Lindy's (I think!), New York City

I'm not too sure how we ended up here, but I think it was after walking down from the American Natural History Museum (which was awesome by the way!). I wasn't too hungry, but obviously can never refuse a burger. Unfortunately, there is no menu available online, but the image is fairly clear. The burger was served open. I like this, it allows you to easily configure the burger the way you want. I opted for bacon (I usually do), and this was placed on the melted, yellow American cheese, which was on top of the pattie and one half of the bun. On the other half of the bun was fresh lettuce, average tomato, and white onion. There was also a pickle spear separate, but I ate that first. I can't remember what the sauce was, but I remember it being decent.

Although I can't recall the exact price, I do remember that it wasn't cheap ($18-20US). We were in Times Square though, so one can't complain too much.

Burger full of bacony goodness at Lindy's NYC

Meat:

The meat had a really good outer layer, crisp but not too burnt. It was a little over-done and dry for my liking inside, but still tasted fairly good. It was a little too lean also, but I'm guessing they cooked it on the same griddle/surface as the bacon etc., giving it a good flavour. Good, not great. 

Score: 3/5

Cheese:

The cheese was very yellow, and melty. I love this. The flavour was somewhat dull however - disappointing. It was still ok though. The bacon on top caused it to melt more once it arrived at the table. Good, but I'd prefer more of a cheesey experience.

Score: 3/5

Bun:

The bun was ok. It was rather soft, and tasted good. Soft buns allow the grease to soak into it, but if they are too soft, this causes them to fall apart. I got most of the way through the burger before this started to be an issue. As usual, the bun did it's job, but was nothing spectacular. 

Score: 3/5

Extras:

The extras (lettuce, tomato, white onion) were fairly fresh. The tomato was almost perfect, but slightly soft for me. The lettuce was nice and crisp (adding crunch to the burger) and the onion was not overwhelming. There was too much for me however. The extras were the standard burger fair, but done well.

Score: 3.5/5

Fries:

The fries were cooked for too long. They were too greasy also (yes, there is such a thing!). They did taste good though, but were over-salted. The decent flavour helped to redeem the otherwise average fries. Still, they were nothing brilliant.

Score: 3/5

Considering the dining options available in Times Square, I probably wouldn't rush back here (if I could find it). It was a solid burger, but didn't had that "wow" factor. It's not terrible though, so it's worth checking out!

Total score: 14.5/25

(Decent, worth a shot.)

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"Sliders" at the Sheraton Brooklyn (New York)

After 2 flights (about 6 hours flight time) from Vancouver, and a cab ride to downtown Brooklyn, we were rather tired, so decided to have a drink and something to eat at the hotel bar. The hotel was built mid-year 2010, so was rather new. The bar was amazing, and the bar tender very friendly (thanks Aaron!).

"Grubstake Bar" at the Sheraton Brooklyn, New York

After a few drinks at the bar, I spotted 'mini sliders' on the menu. Most burger puritans will tell you that sliders are not just mini burgers, but are burgers cooked in a certain way (often the pattie is cooked on top of a bed of onions). Regardless, I couldn't say no.

The sliders came with one meat pattie each, a slice of cheese, bacon and a slice of pickle. Basic, but great. They were quite tasty, and somewhat of a novelty for me, as I am yet to find sliders in Australia. There were 3 sliders in the pack, which came with fries. I can't recall the price, and there doesn't seem to be a menu online.

Slider - Sheraton Brooklyn, New York (screenshot from video)

Meat:
The patties were obviously small, but they were cooked well and were basic (a good thing). Due to the small size, they were cooked evenly throughout (with the crust being the exception). It's hard to praise something that takes 2-3 bites to eat, but they were good.

Score: 3/5


Cheese:
The cheese was ok. It was the standard yellow american cheese, but it seemed a bit more 'plasticy' than most. It melted ok, but seemed to stick to everything unusually. It tasted ok, but didn't differ too much from the Kraft Singles we get here.

Score: 2.5/5


Bun:
The tiny buns were ok. They seemed to be "Brioche" buns, due to the shiny top and rich flavour. They were a bit dry, and tasted average. Nothing to write home about, but they did their job.

Score: 2.5/5


Extras:
There weren't too many extras to comment on, as is normal with sliders, or mini-burgers. There was bacon, and a pickle slice. The pickles were good, tangy and crisp. The bacon was a bit soft, but had a good flavour. It would be hard to fit much more in these things, and I think they picked the right things to cram in.

Score: 3/5


Fries:
By the time I got to the fries, they were soggy. I like this though, so I didn't complain. They were well seasoned, and were quite tasty. In addition, the serving size was huge (but hey, it's America!). I've had better, but there isn't much to complain about regarding these fries - solid.

Score: 3.5/5

Two sliders (I think)...

To be honest, the best thing about these sliders was the novelty. Having said that, they were decent, and I did enjoy them. The cheese could be improved, and the overall freshness, but all in all they weren't too bad. I would likely try something else on the menu next time, but wouldn't be disappointed if I had them again. Maybe someone should introduce sliders to the Australian market!

Total score: 14.5/25

(Decent, worth a shot.)

