Paul’s Burger
http://www.paulsburgers.com/
131 2nd Avenue
Manhattan, NY 10003
THE STORY
Paul’s Burger Place was the first burger joint in NYC that I fell in love with. Many a nights I chowed down on a Turkey burger with chili and eggs before seeing bands at the famous but now defunct rock clubs, Coney Island High and CBGB. Although Burger Conquest didn’t exist, Paul’s has been open since 1989. Paul’s has a 50s diner vibe with a mess of vintage toys and decorations about the place which provides for a unique experience.
THE BURGER
With so many topping options, it took a minute decide what I wanted. Burger cooked medium rare, always on an English Muffin, with a fried egg and cheddar cheese. The burger to bun ratio showed a lot of beef on all sides. But size counted for little as the burger was not only over cooked but flavorless. So big and poorly put together was the patty, that it fell apart after only a few bites. Not nearly as good as I remember. I am guessing its a lower grade beef than we are used to.
Matt ordered a double burger with blue cheese and bacon. The sheer gargantuan size of the burger was cause for enough challenge. Unfortunately it fell apart so quickly that it was reduced to a greasy pile.
While a good time was had, a good burger was not.
5 out of 10 ounces
-Rev
Not that I encourage you to come to my ‘hood, but Joe Jr. is supposed to be legend.
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/12/burger-porn-the-joe-junior-cheeseburger-nyc.html
wow. the one with the fried egg is gnarly! never seen a burger on an english muffin before, that is good stuff.
@Zena Metal – Have burger, will travel. I’ll bring Bram.
@Reggie – oh man! Always go English and get out from under your burger rock!
I sat down at Paul’s last Saturday and, as usual, my appetite drifted towards the least animal-friendly entree available; the 8oz Deluxe Bacon Cheeseburger – cooked medium rare, of course. Side note: I hate places that specialize in burgers and won’t cook it below a medium. If I want to nom on a still moo-ing piece of beef, who are you to deny me? I’m paying your cook to do LESS work! Economically effective? Check.
My DBCB arrived cooked to order, with all components in tact; lettuce, tomato, and onions on the side and every last ounce of beef steaming under melted American cheese and two slabs of bacon. The bun looked (and tasted) like it was bought at a discount bread store, but the massive patty of beef on my plate could move the best bun to condiment status anyway.
I assembled my burger with all the fixins’ and scooped up my creation with both hands. As the moment of truth slowly approached, there should have been a plethora of thoughts running through my mind… Would Adam, sitting across from me, judge me for ripping into this burger like an animal? Could it REALLY be as delicious as it looks? Am I drooling right now? No, the only question on my mind was, “Will this monster even FIT in my mouth?”
It took a bit of squeezing, but I managed to get a mouthful of beef bliss. This patty had been hand-patted to perfection; it was chewy, juicy and not overbearingly greasy with a perfect pink center. I’m guessing it would have paired really well with some bar-b-que sauce, but it tasted so overwhelmingly awesome that my mouth was never empty enough to make any requests.
I can definitely say Da Burger Joint specializes in their burgers. After mine had been devoured I moved on to my sweet potato fries which were a bit overdone not to mention completely plain. Being the classy girl that I am, I moved on to Adam’s fries which were more like skin-free thick-cut potato wedges. I prefer straight up freedom fries so I wasn’t at all too impressed with the wedges. With that being said, I’d highly recommend one of Paul’s burgers to anyone looking to improve upon their meatitarian lifestyle!
By the sound of it, you got your burger on a bad day. I’ve been a Paul’s regular for two decades and it is by far my favorite burger joint in the whole of New York City. The falling-apart element is easily countered, provided the burger is cut in half before one starts eating; the loosely-packed meat handles better when there is less weight for the bun to support. And I highly recommend the blue cheese/bacon variant, done medium. Sweet jumpin’ Jesus with a black strap-on dildo, is it ever good!
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