Nice Matin

Nice Matin's Five Napkin Burger

The Meat: From The Burger Maker (and the same blend as they use at 5 Napkin)

The Cheese: Gruyere

The Bun: Brioche – with sesame seeds

Flip Tip: Walk five minutes to a neighboring burger establishment.

The burger at Nice Matin was disappointing. Called the “Five Napkin Burger,” it’s the namesake of the widely acclaimed restaurant chain; however, the burger at this pricey French restaurant is nondescript and unmemorable, leaving a legacy far greater than its own.

The fries were average, the meat was pretty dry, and the burger components didn’t really blend. While it wasn't horrible, it’s just not worth 17 bucks in The Big Burger Apple.

Minetta Tavern

Minetta Tavern's Black Label Burger

The Meat: Chuck, skirt, short rib, brisket, and 45-day dry-aged ribeye

The Cheese: None

The Bun: Sesame Seed

Flip Tip: The Black Label Burger.

One month later after my visit to Minetta Tavern, the sweet, oniony taste of their legendary Black Label Burger (26$) can be conjured in my mouth almost instantly. Its highly distinctive, rich-in-sodium-high-in-deliciousness makes it fit for King Arthur's table (oops it's french, King Louis'). Stacked between two brioche buns, this meat (chuck, skirt, short rib, brisket plus 45 day dry aged ribeye), caramelized onions, cigarette fries (piled high) combo satisfies all burger receptors at first chomp. Hang on for the next few and the butter laced gout coma settles in. Nurse your new medical condition with a dark-and-stormy and cancel any planned evening activities.

-EB & LS

Extra juice:

If dry-aged steak isn't your thing, try the Minetta Burger, a more conventional but seriously delicious [read: cheesy] Minetta creation.

Sheep Station

The Meat: 80% lean chuck, from Union Meat Market

The Cheese: Australian cheddar

The Bun: Sesame seed

Flip Tip: Grab some Sheep's Milk!

Sheep Station, located in up-and-coming Gowanus in Brooklyn, serves up an eclectic “Australian” burger. Topped with grilled pineapple, beets, caramelized onions, and a fried egg, this burger is an exercise in both balance and flavor. Despite its laundry list of ingredients, the burger maintained its shape and stack surprisingly well through the experience. And although many overloaded burgers suffer from the “kitchen sink” effect, the myriad toppings blended together quite nicely, enhancing the meat’s flavor without overpowering it. Several bars and restaurants have opened up in this neighborhood recently, but none have a burger like Sheep Station!

5 Napkin Burger

The Meat: Pat LaFrieda chuck

The Cheese: Comte

The Bun: Brioche

Flip Tip: Try a milkshake!

A cousin of Nice Matin, the “Original Five Napkin Burger” was so popular it was spun off into its own restaurant. On their signature burger, juicy LaFrieda meat and fluffy brioche are complemented by the Five Napkin special treatment: tangy comte and delicious (especially coming from a non-onion eater) caramelized onions. The burger is rich and messy – the drippings of comte blend with the meat to create a flow of different, decadent juice – and yet it still manages to be aesthetically pleasing. With two locations in Manhattan and one in Astoria, Five Napkin is a consistent and accessible quick bite for times of burger need, always serving up some of the best burgers in town.