Bareburger

Some days I just CRAVE a burger, and one cold winter day, my friend Mel joined me for my first visit to Bareburger, a burger chain that first began in Astoria, Queens (where Mel & my friend CJ both live)! They now have locations in Manhattan, Queens, and plan to open up locations on Long Island and in other states. This particular location was on Third Avenue in the Kips Bay area.

Bareburger prides itself on using local, organic, and earth & people friendly ingredients. Their menu options are almost unlimited, and it can take a while to decide if you want one of their many signature burgers or to create your own. You have regular beef, chicken, wild game, and vegetarian options for the burger themselves, and the toppings are almost infinite.

There IS a burger under there!

I finally broke down and ordered the Habanero Express, which was a beef burger with pepperjack cheese, habanero relish, spicy pickle chips, and habanero chipotle mayo. I normally avoid mayo on burgers, but I was willing to 'when-in-Rome' it. I opted for a lettuce leaf bed instead of a bun to save calories/carbs.
Yes, there is a burger in there. It was a bit ridiculous how much lettuce was on my plate-- just one or two pieces would have been fine. Also, it was very wet. I should have asked for paper towels to dry off the leaves. I ended up leaving about SIX pieces of green leaf on the plate. Despite the superfluous roughage, this burger was fan-freaking-tastic. Perfectly cooked to medium, spicy, crunchy, terrifically tender meat. It was sublime. (See the first photo in this post for the cross-section.)

My friend Mel got the three mini sliders. These are two to three bites a piece, tops. I shared half of one with her and it was deeeeeeelicious.

The only thing I didn't care for was the iced tea. It was a weak sort of blend, and I like my iced tea very strong.

Mel ordered the Ginger Brew. I had a sip and it is CRAZY gingery. If you LOVE ginger, you'll like this. If you only like it, like I do, it might be too much. A little went a long way for me, but Mel loved it and found it refreshing.

The burgers were remarkably good, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. They're not very large, so without fries or something on the side I was still a little hungry. I'd get a little something extra next time (I hear their shakes AND their fries are very good) to share. And I would definitely return. CJ & Mel, I get it now!!!

Bareburger
514 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10016

212-679-BARE (2273)