Pop Burger

I heard about this place from Roland and Alyson at work, and I was instantly interested. Okay, it was probably because I thought they said Pot Burger, and I was amazed at the idea. Either way, I was ready to give the place a try. It's pretty big - in the front you order from the bar and they yell your name when it's ready. There are about 10 tables, and then the back is darker and you can have table service if you would like.

Taylor and I went last night to kick off a night of adventures at gay bars and UCB. Let's just say I was a tad disappointed by the food. The burgers were tiny - like Krystal's, but the taste and size resembled the late and great SLAMMERS from Hardee's (Carl Jr.'s for you west coasters that read our blog, which would probably be no one) mixed with a BIG MAC, aka there was crappy shredded lettuce and Thousand Island dressing. The fries were great, and the onion rings were like Burger King. Let's be honest - it was a mixture of fast food with a much better logo.

One more thing - the bathrooms in the basement are absolutely disgusting, no details - just know they are. But there is a Simpsons pinball machine lurking in the corner, so it kind of made up for it. Except that you think about all the people who didn't wash their hands and were like "OH, PINBALL! LET ME PUT MY DISGUSTING POO HANDS ALL OVER IT!" and then went back upstairs and ate their food or touched their girlfriend's food or WORSE - touched your food somehow (as in, you come out of the bathroom, think wow - this pinball machine looks impeccably clean, play a game and go upstairs and touch your food, your significant other, etc.) Either way, think twice about touching the pinball machine. Just sayin'. - Jennifer

(I just realized that I stereotyped hetero-men and lesbians as the types who do not wash their hands after pooing. Please except my sincerest apologies, I did not intend to offend.)

Address: 60 9th Ave (between 14th and 15th Streets)

Website: http://www.popburger.com/

Payment: Cash & Credit Cards

Take Out: Yes

Delivery: Yes

Open Late: Yes

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: Nope! - But the Milkshakes looked...interesting

Shake Shack

Amy was here visiting Memorial Day weekend, and on said holiday her bus out of NY wasn't to leave until 5. We were trying to decide what to do for a few hours and three thoughts popped into my head: A burger sounds really good. The weather's so nice today. I've never been to Shake Shack.

And it was settled. We knew it being a holiday weekend and the weather being so glorious that the wait could be pretty long. But we weren't rushed, and were happy just to be outside.

...And the line was super long. We waited over an hour.

But I have to say, in this situation at least, it was worth it. But more about that in a moment. The menu features exactly what you'd expect: burgers of a few varieties, hot dogs, fries, frozen custard, milkshakes, floats, etc. The prices are fitting I think--considering the ingredients that go into it. I ordered a cheese burger with lettuce and onions (you can add your own condiments), a black and white shake, and cheese fries for the two of us to share. Not exactly "figure friendly" (or health friendly, for that matter), but it's what they do best, and for me it was a rare treat. When in Rome, right?

The burger was beautiful and delicious. It's a nice flavorful mix of meat and was cooked perfectly with a slightly crusty grilled outside and a juicy inside. The cheese was melty and the lettuce was crisp (not that shredded crap), and the onions were diced and conveniently placed on the side for custom dispersement. The fries themselves were crispy but not overly memorable, but the cheese sauce was super tasty--melty and smooth and obviously made of real, flavorful cheese. The shake was of course delicious as well, both creamy and rich.

Amy I and I were both very happy with our purchases and stuffed to the gills, but I will admit it wouldn't be worth the wait all of the time. Depends on just how long the wait really is, and how bad you want it. But man is it tasty. [Note: If you're nearby, they have a live webcam pointed at the line, so you can check and see what the wait is like. They also have a second line for sodas, floats, frozen custard and wine/beer that's for fast pick-ups.] -Laurel

Address: Madison Square Park (Madison Ave and 23rd St)

Website: http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/

Payment: Cash

Take Out: yes

Delivery: no

Open Late: 11pm

Large Group Friendly: As long as you don't mind sitting on the grass. Smaller groups can snag an actual table if you're lucky.

Bar/Happy Hour: yes--they have beer and wine

Rush Hour

We stumbled upon Rush Hour (no, we weren't drunk) while looking for some semi-cheap eats in the LES. We had seen this place before, Creperie being right across the street, but had never tried it out.

The menu includes soup, salads, sandwiches, fries, and most of all burgers. The restaurant includes a skinny counter with a few stools in the front, and a small (and I mean small) seating area in the back with a couple of small tables and stools. Most order out, we ordered in. I got a turkey burger with cheese and an order of onion rings, which was about $9. A little steep for "fast food," but the burger itself was huge, the bun was brioche, and the turkey was juicy-- very tasty all-in-all. The onion rings were minced and shaped into a ring, which was a downside, but fried fresh and crunchy.

The food was made-to-order and the service was friendly. I would definitely suggest this place for take-out or delivery if you're in the mood for this type of fare, or as a drunken pit stop after some late night bar hopping. -Laurel


This place has to get a lot of business - it's in the middle of one of the best parts of town to get cheap drinks, and it's super delicious. However, in their attempts to be witty, this place fails miserably, because every other word is spelled incorrectly, and all of their sentences are grammatically incorrect. This doesn't necessarily affect business, per se, and it did entertain me a great deal, but for some reason it always bothers me when businesses can't spell.

The night before, I had had dreams of eating hamburgers, and they were probably the best I'd ever had. I woke up craving them, so I was unbelievably excited to find Rush Hour while we were walking around the LES (and also because I had pain in my ankle and thigh because I had just fallen in a hole that was plugged with an upside down traffic cone, which made a...hole). All in all, his place really hit the spot. Laurel's right though, it is pretty tiny, and the stools are pretty much the same height as the table, so it makes it hard to eat properly.

Foodwise, I also got a turkey burger and onion rings, but I added a lemonade. It was fresh squeezed and had just the right amount of sugar, a perfect combination for a greasy meal, but about 20 minutes later I was about to fall over again...from pain. Make sure you take some tums beforehand, or at least 3 drinks. -Jennifer

Address: 134 Ludlow St, near Rivington St

Website: http://www.yelp.com/biz/rush-hour-new-york-2

Payment: Cash, Cards

Take Out: Yes

Open Late: Yes! 2am weekdays, 4am on weekends

Delivery: Yes

Large Group Friendly: No

Bar/Happy Hour: No