Burger Joint makes you feel in the know for knowing about it. In a city (New York) known for its money, in an area known for being expensive (Manhattan in General), and in a hotel known for its opulence (Le Parker Meridien), Burger Joint is the sort of place you might only hear about if someone told you. Though it seems to have gotten a fair amount of press, and the business is brisk by any measure, it is still a place that makes someone feel cool by proxy.
Important factors:
- The only sign to mark the place is a neon burger.
- This neon burger is on a wall at the back of a dark little alley hidden behind a curtain all the way in the corner of an atrium whose footprint is the better part of a city block.
- The place has no windows and a pretty baffling melange of posters. Up in Smoke? Sex in the City? The Sopranos I can understand, but why Wild Hogs?
- Entering and exiting the Burger Joint requires entering and exiting the Parker Meridien, which means that a paid hand outside will call you a gentleman (gender permitting) and ask you if you would like a cab. In those situations I tend to start feeling a little like R. Kelly.
- Now that you are in the know, you can get your friends in on it too.
Beyond all this, the burgers are great. I am always impressed when a place will sell me a bloody hamburger, though this is by no means mandatory. The shakes were perfect, and they certainly didn’t skimp on the fries. All said and done, it should cost you about $15 to get a full meal, though the cost of feeling cool and sharing awesome little secrets with your friends is just short of priceless.
