Fantastic Burger at Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien - NYC, New York

As I mentioned in previous posts about burger places, I love burgers. Interestingly, in France, you will only associate burgers with Mc Donald's or other fast food chains like Quick as this dish is mainly served there (there are few exceptions, like Chez Papa in Paris, but putting a burger on the menu is more a novelty). So when I came here, it remained my reference until my wife convinced me to try non fast food burgers! It did not take her that much effort to convince me and since then, I cannot understand how I came to like Burger King or Mc Donald's!!! What is interesting is to see all these burger chains opening across the country and all these Chefs trying to elevate that dish to something close to fine dining, like Hubert Keller and his $5000 burger at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco! 

The first time I went to Burger Joint was in 2002. I stayed at Le Parker Meridien for a while and they started to know me. One night, I was going for Pizza and one of the managers who knew me proposed to try a burger. I noticed that the location was where the bar used to be. The place was empty, at the exception of the head of the hotel who sat with me while I was tasting the delicious sandwich! It was the time when Burger Joint was unknown and very quickly, people and the press started to talk about it, making it a madhouse! Imagine that we were there on Saturday at 5:30pm thinking it would be ok and it was crazy! According to one of the wait staff, they make between 1500 to 1700 burgers a day! So, be ready to wait, although, people just come to eat a burger, so it should not take too long!

The restaurant is interesting: few wooden tables and walls and lights covered with graffitis. Dim lights with no windows and posters on the walls. It definitely gives a very casual feel to the place.

The menu is simple: burger or cheeseburger with usual toppings: lettuce, tomato or pickles. On my side, I only have my burger with cheese, mayonnaise and ketchup. Cooked medium. The cheeseburger at Burger Joint was delicious: perfectly cooked, moist and tasting like meat (no filler)! I literally inhaled it!

As a side, we ordered French fries that were like I like them: regular cut with a delightful crispiness! Not greasy at all. Last, I tried a vanilla milkshake: a bit disappointing...The milkshake was already prepared and they served it from a container. It was not dense enough and I doubt that they use real ice cream, rather a milkshake preparation.

Burger Joint is definitely in my top 5  burger places in New York! Their burger is divine, but be ready to be in line before enjoying it...

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!