A Culinary Quest: Finding the Best Burger in NYC
New York is like nowhere else on Earth. It is more like a giant stew than a melting pot, with people from different backgrounds coming together to make something new, each bringing their own flavor and texture to the dish. Every neighborhood has a unique personality, yet each is still distinctly New York. This diversity is evident nowhere more than in the food. New York’s restaurant scene is bursting with diverse flavor options, traditional foods from around the world rubbing shoulders with new and exciting fusion cuisines.
It makes sense, then, that when it comes to searching for the best burger places in NYC, thinking outside the box pays off. It’s not just the dedicated burger joints that have something special to offer. While the burger is a distinctly American dish, it has been embraced by chefs from around the world. Amazing burgers are sometimes found in unlikely places.
The Essence of a Great Burger
Before you can find the best burger in NYC, you have to be able to answer one simple question: what makes a burger great?
The first port of call, perhaps the most obvious, is quality, fresh ingredients. Anything you prepare will be vastly improved by using the best ingredients you can get your hands on. Everything from the flour used to make the buns to the lettuce and other toppings should be fresh and locally sourced. Local produce has less time between farm and table, which not only makes it tastier but also more nutritious.
When crafting the perfect burger, the patty is the star of the show. It starts with choosing precisely the right meat or combination of meats. For our 19 Hamburger, we use a custom mixture of grass-fed beef made exclusively for this burger, combining short rib, prime rib, and skirt steak. Whatever you pick, it should be freshly ground for your burger. Once you have your meat, you have to season it, form it into patties, and then comes the grilling. There are a few ways to cook a patty; in general, you’re aiming for a crisp, caramelized outside and a soft, juicy inside.
Finally, choose your bun carefully to ensure a good meat-to-bun ratio. As a rule of thumb, don’t pick anything too hard or too chewy – you want the bun to support the patty, not make it difficult to eat. Toasting your bun can help it maintain good structural integrity under the weight of the patty, toppings, and sauces.
Make It Your Own
Once you have a good foundation, it’s time to think about what goes on the burger besides the patty. Your topping combinations can make or break your burger experience. For some, adding anything more than the traditional lettuce, onion, and cheese is sacrilege. For others, a burger isn’t complete without a fried egg or an unexpectedly delicious sauce.
When it comes to toppings, in a lot of ways, there is no one “best burger in NYC” – there’s only your best burger in NYC, which might be different from everyone else’s. This is why many restaurants offer the opportunity to customize your burger, combining the menu elements to suit your specific personal taste.
For some, a great burger might be one that takes their dietary requirements into account. A gluten-free bun or vegan patty option opens the glorious world of burgers up to everyone, regardless of their food requirements or preferences. The burger is somehow an inherently inclusive food. It’s the meal of the everyman, and yet endlessly adaptable to people’s different needs and choices.
Signature Burgers & Special Sauces
As much fun as it is to build your own burger, sometimes you just have to stand back and let the masters do their thing. New York’s chefs have created a wild variety of signature burgers and special sauces that take the basic elements of a burger and evolve them into something truly spectacular. This is a great starting point for finding the best burger in NYC.
Some signature burgers find their origins in their community. A special local burger might catch on and develop a kind of significance for the locals living around its home restaurant. It might even be named after someone – not a celebrity, but someone who is an essential part of the fabric of the community, someone known and beloved by all who live in those few blocks of the city. A local hero who finds their small piece of immortality in the enduring deliciousness of a burger.
At 19 Cleveland, our signature burger brings a touch of Americana to our Mediterranean menu. And it’s a fantastic opportunity to show off our awesome sauce, which is well-named – for good reason. This is our best burger in NYC, and a lot of our customers would agree.
Top Spot for the Best Burger in NYC
When you’re done going through the burger restaurants of NYC, take a trip our way and let the 19 Hamburger blow your mind. Our burger is perfectly crafted to tick all the great burger boxes and satisfy any burger craving. We’ve put our Mediterranean twist on the good old burger, and you won’t want to miss this unique flavor experience. It’s one of the most popular items on our menu for good reason, and it keeps people coming back for more.
For the vegans and vegetarians joining us for dinner, never fear – our mouth-watering Spicy Falafel Burger would impress even a devoted carnivore. This burger is a fusion of our heritage and our love for the great American burger. Drizzled with our jalapeno mayo and served with golden hand-cut fries, this is not one to miss.
No matter your preferences, don’t miss out on a truly great burger here at 19 Cleveland. Reserve a table for your next visit on our website, or simply order yourself some of New York’s best burgers to-go.