A Hamburger Today
An Overly Juicy Burger from Bar Breton
Situated in Midtown, with a casual, friendly atmosphere, Bar Breton had a lively scene going on when I stopped by around 6:30 p.m. on a weekday. I went there with the intention of trying their galettes, a specialty of the French region of Brittany, but after reading over their menu and feeling a bit uninspired, I decided to spring for the $16 BB Burger. I tend to roll my eyes whenever a burger's priced over $10, as it seems so counterintuitive to the nature of the burger, but hey—I was curious. Autopsy shot and more after the jump.
The lone burger on the menu comes with red onion, butter lettuce, tomato, homemade pickles, a choice of American, blue, or Swiss cheese, and a side of french fries. I'm a solid cheddar girl, but American is always a solid backup. The abundant toppings are sandwiched by a brioche bun from Balthazar. I'm not a fan of brioche burger buns, but this wasn't as sweet as some of the ones out there.
The bigger problem was its failure at stopping the flood of burger juices from destroying its structural integrity. I'm always relieved when I receive a burger the way I ordered it (medium rare in this case) and especially happy when it's juicy, but there was little to no bottom bun left by the time I dug in, leaving me with a precarious balancing act. There's such a thing as a too-juicy burger, and this is it.
I took my first bite and would have enjoyed it immensely if it weren't for the lack of seasoning. This was a bland patty in desperate need of some salt, a problem I seem to encounter all too frequently nowadays. It's also a sizeable burger, clocking in between nine and ten ounces, so come with an appetite. A blend of short rib and brisket, the burger is cooked over a grill, but I couldn't discern any grill marks with the double cheese blanket.
Is the BB Burger worth $16? No, but with the crispy, perfectly salted fries and a properly seasoned patty, it's definitely worth a try.
Bar Breton
254 5th Avenue, New York NY 10001 (b/n 28th and 29th; map)
212-555-1234
barbreton.com