Burger 38: Lido Kosher Deli's The Pastrami Burger

Lido Kosher Deli, located in Long Beach, New York has been in business for almost 60 years.  The deli, which doubles as a restaurant serves many specialty dishes, and they also serve the staple which Americans crave.  The meat patty between two buns that makes the salivary glands of millions water.  The sandwich known as the hamburger.  Then, you take this monstrosity of a burger and add on more meat? I like it. Mazel Tov.

The Pastrami Burger: 12 ounce Angus beef patty topped with thick sliced pastrami on a kaiser roll

The Beef:  The Beef of this burger was very under-seasoned.  While juicy and tender, it was very bland to the palette and needed a few spices in there to give it a taste.  2 out of 4.

The Bun:  The bun was toasted but it was a kaiser roll.  I get my turkey sandwich from the deli on the corner on a kaiser roll.  These rolls are not made for hamburgers, and it took all the taste out of the already bland burger.  The tasteless beef turned into bread flavored beef.  2 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio:  The ratio on this burger was exactly what you needed with a bun so large.  A 12 ounce burger to put between the buns.  If not for this monster burger, the ratio would have been dismal, but the guys in the kitchen know how to handle their ratio and for that deserve a 4 out of 4.

The Presentation:  The sliced pastrami was placed delicately over the burger, and the bun off to the side.  The presentation was normal for ordering a burger at a restaurant, nothing too extravagant.  3 out of 4.

The Cheese:  Now I know it is not kosher to mix meat with dairy, but Burger Bill says it is NOT kosher to not put cheese on a burger!  Was the pastrami supposed to replace my cheese?  Do they serve cheese in this place?  They don't.  If I brought my own cheese in here would they object to me putting it on?  They would.  I'm not here to mess with religion, but if you're going to take the American (quite literally) out of the staple food, don't put it on your menu.  N/A out of 3.

The Sear: The outside of this burger glistened with lines that sang, "We are delicious, we want you to bite us." The inside was gray, and although cooked medium, I didn't really find any pink inside.  2 out of 3.

Overall Taste:  The pastrami was the main focus of this burger, and the burger was delicious.  And if you are going to not allow me to put cheese on a burger for a religious reason, at least make it the best burger I have ever eaten.  Come here for the pastrami, not for the burger.  3 out of 5.

BBSR: 16 / 24 (no cheese)

Burger 37: Speakeasy Prohibition Burger

Speakeasy, located in the West End of Long Beach is a local bar and restaurant that is themed around the prohibition era.  The decor reminds you of an old speakeasy, with brick walls, and decorations that are relevant to that time in history.

This burger was very plain jane, and it was called the Prohibition Burger.  The only thing prohibited about it was the toppings.  The burger came as bare as you can imagine.  No cheese.  No bacon.  No onions.  Nothing. Bottom bun.  Burger.  Top bun.

The Beef:  The beef was underseasoned and tasted like ground beef, not really a burger patty.  It was very appealing to the eye, but did not do much in the way of appeal to my taste buds.  There was no "wow".  2 out of 4.

The Bun: The bun was a smaller than small potato roll.  It was toasted but in accordance with my other ratings, a simple potato roll is worth the simplest amount of points.  1 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio:  The BTBR on this burger was great, but that was because the bun was so small.  There was definitely beef for every bite of bun, but at the same time there were some bites that had no bun at all.  Where I come from, we call that a meat-wad, not a burger.  3 out of 4.

The Presentation: The burger was simply plated with fries, and a side of ketchup.  No lettuce, tomato, or anything came as even a garnish.  2 out of 4.

The Cheese: n/a

The Sear: This was a redeeming quality as there was a nice sear, however, as I stated before there was no seasonings to be tasted along with this beautiful sear.  2 out of 3.

Overall Taste:  Overall a burger named after prohibition must mean its a burger of stuff you cannot have.  You cannot have seasoning, you cannot have lettuce, you cannot have tomato, you cannot have cheese, you cannot have anything except the burger and the bun.  Everything else is prohibited.  3 out of 5.

