Best Burger in NYC Search: Back Forty

Back Forty

190 Avenue B (at E. 12th St.)

(212) 388-1990
Burger: The Grass Fed Burger ($11)

On a non-descript block of The East Village sits Back Forty, an atypical burger joint sitting unassumingly amongst a breeding ground for contenders in our best burger in NYC search. Offering up “high quality food at reasonable prices within a casual atmosphere,” Owner and Chef Peter Hoffman has honed a menu that screams with simplicity but has a knack for ingenuity. From oysters to pork, rosemary to ramps, the ingredients in each dish provide both a sense of freshness and familiarity. Yet, despite the collection of mouth-watering items available, many come from far and wide to try a single item and what’s often lauded as the best burger in New York, period.

Our Expectations: The Grass Fed Burger. As the menu states, a grass-fed blend topped with heritage bacon, farmhouse cheddar, served with homemade spicy ketchup and sliced pickles all on a hefty brioche bun. Grass-fed can often lack the same “wow” factor in flavor profile compared to grain-fed beef, but we’ve heard too much acclaim for the burger to be worried.

The Burger

Meat: Contrary to our initial worries, the patty tasted freshly ground and was loaded with beefy flavor. Chef Hoffman obviously paid attention in burger class as experts know a loosely formed patty, such as this one, is best for optimal flavor and texture, packing taste in all the nooks and crannies. Though, while the un-taut patty fulfilled our palates, the cooking execution needed a tweak as our medium rare, while mostly juicy, was a touch dry. Regardless, the burger redeemed itself with a nice char that crammed in the supreme flavor we mentioned.

Toppings: Contradictory results in this category. Working for the toppings was the nicely sharp and pungent farmhouse cheddar, draped delectably across the entire patty. Working against the toppings were the puny strips of bacon which surprisingly still managed to add too much salt to the equation. Lastly, the house made "spicy" ketchup wasn't all that spicy although it was quite the deviant from any we had tasted and not overwhelmingly sugary like Heinz tends to be. Points for originality there.

Bun: Brioche won’t do if the stuff ain’t fresh, but this certainly was. A pleasantly soft bun with rich, nutty flavor, we appreciated the good measure on beef to bun ratio. Though, a clear flaw came in the form of consistency as the bun deteriorated somewhat as the juices began to flow. Being left with half a bottom bun three quarters of the way through eating is no fun.

Bedlam's Back Forty Judgment

Meat (46): Immense flavor and a well-formed composition with solid char, we loved the patty.

Toppings (20): Too much salt from a paltry piece or two of bacon but excellent, decadent taste from the plentiful helping of cheddar and admirable unique notes from the ketchup.

Bun (23): Freshly baked and full of rich flavor with one small flaw. A bun should withstand the anticipated burger juice.

Ranking: 89 out of 100

Best Burger in NYC Search: West 3rd Common

West 3rd Common
1 W. 3rd St. (b/w Broadway & Mercer)
(212) 529-2059
Burger: The Common Burger ($12) 

Considering the commotion made with regularity about the hot new burger spots in NYC, it’s a bit surprising that our next review, West 3rd Common Bar & Restaurant, happens to fall under the radar of most foodie blogs and professional critic reviews. Nestled in the chic NoHo area of Manhattan, boasting an equally chic “gastropub” label and New American fare courtesy of FCI grad Chef David Walker, West 3rd Common offers a unique burger experience. Not only do you dine in a cozy 19th Century library styled ambiance, but you get to taste what promises to be a competitor in the best burger in NYC category. Owner Dan Warren opened this “sister” restaurant following the success of his Alphabet City locale, Common Ground, with hopes that West 3rd could provide a quality and more upscale counterpart across town. Curious to see where Chef Walker’s creation stands in the Burger Bedlam court of judgment, we headed downtown anxious to get our hands on the “Common Burger.”

Our Expectations: The Common Burger. An eight ounce Pat LaFrieda blended patty with cheddar, tomato, rockets, sautéed onions, and herbed aioli served on a brioche bun. Differing from many of the ubiquitous burger joints in the city, West 3rd Common chooses to steam their burger rather than using the conventional grilling technique. Verbatim from Chef Walker, “Steaming it makes it super juicy, even when it’s cooked well done.” A steamed burger can perplex our palates now and again, as we’re used to the grilled flavors of beef accompanied by a crusty or glazed outer edge. With a steamed burger, a technique which famously began in Connecticut, the result is often a juicier burger that lacks the cloddishness that can coincide with an eight ounce patty. Still, poor execution can strip the burger of flavor. Given Chef Walker’s culinary background, successful execution is unquestionably an expectation of ours.

The Burger

Meat: We at Burger Bedlam always approach a larger patty with cautiousness. From time to time, we encounter one that is so massive and monstrous that the size has consumed the chef’s efforts to add flavor and maintain juiciness. Fear not, burger enthusiasts, for the steaming technique that Chef Walker implements results in a juicy and flavorful bite. Combining a fresh taste and undeniably rich seasoning, you’re bound to lick your fingers clean and give an attempt to catch the grease that drips down your hands. That, is a quality in which all best burger in NYC contenders should possess.


Toppings: Provided the comfort food nature of the menu at West 3rd Common, the toppings which accompany the Common Burger are rather expected. Herbed aioli and sautéed onions make for a pleasing combination, one we can truly get behind. Sans ketchup, the toppings add a nice punch to our pallets, but not enough to overtake the beef as the winner in the taste category. They were complementary and done well, with the cheddar draped nicely and all the rest being a more standard and traditional accoutrement.