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St. Regis Hotel Bar and Grill - Vancouver, Canada

I spotted a nice little bar on the way to Fatburger, and went back the next night to check it out. I was happy to find out they served burgers! The Bar and Grill was part of the St. Regis Hotel on Dunsmuir St. The menu had a lot of interesting items on it, but I couldn't go past another burger.

Burger on the menu at the St. Regis Bar and Grill

St. Regis Burger with fries

I added a slice of aged cheddar and peppered bacon. Not bad for $CAD13 (about the same in $AUD at the time). The burger was great. The balance of ingredients was spot on, something that many places just can't seem to do.

Meat:
The pattie was a good thickness - thicker than most fast food type burgers, but not as thick as your standard bar burgers. I don't like overly thick patties, it often means that a lot of additions (breadcrumbs, egg etc.) are needed just to keep it together, affecting the flavour. This pattie did not have this problem. It was lightly seasoned, so I could taste the beefy goodness. It was cooked medium to well-done. Good pattie, but not the best I've had.

Score: 4/5


Cheese:
I added one slice of aged cheddar. It was the yellow "American" type cheese, and it melted very well. Gooey, melty cheese is one of my favourite parts of a burger. The cheese had a great flavour, and one slice was perfect.

Score: 3.5/5


Bun:
The bun was slightly too thick on top, and thin on the bottom - but this was obviously just the way it was cut. It was a little dry, but did the job of keeping the goodness inside. Surprisingly, the bottom part did not fall apart. The bun did it's job, but it was nothing to rave about.

Score: 3/5


Extras:
As per the menu, the burger came with one beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, red onion and a pickle spear (not inside the burger). I added the peppered bacon for $1 extra. I'm glad I did. The bacon was great, smokey, crispy and full of flavour. Great addition to the already solid burger. The lettuce and tomato were reasonably fresh, but not as much as those in the burger I had the previous night at Fatburger. The onions were fresh, and were not too strong. I decided against sauce or caramelised onions. Overall, the extras were good, but nothing amazing. Having said that, they worked well with the meat and cheese. Without the bacon however, the score would not be as high!

Score: 3.5/5


Fries:
The house fries looked as if they were hand cut, always a bonus. There was a little skin left on, which I think can be good. They were a little soggy, but I love my fries like that. They were tasty, and not over-salted. They weren't chili cheese fries, but they were a good addition to the burger.

Score: 3.5/5

St. Regis Burger with fries

Overall, this was a solid burger. The ingredients were all of a high quality, although the tomato and lettuce could have been a little fresher. I enjoyed it, and would definitely have it again (if I happen to be in Vancouver!). You can't really go wrong with this one. 

Total score: 17.5/25

(Very good, go for it.)

ABB.

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Fatburger - Vancouver, Canada

I had heard about Fatburger a while back, and read that they were similar to In n' Out burger. I found one in downtown Vancouver, and had to eat there.

I ordered the King XXL with bacon and cheese. The burger contained 2 meat patties, 3 pieces of american cheese (melty!), applewood smoked bacon, tomato, lettuce and "special sauce".

King XXL with bacon and cheese

The burger was amazing - one of the best I've had. The beef was cooked medium, the cheese melted perfectly, and the lettuce/tomato were fresh. The bun was great also.

Meat:
The patties were perfectly cooked - still pink on the inside. They were moist and tasted great. There was very little added to the patties, most likely just salt and pepper.

Score: 4.5/5


Cheese:
Cheese is an optional extra on burgers at Fatburger. A burger isn't a burger without cheese though! I had 3 slices of yellow, salty, melty American cheese. The closest I've found here in Australia is processed cheese (ie: Kraft Singles), but it's not quite the same. The cheese melted perfectly, and had a mild but great taste.

Score: 4/5


Bun:
The bun was soft (fresh) and a good size. It wasn't too big that you couldn't taste anything else, and also wasn't so small that after a few bites, your hands are covered in meat and cheese grease. There's not much that can usually be said about a bun - but this one was pretty good.

Score: 4.5/5


Extras:
As mentioned at the start of this post, the burger came with tomato and lettuce, and I added smoked bacon. The bacon was perfectly cooked, and was very crispy. The smoked flavour wasn't over-powering, it was great. The tomato and lettuce were surprisingly fresh (I hate soft, mealy tomato), and added a good crunch to the burger.

Score: 4/5

Chili Cheese Fries

Fries: 
I decided to try something a little different at Fatburger. Throughout North America, chili cheese fries are common. They generally consist of fries, american cheese, and chili (minced meat, tomato, chili, beans, spices). I had tried chili cheese fries before, part of the reason I decided to have some more! The fries here were great. Cooked well, and tasty. The chili and cheese went perfectly with the fries. All it really needed was bacon! Really can't fault these, a nice change from the standard fries.

Score: 5/5




There is no question that I would go to Fatburger again. The prices are very reasonable (especially compared to burgers in Australia), however the cost of the airfare changes that. It's hard to say how the burgers here compare to In n' Out burger. Regardless, they are fantastic.

Total score: 22/25

(Brilliant, go now!)

ABB.

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Burgers from the USA and Canada

Hi again all. The next few reviews will be about burgers I recently tried in the USA and Canada. They will all get a score, but won't be included in the scoreboard!

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