys from the Zooz electric bike club (for $150 off your bike, use code JOHNNYPRIME at www.zoozbikes.com).
We sat outside, but then it started pouring, so we went inside. The place was nice enough to let us put our bikes into their covered outdoor seating area to stay dry.
Anyway, I tried their burger. I wasn’t crazy about the pickled cabbage on it, but the rest was great. The waffle fries were perfectly crispy with a good spice seasoning on it, like Old Bay/cajun. The egg is unnecessary, but it didn’t make it sloppy or anything. Good crispy bacon, which I broke up a little bit for neater coverage.
I would definitely eat here again if I was in the area. The service was excellent, and the menu was unique. In particular, I’d like to try their pho and banh mi sandwich.
CARLA
2503 40th Ave
Queens, NY 11101
The famous Olympia Diner scene from SNL, come to life!
I have to say, I expected this burger to suck, seeing as though this place is definitely somewhat of a tourist trap, and the meat to bun ratio seemed way off. That’s why I went with the triple. Boy was I wrong in my assumptions. The burger was great!
I will make it a mission to come here on every visit to Chicago. Next time I’ll try the Polish sausage and the hotdog.
BILLY GOAT TAVERN
Lower 430 North Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
having gone to Haswell Green’s several times for cocktails over the years, I finally made it over there to try the food. I have to say: the burger matches the quality of the cocktails: AWESOME!
It’s a double smash patty burger on a potato bun with pickles, cheese and special sauce. Very simple, but really well executed. Go give it a shot. I actually think this might be my favorite burger in that part of town. Better than Black Tap, all the steakhouses nearby, and any other bar or fast food joint slinging burgers for theater patrons.
The boneless wings pork+veal meatballs are decent as well.
But make sure you try some of their cocktails. Really nicely crafted.
HASWELL’S GREEN
240 W 52nd St
New York, NY 10019