BBSR: 13 / 24*

*No cheese rating

Burger 35, 36: Keith's Grill at Citi Field

The New York Mets, the love of my life, play at Citi Field in Flushing, New York.  Enter Citi Field and take the escalator up through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda with hundreds of Mets fans surrounding you, talking about who will be starting for the game today, current injuries, and news about the team.  Take a left as you get off the escalator and walk straight through the field level seating, until you reach the left field reserved seats.  Behind the left field seating sits a small food kiosk called "Keith's Grill".

Keith's Grill, named for legendary Mets all-star, Keith Hernandez, only serves two menu items...the Gold Glove Burger and the Mex Burger.  Each burger, made with Pat LaFrieda beef, is cooked right in front of you on a flat iron grill.  Opened in 2009, with the suggestions made by Keith himself, this place always has customers devouring these two burgers.

The Gold Glove Burger: Exactly how Keith eats his burger: A six ounce LaFrieda burger on a toasted sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, two dill pickles, raw onion, mayo, and extra ketchup on top, mustard spread on the bottom bun.  

The Mex Burger: Created by Keith & the Citi Field culinary team, a 6 ounce LaFrieda burger on a toasted sesame seed bun with cheddar and jack cheese, topped with bacon, guacamole, chipotle aioli and jalapenos.  

With the exception of the toppings, the two burgers were exactly the same, so I will be rating both burgers together.

The Beef:  The Pat LaFrieda 6 ounce patty was probably the best tasting beef patty I have had at any ballpark, basketball arena, or sports stadium.  The beef was juicy and tender and was a perfect size for sitting at a baseball game and eating a burger.  3 out of 4.

The Bun:  The bun, toasted on the same grill surface that cooks the beef, enhances the taste of the toasted edges by absorbing some of the juices and then locking in those juices by searing the edges of the bun. 2 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio:  A 6 ounce patty on a toasted sesame seed bun, yielded a great ratio.  Every bite contained a generous portion of beef on each piece of bun.  3 out of 4.

The Presentation:  The presentation for a ballpark burger was very well organized.  As the man grilled the burgers before me, the woman organized the toppings on each bun and set up each persons burger with a tootsie pop and a bag of chips as well.  The construction of the burger was not rushed, and again, for a sports venue, it was very nicely presented.  3 out of 4.

The Cheese: The combinations of jack and cheddar cheeses perfectly melted made a nice addition to each burger.  Before the cheese was placed on the burger it was actually placed directly onto the flat iron surface and melted a little before then being placed on the burger for more melting.  2 out of 3.

The Sear:  Each burger had a great sear from the flat iron which could be seen and definitely tasted.  The only thing being cooked all night on the flat iron are burgers so there are no tastes except the beefy amazingness on this sear.  2 out of 3.

Overall Taste: Overall between all the toppings and tastes there are certain things I enjoyed about each burger.  First, Keith is a genius for separating his ketchup from his mustard on the top and bottom bun.  It really brings out the taste in each condiment and is well worth trying.  The chipotle aioli was pretty awesome as well.  When topped with jalapenos and guacamole, this burger really was an unexpected delight.  4 out of 5.

BBSR: 19 / 27

Burger 34: Corry's Ale House Bar Burger

Corry's Ale House, located in Wantagh, New York, is a simplistic pub and restaurant that features hand-crafted burgers on its pub oriented menu.  The six different types of burgers all make each other unique in taste and size.  Corry's offers a smaller 4 ounce burger, and also a larger 8 ounce burger.

I went to this location after work one day (yes, Burger Bill does work, he just doesn't work out) with a co-worker who told me that this burger was a must have.  He ordered the burger for me in advance so I had no choice in the burger.  Had I offered my opinion, I would have ordered the Corry's Ale House Burger (since it is named for the establishment), which is an 8 ounce burger stuffed with bleu cheese and scallions.  Instead, I was ordered the 8 ounce cheeseburger with a double slice of American cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

Regular Burger (customized): 8 ounce lean beef grilled to your taste...with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato.

