Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien

Posted by Edmund in Burger, Fast Food, Featured Articles, New York City, Restaurants | 0 comments

Cuisine: Slow Fast Food Burger.
Location: 119 W 56th St, New York, NY.
Price: $7.35 for burger, $3.67 for fries, $3.05 for milkshake.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like my burgers on the greasy side, served in dingy holes-in-the-wall, diners, and pubs, rather than in elegant 5-star restaurants. There’s just something mystical about the no-frills American experience, and it seems wrong to transplant the burger—that icon of simple American eating—out of that setting.

So when I heard about Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien in New York, I cringed at the thought of another hotel trying to refine the burger eating experience for stuffy aristocrats and tourists.

One step inside, though, and I was convinced. Instead of an opulent gastropub, I found myself in a grungy little shack with celebrity signatures on the walls, posters of movies all over, loud crowds of thrilled diners, and awesome jazzy tunes you can dance to, both new and old. Stools, counters, and just a few benches make up the rather small seating arrangement, though it’s barely enough to seat the flood of diners.

But the best part? Finding all this in a high-brow hotel. My eternal thanks to Le Parker Meridien for having the common sense not to mess with a formula that works (unlike so many others before it).

Anyway, I straddled up to the counter and gave my order, the classic fry, burger, and milkshake combo (can you really do a burger any other way?). When I received the burger, I could tell just why it was so popular, glistening as it was with grease. The burger is so greasy and so fresh, in fact, that it simply explodes with flavor in your mouth. And it’s so good that everyone just licks up those drippings of oil.

The tiny burger is also about as simple as it gets, having just a few vegetables, meat, and sauce. Still, it’s cooked just right, and a combination of juicy meat with extremely fresh, crunchy vegetables can never fail. The burger may not be mind-blowing, but it thrills nonetheless. Score: 4.2+/5.0

The fries are another story. They’re not too greasy, and they have a very fresh, natural potato taste to them, unlike at most fast food joints, where the fries have been frozen and preserved. Still, they lack any real seasoning and taste plain. As for texture, they’re not on the crunchy side, but are cooked well nonetheless and never feel mushy. Score: 2.5/5.0

Probably the biggest disappointment, though, was the chocolate shake, which simply tastes dull. It does have some decent chocolate flavor, but it comes so watery and with so little sweetness (in a bad way) that it doesn’t feel like a milkshake or even taste like ice cream. Even worse, it tastes as though the ice cream hasn’t defrosted properly, as the shake’s iciness suppresses much of the chocolate flavor. Score: 1.5/5.0

As a final note, do watch out for the service. The staff at Burger Joint got my order wrong, leaving out the fries and shake. It did apologize immediately and fix the issue. Thankfully, the staff is generally very warm and down-to-earth, even if it technically works in a hotel.

Scores

For the Burger

Taste: 4.2+/5.0
Value: 2.5/5.0
Verdict: 3.5/5.0

 

For the Whole Experience

Ambience: 3.7+/5.0
Service: N/A. They did, however, get my order wrong.
Taste: 2.8/5.0
Value: 2.0/5.0
Verdict: 2.7/5.0