This week I am taking a break from a full review to cover some variations on hamburgers found in New York City restaurants. The following are either foods inspired by the hamburger that are not themselves hamburgers, or hamburgers inspired by other hamburgers.

Lure Fish Bar

As Adam noted in his review of the Lure burger, it is probably counterintuitive to order a hamburger in a fish restaurant. I have to say, however, that the burger at Lure Fish Bar is impressive in almost every regard but two: It comes on a brioche bun and is nothing like the burger it is patterned after, namely the venerable In-N-Out Burger. The Lure Burger is quite tasty, made with quality loose-packed beef and topped with fresh ingredients. But aside from the Thousand Island dressing, the burger bears little resemblance to an In-N-Out Burger for being served on a brioche bun and having a far thicker patty than even an In-N-Out double-double has. It also comes topped with onion rings and is bisected by default, further extricating it from resembling a California-style burger. It's a good burger hampered by poor bun choice, but don't expect it to bring you any closer to California. 142 Mercer Street (at Prince Street; map); 212-431-7676; lurefishbar.com

Shopsin's General Store

Last week I reviewed the burgers at Shopsin's General Store, but Kenny also offers his own twists on the burger theme. The cheeseburger soup is actually three dishes in one: sliders, fries, and a hearty soup. The bowl is so massive that Shopsin has to carry it with two hands to get it to your table.

Added last week after Shopsin's appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien is the Conan Burger. In the spirit of Shopsin's macaroni and cheese pancakes, it is a cheeseburger combined with pancakes and served with real maple syrup and hot sauce. This combination actually works—if you have ever enjoyed maple syrup-soaked sausage on the side of your pancakes you will know what I am talking about. The result is a delectable mix of savory and sweet. Stall 16, Essex Street Market, 120 Essex Street, New York NY 10002 (b/n Delancey Street and Rivington Street; map); 212-924-5160; shopsins.com

Stand

Stand surely receives the award for "most improved burger." The original bun that led to Adam's humorous etymological designation as the "backslider" has been replaced by a far more appropriate one. But Stand also offers some interesting variations on the burger theme, such as their burger soup and the chopped steak. The former resembles a meatball soup served in a hearty beef broth along with cheese and pasta, making for a hearty meal as the autumn weather gets cooler. The generous helping of mini burger patties are quite tender despite being cooked through. The chopped steak is essentially a bun-less burger served with onion marmalade, crispy shallots, and red wine sauce. I recommend getting the latter on the side—the beef is juicy and flavorful enough without the rather strong sauce. 24 E 12th Street, New York NY 10003 (b/n 5th Avenue & University Place; map); 212-488-5900; standburger.com

San Loco

San Loco is well known for their beef hard shell tacos, which feature spiced ground chuck along with mild red sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomato. You can also get all of the above on a very nice seeded hamburger bun, making it a taco burger. While I don't really consider this a burger, it is, nevertheless, a pleasing diversion. I can think of several burger spots that could benefit from replacing their bun with the superb one used here (I am looking at you, Black Iron Burger Bar). Multiple locations; sanloco.com

Resto

The Resto burger designed by former chef Ryan Skeen has been met with critical acclaim. It was one of the participants in the Burger Battle of The Boroughs and was named Burger of the Year in 2007 by New York Magazine. Served with excellent fries and one of the best buns I have ever had—a generic squishy white bun from a custom baker—it certainly looks impressive. But while the combination of beef cheek and hanger steak is superb, the inclusion of pork fatback discounts it in my mind as a true hamburger. Additionally, the pork has the deleterious effect of forcing the patty to be cooked all the way through. 111 East 29th Street, New York NY 10016 (b/n Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue; map); 212-685-5585; restonyc.com

Delicatessen

The newly opened Delicatessen has been mentioned on AHT for its cheeseburger spring rolls. Unfortunately, it is one of those dishes that turned out to be far less impressive than it sounded or could have been. It is basically a rather stodgy, flavorless dish. The crispy shell was not too greasy, but the beef, which was inevitably cooked through, had little flavor or textural contrasts. While I usually like my burgers naked, these spring rolls would have benefited from the addition of onions, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing instead of the lackluster red pepper ketchup. 54 Prince St, New York 10012 (at Lafayette Street; map); 212-226-0211; Delicatessen