Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good

So, Mad and I missed a TNBC meeting because someone (me) fell asleep and skipped his afternoon class and someone (her) had pinkeye. The following week, even though the semester was over, we were determined to keep the tradition. No amount of cold would stop us. Being out of place, up in Peter Cooper Village, by Grammercy, we adjusted our dining selections and settled on New York Burger Company.


The ambiance of the place reeks of the sterile, cookie cutter homogeneity of any fast food place: white walls, static booths, open soda fountain, etc. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but it puts one in a certain mindset.

I ordered a basic cheeseburger combo (I was tempted by the Dallas Burger but have started to watch how much I spend after Christmas shopping--ugh. The sauces are free so onion didn't really seem worth 1.25), medium rare. A place sporting such a chain atmosphere, how would they handle it?

In a word, poorly. My burger was a startling combination of bone dry and raw. I'm not sure how that was possible but all of the moisture left the meat without it seemingly cooking. I slathered on a sampling of their sauces to make up for it. The NY burger sauce (their self proclaimed 'steak sauce but better') and BBQ were essentially the same (though they tasted different there wasn't anything distinct about either of them that made them stand out as either type of sauce. A usual fan of mustard, I repeatedly tasted the maple dijon, which was disgusting. I really wanted to like a nice mustard but it was revolting. Mad loved the faces I was making. The Chipotle Honey was okay, as was the Chili Pepper Ketchup, neither too spicy though. The bun, much like the meat, was a little dried out and flavorless. To top it off, it was in my opinion too large for the burger it was accommodating.

The fries, while claiming to be fresh cut, were still reminiscent of freeze dried deep fried varieties. Not that it was bad, but it did not smack of the potato flavor I usually expect out of fresh cut versions.

Mad and I had a good time talking about radio music; New York Burger Company picked quite a good radio station. That is, if like me, you love to feel nostalgic and listen to the Matchbox 20, Fastball, and the ilk of your middle school years. So that was a plus.

So was New York Burger Company a failure? No; despite my harsh criticism, it was fine. It was certainly filling. It just seems, with the menu, to be reaching out for a status that both it's food and decor just don't understand. If you want fast food, it certainly can be out the chains. Which I guess is the market it needs to compete in since Shake Shack is a block away.