Bun: Soft brioche, with fine coverage of the patty which also withstood the juiciness of the steamed results. Not as sweet as we would’ve liked, but it did its job admirably.



 



Bedlam's West 3rd Common Judgment

Meat (46): Despite our fears, the steaming technique was implemented quite well, with a flavor and juiciness that should be cheered. Moreover, although the size of the patty was a bit more than we tend to hope for, it didn’t bog us down or disrupt the pleasant and tasty eating
experience.

Toppings (21): Not overly done or contrived, the toppings added plenty of value to the taste of every bite. The aioli was well received and sautéed onions were sweet but not soggy.

Bun (20): Great proportional size, held up to the juiciness and tasted fresh. No complaints.

Ranking: 87 out of 100

Best Burger in NYC Search: Black Iron Burger Shop

Black Iron Burger Shop

540 E. 5th Street (between Avenue A & Avenue B)
(212) 677-6067
Burger: The Iron Horse Burger ($10) 

Continuing the predictable theme of a pilgrimage to the East Village (they have tons of burger joints!), up next on our best NYC burger “to eat and review” list comes Black Iron Burger Shop. Somewhat hidden in Alphabet City from the majority of locals and almost all tourists – because who really visits Manhattan to see that part of town? – Black Iron Burger has developed a solid reputation amongst burger connoisseurs. Boasting a Keating Miraclean $3,000 grill, craft beers on tap, dive atmosphere with a “cleaned-up” feel, and best of all sublime burgers, we had to stop by. Though, given we don’t always like to come out of a burger dining experience smelling of burger “cologne” if you will, we had reservations about the grill location as its right behind the bar, not in an enclosed kitchen. Moreover, with a small space and limited seating you’ve got to expect some increasingly potent burger smells taking over the joint. Nevertheless, as it’s all about the burger on our reviews, we’re always willing to sacrifice our bodies for the Burger Bedlam quest. With that, we liked reading a previous quote from the Black Iron owner regarding the grill: “The griddle gives the hamburgers a unique flavor because the smooth chrome surface locks flavor and freshness in.” Amen, lock it in Black Iron.

Our Expectations: The Iron Horse Burger. Two six-ounce patties on a sesame seed bun with grilled onions and horseradish cheddar. Sounds like a winning combination. No frills, no special sauces, but lettuce and tomato if you want ‘em. With no fancy toppings in play, the meat better rise to the occasion and deliver. It’s a bold move but done well with fresh and flavorful meat, it can make all the difference. The double patty idea throws a little Shake Shack style into the fray, while the horseradish cheddar has us wondering if we’re in for a sensory overload akin to the blue cheese of The Spotted Pig burger. Based on our research, much like Shack and Pig, Black Iron originally opened up using a Pat LaFrieda beef mixture. Yet, we’ve come to find out that has since changed to a lesser known supplier.

The Burger

Meat: Noticeably fresh and cooked with care, the Iron Horse patties were quite impressive. Seasoned, savory and satisfying, the beef quickly made its mark on our palettes. We wonder though, how much grease one person can handle. The well-documented griddle absolutely delivered a tasty burger, but we’re thinking the grease was a consequence of either heavy-handed oil/butter by the chef or the grilled onions (but we’ll get to those in the next section). Don’t get us wrong, burgers are often messy and that’s how they should be, but at times our bites were overwhelming. No matter, it very well could have been the onions and the meat was well above average and outdid many other best NYC burger contenders, even if the blend isn’t from Pat LaFrieda care of Creekstone Farms.

Toppings: Simple is often the way to go, but in Black Iron’s case, they might need to tweak the formula. We had high hopes for the horseradish cheddar as expectations were for the cheese to yield a slight bite that contrasted the beef. Yet, the cheese had more bark than bite. It could have been any other cheddar and we wouldn’t have known the difference. As for the grilled onions which we previously mentioned, they fell flat. These onions were full of grease and despite our love of a good grease-fest now and again, messing with our taste buds is a recipe for disaster.


Bun: Often an overlooked component of the burger tasting experience, buns at many establishments tend to add little value to a burger. Many come on a standard white bun, maybe some sesame seeds on top or even on a brioche bun (not big fans). The Iron Horse comes on a fresh sesame seed bun, one that actually complements the burger. It’s sizing, in terms of width, was spot on, though we could make an argument that the bottom half was sliced too thin. As the grease and juice engulfed the bun, it became slightly soggy, but that’s ok as buns often need to catch the tasty goodness that could tragically hit our plates. Still, we’ve seen some decidedly negative reviews of the Black Iron’s bun, yet we were quite pleased. Slightly sweet and without chewiness, the bun is well above average. Important to mention that our visit took place on a very slow weekend, at the early part of the day, so the buns could have been as fresh as can be.

Bedlam's Black Iron Burger Shop Judgment

Meat (45): All the makings of a satisfying patty: Seasoning on point, passing the freshness test, juiciness flowing and cooked temperature accuracy. A nice blend of tender beef but slightly greasy to the point of distraction.

Toppings (18): Simple? Yes. Tasty? Debatable. The horseradish cheddar was disappointing although still flavorful cheese. The onions were the true burger killer. Although they were sweet, the greasiness engulfed the burger, the bun, and our hands.

Bun (23): Fresh and fluffy and in the top tier of the burger buns we’ve tasted. Bun-to-burger ratio was precise but could’ve been sliced thicker to help the bottom half stay dry to the touch. Providing a simple sweetness to every bite, we were awfully pleased.

Ranking: 86 out of 100