Burger 16: Burger Bandit's Original Bandit Double

Burger Bandit opened in late February 2015 in Lynbrook, New York.  Established by Jonathan Cheban, a former Hofstra student, but more famously known as being very good friends with Kim Kardashian, the burger store has been his dream since college.  Cheban likes to think of himself as a self-made foodie, and more importantly, an "expert" on burgers. 

This excerpt was taken from a Newsday article written in February 2015...
" “I don’t like them so big that everything falls out of the bun,” he said. “I don’t like those brioche buns — too much bun. I don’t like all those different kinds of cheeses. I don’t like it when the burgers are rock-hard; I like them mushy and delicious.” "

While some of these points are agreeable, does this really sound like it is coming from an expert on burgers? I don't think so.  Especially when the burger, or lack thereof, only ranked in at a 14 on the BBSR.  If you are looking to have a bite to eat, and that's about all...a bite...then this place is great.  I'll explain why...

Original Bandit Double: 2 beef patties, lettuce, tomato, Bandit sauce, pickles, and cheese, on a potato roll. 

The Beef:  The two beef patties were smaller than small.  I felt like even with the double patty, this would still be valued as a large slider, at best.  The beef was okay.  Soaked in grease and hard on the edges, there was nothing spectacular about this beef.  Cheban says in the Newsday article that he doesn't like burgers so big that they fall out of the bun, so he definitely found a solution to that by placing barely 3 ounces of meat on a potato roll. 2 out of 4.

The Bun:  Cheban says he doesn't "like those brioche buns - too much bun."  I agree with Cheban on this, but how can you say that your choice bun is a potato roll that hasn't even been toasted?  You take a bite of a potato roll and in your mouth is instant mush.  Remember, this guy claims to be an expert on burgers.  1 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio: The ratio on this burger was good.  That's because between the mini potato roll that instantly turned to mush in your mouth and the small amount of meat, the meat took a prominent role in the two-and-a-half-bite burger.  The ratio (while it lasted) was a 3 out of 4.

The Presentation:  After saying that I was going to stay and eat, they still insisted on wrapping my burger in paper like I was taking it to go.  But the toppings and the look on the metal tray (very BurgerFi-ish), gives their presentation a 2 out of 4. 

The Cheese:  Stating that you don't like "all those different kinds of cheeses" is only saying one thing.  You have no creativity in making original burgers.  What exactly makes the Original Bandit burger original? Is it the Bandit sauce (that I would be willing to bet is the same recipe as BurgerFi sauce, Joe sauce, Mac sauce, etc.)?  "All those different kinds of cheeses" are what separates your burger from the rest.  If you want to use basic yellow cheese on your burger, half-melted, don't expect a rating any higher than a 1 out of 3.

The Sear:  The semi-seared burgers were obviously cooked on a flat top (you can watch them grill the burgers from the counter).  The sear was decent, and made a nice contrast between inner- and outer-beef.  2 out of 3. 

Overall Taste: The overall taste of this burger was good.  It was below great, but above fair.  $5.00 for a couple bites was a lot of money to pay for this burger.  If I was actually having a meal here, I would suggest four double cheeseburgers, and fries to attempt to fill you up.  But that might mean you'd have to take out a second mortgage on your home.  I can't complain about the size, because ultimately, its burgers of this size which will keep me alive and my arterial walls intact while completing my journey of 100 burgers...but seriously, these burgers need to be a little more Kim-sized, or a little less pricey. 3 out of 5.

BBSR: 14 / 27