Once upon a time the humble hamburger was mostly associated with fast food chains. All that changed in the first decade of the 21st century when burgers resurrected as an artisanal and gourmet main course.
In 2001, for example, French chef Daniel Boulud began offering a burger made with red wine-braised short rib, stuffed with foie gras, topped with black truffles and sandwiched between two homemade, toasted parmesan buns at his (now-shuttered) DB Bistro Moderne in Midtown Manhattan. It cost nearly $30, which seemed outrageous at the time.
Within a few years, gourmet burgers were everywhere in New York City and around the country. Within a decade, the trend would spread to Europe and beyond, so that today, it’s hard to imagine a restaurant menu without a burger on it.
Case in point: you can now unearth some of the best options in New York City in non-American restaurants. From Spanish spots to Italian eateries to Korean cafes and everything in between, restaurants of various cuisines have ground the burger through their own culinary cultures and produced something to seek out and indulge in.
Burgers at BK Jani
Located in East Williamsburg, this counter-service Brooklyn spot serves up Pakistani street food like tender lamb chops and beef tikka. But most people gravitate here because the signature BK Jani Burger wows with one thick, grizzled beef patty topped with a slice of tomato and a slightly spicy mint chutney lurking on the lower bun. 479 Grand St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, bkjani.com
Spanish Burgers at Txula
Tucked away in Jose Andres’ bustling Mercado Little Spain in Hudson Yards is Txula Steak, a temple to Iberian meat. Executive chef Nico Lopez has created an edible masterpiece in the form of the Txulaburger: a patty of 60-day dry-aged ribeye grilled above coals with a gooey slice of American cheese and topped with pickled piparra peppers to give it a Basque kick on the palate. 515 W. 30th St., Hudson Yards, littlespain.com
Cervo’s Makes Solid Burgers
This seafood-leaning Portuguese restaurant in Dimes Square is one of the most unlikely candidates for the best burger in town. But you’ll have to try it to believe it. The thick lamb patty is unctuous and full of flavor. On top, a celery-dominant slaw and swirl of aioli makes the burger a true winner. You’re advised to fork out an extra $3 to add marinated anchovies on top of the patty, just to deepen the flavor strata and give the whole thing a much more Iberian accent. 42 Canal St., Lower East Side, cervosnyc.com
El Sazón R.D. Does Smash Burgers
A Dominican-style smash burger? ¡Si, por favor! Nestled into Chinatown, diminutive El Sazón and its outrageous burger may make your heart pound a bit harder. Choose between a single or double patty, and then tuck into this beast that has a thick layer of fried queso blanco, American cheese, and pickles on a potato bun. Add some bacon, too. Then make sure you bring a Lipitor or two with you to pop in your mouth for dessert in the hope of avoiding a heart attack. There’s also a second location in Tribeca. 83 Baxter St., Chinatown; 5 Hudson St., Tribeca, elsazon-rd.com
Emily’s Double-Stacked
When this pizzeria opened in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn in 2014, word quickly spread that the burger on the menu rivaled the Detroit-style pizza here. The Emmy Double-Stacked Burger is two patties of dry-aged, grass-fed beef topped with caramelized onions and American cheese on a pretzel bun. The onions add a dose of sweetness on the palate and the secret sauce has a hint of tang. There is also a location in the West Village. 919 Fulton St., Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; 35 Downing St. West Village, pizzalovesemily.com
Empellon al Pastor
When is a taco not a taco? When you’re at Empellon al Pastor in the East Village and you order the burger. Between two soft ,double-toasted potato buns you’ll find two nicely charred patties topped with a spicy, tangy sauce, and pickled jalapeños. It’s just enough spice to give the burger a pleasing south-of-the-border kick. 132 St. Marks Pl. East Village, empellon.com
Burgers at L’Artusi
Available only at lunch at this popular Italian restaurant in the West Village, L’Burger may make you think twice about that urge to carboload on cacio e pepe and tagliatelle with lamb ragu. The lunchtime burger offering is one thick beef patty smothered in a chili aioli and topped with tomato and a slice of nutty, earthy taleggio cheese. The crispy, rosemary-inflecked potatoes that come on the side are ideal accompaniment. 228 W. 10th St., West Village, lartusi.com
Little Grenjai
Located in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Little Grenjai seems at first like a typical Thai restaurant with pad Thai and drunken noodles on the menu. The worst-kept secret in Brooklyn, though, is that you have to go at lunch to get the Krapow Smashburger. This Thai-accented smash burger has the Big Apple burgerati all hot and bothered. The thin patty concoction comes topped with holy basil, lemongrass-spiked giardiniera, American cheese, and a sweet-spicy special sauce. 477 Gates Ave., Bushwick, Brooklyn, littlegrenjai.com
Nowon Does Burgers
Serving comforting Korean fare in the East Village, Nowon is just as popular (if not more) for the hearty cheeseburger. The Legendary Burger, as it’s called, is a grizzled double patty oozing with a kimchi-dominant special sauce and topped with pickles and American cheese in between a sesame bun. The kimchi gives the burger some Korean cred while also waking up the taste buds. There’s also a location in Bushwick, Brooklyn. 507 E. 6th St.,East Village; 436 Jefferson St., Bushwick, Brooklyn, nowonusa.com
Saigon Social
Chef Helen Nguyen’s Lower East Side Vietnamese restaurant fuses the staples of her Southeast Asian country with comfort food, offering lemongrass-accented ribs, garlic-chili chicken wings, and caramelized pork cheeks. She also has created a unique burger that blends classic Vietnamese ingredients with modern American forms.
For example, the Banh Mi Burger takes the ingredients of the classic Vietnamese sandwich—chicken liver pate and pickled carrots and daikon—with a patty made from Pat Lafrieda ground ribeye and shortrib, plus oxtail Maggi gravy all set between two soft brioche buns. The burger is outrageous and oh-so-edible. 172 Orchard St., Lower East Side, saigonsocialnyc.com
