Tuesday, November 15, 2011

New York Burgers: 2.9/5

Bacon Burger
$4.40
Score: 3.5


Fat Boy Burger
$3.70
Score: 2.8


Cheese Burger
$3.50
Score: 1.9


New York Burgers makes an inexpensive burger served to you fast! There aren't many burger joints in this corner of town so no doubt the nearby high school students are very happy to have NYB close by. Burger Club's unbiased and comprehensive quest for Winnipeg's best burger includes fast food and it seems we started this week.
We had an alumni with us today and she had this to say: "Coming here brought back memories from high school. I ordered my usual strawberry and banana shake, and for the sake of burger club I also ordered a burger :p"
We usually meet at 11:30 and my carload of four arrived a little early so we led the charge. The grill was covered in cooking patties and the service was very fast - we'd barely sat down before they were calling our orders. Kitchen staff yell out your order, instead of giving you a number. A line-up formed quickly but nobody had to wait long for their meal. The owner-lady perked up when she saw something was up with our group and stopped to say "Hi" with a big smile even though she was quite busy. The four person booths were made for high school students - two regular sized people could fit less uncomfortably.

The cooked patties were perfectly round with square sides – about 3” across and 5/16” of an inch thick after all the fat was fried out of the meat. I needed a double – a triple Fat Boy wouldn’t have been out of the question - but appetites vary. They were cooked to dryness and had no discernable seasoning. They certainly appeared to be factory frozen, but I didn’t confirm that with the kitchen. They could have been carefully pressed to appear like pre-fab patties. Eight out of nine of our group today independently described it as a tasteless burger on their rating slips. People usually do this privately, without discussion, until everyone has finished their comments so as not to bias others. We sat at three separate booths today so social interactions were also separated into three zones. One person liked it. It’s that way every week and why we average out ratings – tastes vary. Processed cheese is the same – some people like it – some don’t. Usually people have more to say about the juiciness, flavour, size and texture of the patty but not this week – comments were terse. It was by no means a “bad” burger - it still rated 3-stars in Burger Club’s opinion. For 90 cents more you got two full slices of tasty bacon which was a great deal. One diner ordered double bacon and observed "Four large strips of bacon flowed over the edges of the bun. I honestly think I had more bacon than beef." The chili was sparse but quite tasty – better than most places we’ve been to.

"Good company makes mediocre food better. Yummy the fries were - the highlight with nice gravy."

There was some discussion over the price. One person felt the price was irrelevant if you don't like the food. Another rebutted, perhaps if you are starving the value is great because taste doesn't matter. I pointed out that there were a couple of places (Sonya's and Burger Factory come to mind) where you can get a really good burger for even less money - with 3 times the meat! However, they're both across town so NYB probably has great value to local folks.

When I came in I introduced our group so the owner knew what we were up to. Somewhere along the way someone put up a sign in the kitchen pass-through facing us. Very fun!
Brett was showing off his porn star Movember-stache to the girls.
Today we learned that Kari has worn a goat path at the Grant Park Mall between liquor and chips.

New York Burgers on Urbanspoon

7 comments:

  1. I think you are out of your mind. We have been going there for many years and have not yet had a better burger and fries yet in this City. I think you should all have your taste buds examined.

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  2. You're right! Brent 'stache looks like a Johnny (the wad) Holmes. Their fries are better than their burgers. Still better than "The Black Bleep Diner".

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  3. Wow....so suprised to hear this! If you think you have the burger knowledge then do you not know there are burger presses to make patties. NYB does not have boxed patties, that I know for a fact. If you need a double fat boy that tells me you have a large appetite, I know I couldn't eat one of their fat boys and fries with gravy, huge portions!!! What does the employee who's been working there for sometime have anything to do with the food. That just tells me something good if someone has been working there for a long time. This burger place has been there for over 20 years says alot. I do not agree with your comments, Great food keep up the great work.

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  4. I think its great that New York Burger has been around for 20 years. However I think their burgers are average in taste but that is just my opinion. Everyone has their own preferences and their own appetites.

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  5. I too find the meat dry and flavourless. However the chili is good and the fries are to die for! I love the employees there and eat there at least once a month.

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  6. It may not be the best tasing, but it is still solid fare for the price. Especially when you are a poor high school student going there at least once a week. Always go for the double or triple with bacon though.
    Ah memories.
    They keep me going back.

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  7. Can I just tell you that I know for a fact that these burgers are made fresh to order and are not box burgers the owners combines the spices and ingredients himself as WELL for the Chili and gravy. The fries are fresh cut and the ice cream for the shakes is almost home made ice cream. I know for a FACT that Burger Factory is not cheaper as I have worked for Burger Factory . Also the burger posted at the top of the page looks like someone oreder a single patty with onions and mustard NOT a traditional FATBOY burger. The difference between a New York Burger customer and some group who prides them self on over indulging on BURGERS and FRIES is that New York Burger Customers KNOW a good Burger and that is why they have had the SAME customers for 15+ years...

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