Tasteless Burgers at New York Burger Co.

A few weeks ago, a couple of co-workers and I went searching for a falafel cart that was spotted earlier in the week down on Park Ave South and the lower 20s. Unfortunately, the cart had moved, and with our stomachs growling, the New York Burger Co. sign caught our eye. While my hunger got the best of me and I ran into the restaurant, Columbia Correspondent Doug urged me to leave the restaurant, as he scanned the reviews outside the restaurant. As a burger connoisseur, Doug clearly was in a position of authority, and allowed us back into the restaurant.

The place was hopping, and I quickly stepped up to the counter, ordering some sweet potato fries for us to split, as well as the Chicago burger, which had bacon, cheddar and 1000 Island Dressing. After ordering, I stocked up on a ton of sauces and extras from the back of the restaurant - from a “burger” sauce to a chipotle mustard, I was happy to see they went beyond the typical ketchup at a burger joint. Afterwards, I walked back to the office with my burger and fries, which I admit may not have been the best idea since the fries was a tad soggy when I got back to the office.

Soggy or not, I know my flavors. The burger was tasteless. I kept dipping my burger in the chipotle mustard sauce, which made it edible. Where was the 1000 Island Dressing on my burger? Honestly, I don’t know why I paid extra to have a burger with some fixings on it, because I couldn’t taste it.

As far as the fries went, they were soggy, but after drenching them in chipotle mustard and downing it with a Diet Coke, it could have been anything and I would have been fine with it. Some seasoning would have been nice.

As I finished the meal, I looked over at Doug and my other co-worker McKenna, and said, “Well, should have gone to Wendy’s.”

Guest Commentary by Doug Feingold, Columbia Correspondent

I went with the Dallas Burger - which was burger (cooked medium for me) topped with Monterrey jack, grilled onions and bbq sauce. On paper, a terrific combination of ingredients. I could seem the in front of the grill combining all of them at once, allowing the juices to flow together to create a seamless flavor explosion in between the bread. I could not wait to return to the office for the meal.

In the end though, disappointment. Major disappointment. One word can describe this burger: tasteless. The burger itself was bland; the toppings were dull; even the bread had zero flavor. My tongue hadn’t been this uninspired since I once mistook tofu for cubed chicken. Even that had some sort of teriyaki sauce to help me get through - all I had for this meal was an empty stomach clamoring for some sort of food. After a few bites, I was legitimately concerned my tongue had gone into some sort of shock on the walk back to the office, affecting my ability to enjoy any food. However, the fries were decent, affirming that it was just a bad burger.

There is, sad to say, nothing positive I can say about this experience. The windows were lined with reviews from the Daily News and other prominent newspapers, but my thinking now is that they are all bad reviews, and they just bank on the fact that hungry consumers will be sold by the fancy logos on the windows and wander in, not bothering to actually read the reviews. Well, they got me. Please don’t fall for it though, heed my warning. Your taste buds deserve better.