Soho: Great Aussie Burgers at Ruby's

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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Ruby's

219 Mulberry St, New York NY (at Spring Street; map); 212-925-5755; rubyscafe.us
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: Almost-real-deal Aussie burgers (i.e., over the top but tasty)
Want Fries With That? Nope, they're not offered.
Price: Whaleys burger, $12.95

As a proud and staunch booster of the American hamburger—that is, a burger that focuses on the pure, unadulterated flavor of freshly ground beef—I have trouble reconciling my mixed feelings over the decidedly un-American burgers at Ruby's. So foreign is the construct of their Whaleys burger to me that at the beginning it was even difficult for me to tell whether I liked it or not, though in the end, I'm gonna have to come down on the side of, yep, it's pretty darn good.

So what exactly makes an Aussie burger Aussie?

It's mostly got to do with the toppings. Stacked from the bottom up, we've got thickly sliced cooked beets, followed by thin slices of pineapple, green lettuce, and tomatoes (unfortunately, not the best in this case—there's no excuse for mealy tomatoes this time of year!). On top of that goes the patty, which is then topped with a runny fried egg and ketchup. It's an interesting (not to mention messy) mixture of sweet, crunchy, earthy, rich, fatty and light textures that doesn't have many parallels in the food world.

While in Australia, a normal burger bun is more likely to be found, Ruby's uses a crisp roll—the same rolls they use to make their panini. It looks a bit too tough for a burger, but again, this is not a normal burger, and the crust provides just the right amount of crispness without being overly chewy.

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As for the patty itself, that's where things get most controversial for the simple fact that it ain't hamburger. So seasoned, packed, and formed is it, that it really is a slice of grilled meatloaf, no ifs ands or buts about it.

But that don't mean it's not a delicious slice of meatloaf. Really juicy despite being cooked through (there must be some kind of panade in there), seasoned with herbs and perhaps a bit of onion or garlic, it's certainly got some aromatics, but not enough to overwhelm the beef.

The space at Ruby's is tiny—about a dozen people can fit in there at a time, and it seems to always be busy. Here's a tip: Go when the weather is nice and sit outside on the sidewalk benches. The waiter will happily serve you your meal out there.