The Beef: The beef on this 8 ounce patty was tender, juicy, and cooked medium with a little bit of pink in the center.  The quality was higher and would be classified with higher end burger meats.  3 out of 4.

The Bun:  This bun was strange.  The bottom bun was toasted nicely but the top bun was borderline stale.  It was not toasted, instead it tasted as if it was left out overnight and served with my burger the following day.  1 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio: Another golden ratio was found on this burger.  Every bite contained an inch high of beef, with a perfect ratio of beef to bun.  The bun covered the beef and the beef covered the bun in every spot possible.  4 out of 4.

The Presentation & Cheese: It wasn't very appetizing.  The cheese looked as though they chose to melt a piece of yellow plastic over my burger.  The entire burger was covered in this hard shelled, plastic, double slice, of American cheese and no burger was visible.  The plate was a plate of mediocrity.  2 out of 4, presentation.  1 out of 3, cheese.

The Sear: The sear had flavors and a noticeable texture.  It was worthy of earning points for sear, but not all the points since it was the mediocre sear.  2 out of 3.

Overall Taste:  Overall, this burger was mediocrity to a "t".  3 out of 5.

BBSR: 16 / 27

Burger 33: The Burger Spot's Custom Creation

The Burger Spot, located in Garden City, New York is a localized counter service restaurant specializing in...you guessed it...burgers!  The majority of the menu allows the customer to create their own burger from a selection of patties, cheeses, toppings, and add-ons.  The burger is ordered, and then delivered to your table after it is cooked to suit your customized preferences.

My Customized Preferences: 6 oz beef patty served on a brioche bun with bacon, pepper jack cheese, and ranch dressing.  

Beef: The beef was a higher end average beef.  The burgers are actually starting to meld themselves into four grades of beef.  The 1's, the 2's, the 3's, and the yet to be seen 4's.  In this case, the Burger Spot fell into the 3 category.  3 out of 4.

Bun: The brioche bun was just enough and not overwhelming.  It was soft and toasted on the grill to give it a nice golden-brown color and an even nicer crunchy texture on the inside, with a super-soft outside.  3 out of 4.

Beef to Bun Ratio: I only got a single, but for $10+ I figured a single would be enough.  It was lacking in the beef and meat department.  2 out of 4.

Presentation:  The burger was served half wrapped, so the actual burger could peek out of its blanket and seek out the mouth it plans on taking over and conquering with its tastes and textures.  The toppings, sauces, and fixings were all in order and neatly presented.  3 out of 4.

Cheese: Pepper Jack cheese that is melted is good.  Pepper jack cheese when melted only minimally creating a plastic like texture is not so good.  1 out of 3.

Sear:  The grilled burger was nicely seared in some spots, and average searing in other spots.  2 out of 3.

Overall Taste: Once again, this establishment was "cute" and friendly; not just the waitresses, the atmosphere as well, but it lacked a special quality that sets it apart from other places.  Originality.  Basic burgers are sold here for basic people.  3 out of 5.

BBSR: 17 / 27

Burger 32: Snaps American Bistro's Snap Burger

This was the first place on the list of burger spots that Burger Bill was recognized.  Burger Bill often tries to remain hidden among the masses, but as he eats each new burger, he is starting to become the masses, which is quite massive.  The hostess sat us at a table, and asked, "Are you here for the burger thing?"  I was in love.  That somebody out there, had been following my burger blog, and was awaiting my arrival at the restaurant where they worked.  Or...they are friends with me on Facebook and we graduated high school together.

I prefer to remind myself it was the former, except the love part of cours.  There is only enough room in my heart for burgers.  And eventually when all that love (or c-h-o-l-e-s-t-e-r-o-l as they like to spell it) fills up my heart, I will die the happiest man alive.  So as our hostess sat us, she gave us our menus and awaited the waitress to take our order.

