A Hamburger Today- aht.seriouseats.com

Hmm Im not sure on this one.... A smaller, not super juicy, over salty burger, served at a pub, sans fries, and beer.... that costs 14 dollars does not sound like a very good deal or burger at that price.... hell the bubble and squak looks like over glorified onion straws and lacks the cabbage and brussels that bubble and squeak should have. Well IDK it is Adam reviewing.... so maybe its just so good price is no object ? ?

@s0m3f00l: Maybe I hedge my praise too much. The burger here is great. If you go expecting a ginormous pub-style burger, you will be disappointed. But if you go expecting a reasonably sized, delicious, perfectly cooked burger, you will enjoy. It's just a *touch* too salty. I actually didn't have a problem with that, and maybe the only reason I mentioned it was that my dining companions noted the saltiness and commented on it. I probably should have left that out. The juiciness: Look at the autopsy. It's plenty moist. It's just not *gushing* with juice. Sometimes I think there's a thing as too much juice. This had just about the right amount. Also: Please read the post. $14 is for the mini cheeseburgers, which come with a side. So this is not a $14 burger served sans fries. It is at most a $9.95 cheeseburger served sans fries. Of course, I realize that $9.95 cheeseburger-only is a bit pricey. I guess all I can say is that A.) the beef here is top-notch; I know, through anonymous sources, who the supplier is, and it's a great supplier (and, no, it's not Pat La Frieda), and B.) it's in Midtown, in the heart of the corporate jungle, and they're counting on expense-account-wielding desk jockeys to put the burgers on their corporate AmEx.

Yet again, I am the contrarian: I've had the burger a couple times, it was good but not worth the hassle of waiting forever only to be surrounded by obnoxious ex-frat boys become lawyers / finance dudes and their female alter ego squawking career chicks, sitting in cramped uncomfortable chairs in a lame ass neighborhood. Not to mention the price which as described gets you nothing more with the burger than a pickle and slice of white onion.

I'd much rather go to Landmarc across town where for 5 bucks more you get a bigger burger, made with better meat, served with a real nice salad AND fries, in a nicer space with a view of the park, in a better neighborhood, with a fantastic wine list and better beers.

My opinion likely would be tempered had I gone at an off peak hour when the place might not be such a zoo filled with the aforementioned dregs of society that tend to gather there.

@Adam Kuban Touche sir indeed If the meat is good then all the better and truthfully its not like I haven't paid 10$ for a burger before it just seemed as if you weren't 100% with the burger in the review. But from the sounds of it you are.... Now much like when Ed Levine on SENY or The big three on slice Adam/Ed/Daniel reccomend it as good I am forced to try it! Curse on you all!

Ugh, no, they suck too. That's more of a Williamsburg crowd though, which I also avoid as much as possible.

I haven't had the latest version of Clarke's burger, but I can tell you way back in the late Seventies, before they cleaned the joint up, it was considered one of the best burgers in town. I got to know the staff as I was a bartender down the street and would often go into Clarke's after my shift ended--they said the burgers were ground prime meat--they were even considered small for the time, but were fantastic and served on a small white paper plate with a slice of raw onion.

On a side note for Clarke fans of that era, the wait staff in the back room had a little routine for customers who were a pain in the ass. They would "86" them, which of course means to cut someone off from drinking. But what they would do to the jerk, would be to add a shot of 100 proof vodka to whatever they were drinking (wine, beer, whatever)--in no time the unsuspecting patron would be smashed and heading for home. And in those days, Clarke's was open to 4am every night and you had lots of people deserving to be "86"'d.

As I "inherited" the tradition of going to P.J Clarke's from my dad, I have to say that is one of the best burgers in my book. Every time in NY(from Sweden, not there that often) I have to go. Still, I wish that I had ordered something else than the home fries last time, a little bit to mushy, little or no onions and quite a bland dish as a whole.
But the simplicity of the burger and the quality of the meat really makes this worthwile.
(and thanks for a great blog)

PJ's burger is good, and would be better if they toasted the bun (which they will do, if asked.) But, as a poster above pointed out, Landmarc's is better, in more or less the same neighborhood on the mid West Side.

I had my wedding reception at the Sidecar (upstairs white tablecloth dining room) and the mini burgers were a crowd favorite - a zillion times better than those dry little meat/bun bombs served anywhere else, as they were just smaller versions of the juicy goodness served downstairs in the pub

i love this burger!