Burger Joint (New York, NY)

@ Le Parker Meridien Hotel, 199 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019, T: 212-245-5000

My friend M. had told me about this secret burger joint in a luxurious hotel in Manhattan, which serves the best burgers in the city. Allegedly, it is so secret that if you ask about it at the hotel lobby, they will not tell you where it is. At the same time, you can find info about it on its website. So, here is the inside scoop: when you walk into the lobby of the Le Parker Meridien Hotel, walk up to the huge red-burgundy curtain and look for the narrow hallway on the left... at the end you see a neon burger sign... that's where the entrance to the Burger Joint is!

The Burger Joint is a small hole-in-the-wall, which looks a bit like a student restaurant/pub. Clearly, the secret is not well kept, as we had to join a significant line, which only grew larger and larger while we were waiting (and eating). That said, the people behind the counter work hard and are quite efficient. This is helped by the very limited menu of the Burger Joint: burger, fries, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

I went for a Hamburger with "the work", i.e. lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mayo, and mustard, having it cooked medium-well ($6.89). I also ordered a portion of french fries ($3.67), which are big enough to share. The burger is not very large, but it was very juicy and tasty; absolutely exceptional, but definitely not the best I ever ate. That said, it was probably better than the Pop Burger. The fries had a bit of a strange taste; not bad, just strange.

VERDICT: 91/100
Burger Joint is an experience, first and foremost. It is undoubtedly one of the most original and surprising locations. At the same time, they serve really good burgers. In other words, when you are in Manhattan, go there and don't be fooled by the curtain!