CLOSED: New York Burger Co.
303 Park Avenue at 23rd Street, (212) 254-2727 & 278 Sixth Avenue at 21st Street, (212) 229-1404
Getting there: 6 to 23rd Street; V,F to 23rd Street
http://www.newyorkburgerco.com

(This restaurant has since CLOSED)

New York Burger Co. is exactly what you would expect, based on the layout of the restaurant. Essentially a fast food spot, the menu offers traditional American cuisine- i.e. a variety of burgers, chicken sandwiches, chili, salads, and hot dogs- but the fare itself is (pardon the pun) no great shakes.

The doors open to a conventional step-up-and-order counter, where patrons are given numbers, and are welcomed to the fix-ins bar to stock up on a variety of ketchups, mustard, and raw onions. The burger menu offers seven beefy options, with a turkey burger and veggie burger as alternatives. We tried the “New York Cheeseburger” ($6.50) with Vermont Cheddar, and the “Seattle Burger” ($7.75), topped with portabello mushrooms, sauteed onions and the “NY Burger Sauce.” Both of our choices were fairly large and satisfying, but the overall flavor of the meat was relatively unseasoned, and ultimately forgettable. Unfortunately, the mushrooms were almost burnt to a crisp, overwhelming the taste of an otherwise decent burger. The large side of “Idaho Fries” ($3) was salty and serviceable, but could not make up for what the burger was lacking.

The rest of the menu basically offers three variations on a grilled chicken sandwich ($6.75-$8.75), a plethora of salad alternatives ($6.50- $9.75), and some diverse smoothie & shake concoctions ($4.95), all of which appear to be equally sufficient. But when dining out in New York, sufficient simply does not cut the mustard. Affordably priced and informally staged, New York Burger Co. is named after its burger. But to the restaurant’s detriment, with seemingly every restaurant in Manhattan offering a hamburger, a shop with one that is just ordinary is not one that deserves repeat business.