Snap Burger: Char Grilled Angus Burger, Bacon, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle

Although I would've liked to try another burger this burger was named after the establishment so that means this is their go-to burger. Snaps features the Piggy Back which is the same as the Snap Burger but topped with pulled pork.  They also feature the Flat Liner, which is the same as the Piggy Back but served on two bacon grilled cheese buns.  Yum.

Beef: The beef on this burger, cooked medium was juicy (and not from grease).  The actual juices from the burger flowed forth from the source into the delta of Burger Bill's mouth-hole.  The tender meat, cooked to perfection was a little under-seasoned, but overall the beef was great.  3 out of 4.

Bun:  The bun lacked a certain texture.  I can't place what texture it was, but it definitely did not lack sogginess.  The non-toasted bun absorbed all the juices you wish were not there as soon as the bun hit your taste-bros (for me, they're more than buds).  2 out of 4.

BTBR: The beef to bun ratio on this particular burger was decent and well measured.  Since there could have been meat in some places where there was an a'bun'dance of bread (pun intended), this burger gets a 3 out of 4.

Cheese: The Cheddar cheese was your average slice of melted cheddar cheese.  Not bad, not amazing, right in the middle.  2 out of 3.

Sear:  Wow.  The sear was clearly visible to both, the eyes and the mouth.  The almost crunch on the outside of the burger contrasted well with the softer inside.  3 out of 3.

Overall Taste:  To be honest, overall this was your average burger.  if you name a burger after your establishment, make it unique, make it pop.  This burger lacked that pop I was looking for in a burger.  3 out of 5.

BBSR: 16 / 27

Burger 31: Althouse 1848's 1848 Burger

The Althouse 1848 of East Rockaway, New York is located off of the main scene of restaurants and shops in the village.  It is set back and positioned so it's dining room and patio overlook the canal it borders.  The restaurant itself only has a few tables inside, the majority of its tables on the outdoor patio.  The bar has three sides for sitting and takes up the majority of the dining room.

Why 1848? The building the restaurant is housed in was built in 1848...or when James K. Polk was President of the United States of America.  Although the restaurant was not in existence when the building was built, people may be telling their kids one day that the Althouse was opened when Barack Obama was President of the United States.

The menu is extensive for a bar, and the Althouse 1848 offers a variety of burgers on their menu.  The burger special for Saturday is a burger and a pint for thirteen dollars.  I ordered the 1848 Burger and a Krombacher.

The 1848 Burger: Eight ounce beef patty with cheddar cheese, bacon, balsamic ketchup and onion straws.

The Beef: The beef patty ordered was medium, however there was no pink to be found inside the somewhat dry meat.  The beef was higher grade than your average restaurant, and the dryness was canceled out by the balsamic ketchup.  I would have liked to taste this patty not so overcooked.  3 out of 4.

The Bun:  This was the bun of all buns.  The foccacia bun was absolutely amazing.  If I could have one bread for the rest of my burger quest, this bun would be it.  The bun is a recipe of the chef's which is made in a local bakery and delivered daily.  The bun was soft, but what made it so special was the outside was coated in corn meal giving each bite extra texture to contrast with the soft elements inside.  4 out of 4.

The Beef to Bun Ratio: The ratio of this burger was good.  The thickness served its purpose, but there were some bites where there was bun and no burger (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing considering the bun).  3 out of 4.

The Presentation: The burger was served on a plate with freshly cut potato fries on the side.  A small serving of ketchup and cole slaw was also included on the plate along with your customary pickle.  The burger was presented in a fashion that made me want to eat it and not leave anything leftover.  3 out of 4.

The Cheese and Sear:  The white cheddar cheese served on this burger was melted nicely and the sear was done well on a flat top grill.  2 out of 3 for each.

Overall Taste:  Overall, this burger had a very pleasant taste.  The juiciness, meat, the toppings, and most of all the bun which gave an amazing taste and texture to the overall rating.  4 out of 5.

BBSR: 19 / 27