Shameless Meat Plug

If you're wondering where Matt "The Meat Hook" and Ross "The Ribeye" honed their burger tasting skills, then look no further than the patriarch of the Berkowitz Family and President of Murray Berkowitz & Sons Wholesale Meat Company, Steve Berkowitz.



Anyone looking to order the same meat that can be found in many of NYC's finest restaurants should call Steve at 718-328-2000. Just let him know the Ribeye sent you.

Brooklyn Decker? Nah, We talkin' about Brooklyn Diner

Click here to see the inspiration for the title of this review.

Times Square is an area I typically avoid at all costs. Fighting for sidewalk space with the throngs of tourists who inexplicably create a logjam by photographing pointless buildings is not high on my "To Do" List.

Last Friday a group of 10 coworkers braved the aforementioned conditions and headed over to Brooklyn Diner for lunch. Recently dubbed one of the city's best burgers by New York Magazine, and I certainly was not disappointed.

Pictured here,

the Burger is a perfect blend of succulent, ground chuck beef, a slice of vermont cheddar cheese (also cripsy bacon if preferred), and a toasted sesame bun that more resembles challah bread than your traditional bun. The beef is loosely packed, and like a piece of Toro from Sushi Yasuda, the freshness was apparent. The meal is not for the light-hearted, as mounds of thinly sliced fries and carmelized onion rings accompany the burger.

Overall, Brooklyn Diner lived up to the hype taste wise, and definitely ranks in the upper echelon of burgers in NYC. Some may find $15 for the burger a bit prohibitive, I wouldn't have minded sinking my teeth into a little more beef, and a little less fries.

JG Melon

It's been a while since the blog has been updated, but in appreciation of National Burger Month, the Meathook and the Ribeye are going to work overtime to bring the flavor and savory tastes of the burgers we have sampled directly to our loyal readers (all 2 of you). As requested by Larry Lohan, here is the first of two reviews comparing the famous initialed dueling burger joints. While this isn't Michigan-Ohio State, or even Yankees-Red Sox, the JG Mellon and PJ Clarke's rivalry can divide this city in two.

J.G. Mellon
1291 Third Avenue (at East 74th Street)
212-744-0585

JG Mellon is a timeless classic, a favorite of many New Yorkers, and a staple in Matt the Meathook's glutton filled diet. Currently this fine establishment sits atop my rankings for several reasons which I will highlight below.

1. The burger- The perfect size, and cooked to perfection. One can go what I view to be a bit light (one burger) or heavy (two burgers) and feel satisfied either way. The meat is a great loosely, ground chuck blend and is garnished with onions and pickles, I always add bacon to the order. You have to ask for lettuce and tomato) I'm normally a light eater, but I can easily devour two of these bad boys. The bun is on the smaller end, but is delicious.


2. The fries- crispy cottage fries just like the meathook likes. The fries always arrive hot and crunchy, one can taste the freshness

3. The atmosphere- JG Mellon is a true burger joint. Tight, loud, crammed, even the tablecloths are classic. Everything about JG's is old school.

One pointer: They do not accept credit cards, so just remember to bring some cash so the owner doesn't think you're white trash.

The Original Viand

Nestled in the heart of "stuck-up" Manhattan (60's and Madison), The Original Viand coffeeshop is a true classic. Everything from the amusingly loud waiters to the outstanding food just oozes New York City. I'm usually not a fan of burgers at diners, but at the behest of a very special friend, I was encouraged to go ahead and order a Bacon Burger with cheese fries and I was not disappointed. The burger was juicy and flavorful and the bacon was thin and crispy, just like I prefer. The waiters literally take your order and yell it to one of a few grillmen who fire up your food within minutes. The burger was cooked to perfection, and my only complaint would be the juice seeps through the bottom of the bun, so be leary of your first bite, epsecially if you're wearing a shirt that will easily stain. Overall, the burger was outstanding and I can't wait to make a return trip to this gem. For now, I'll just enjoy the stench of the grill that has followed me back to work. One tip: tables only accomodate 2 people, so don't go with a group larger than that.

The Capital Grille

I'll preface my review tonight by saying, the burger I sampled was a take-out order which definitely takes some luster away from the meat. Having said that, I was pretty underwhelmed by the whole package. Despite the allure of bacon bits placed inside the ground chuck, the Burger was lacking real flavor and the bun was a debacle. As I watched my two coworkers "scoop" out the bun, I had flashbacks to a plethora of whiny, obnoxious girls (like this one----------------->)
ordering bagels scooped out. This is not what I want to be thinking about as I'm about to sink my teeth into a burger, "Matty The Meat Hook" style. Another problem with the burger was the unannounced presence of some weird looking cheese. I don't know if it's a good sign or a bad sign that I was able to scrape it off all at once, but I'm rolling with a bad sign. In conclusion, even giving Capital Grille some slack because it was a takeout order, I expect more from a Nationally respected establishment. Two out of 5 burgers from me, and thankfully this meal was expensed. Next time I'm there I'll roll with the steak.

Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien

What better way to start a Saturday at 11:30 in the morning, then with some burgers at the one and only, not Las Pamillas, but the Burger Joint. Luckily, it was not crowded and we beat the traffic. I was more nervous to order this burger than Newman

was entering The Soup Nazi. Simple instructions at the Burger Joint: Order quickly, grub quickly and bounce. The first burger I ordered was plain and medium rare with some fries and water. I devoured that quickly, even though they cooked the meat a little too long. In the time span of eating my next burger, about 40 people came in. While waiting a little, and trying to memorize how to order, I ordered another medium rare burger but with pickles and tomatoes. These burgers appear to be as juicy and succulent as Pamela Anderson. The bun was weak but the meat was good. It is cheap, simple, and fatty fresh chuck. Burger Joint must have sold 150 burgers in the 30 minutes experience being there. I give it 3 out of 5 burgers and looking forward to coming back.

New York Burger Co.

I was on my way to shake shack and the line was too long and I was in a rush. I gave this burger spot a chance. I ordered the “New York Burger,” that comes with tomatoes and lettuce, on a bun, medium rare. $5.95 for a 6 oz burger, but the bun was bigger than the burger. This all natural Coleman beef spot is as appealing as watching the Tampa Bay Devil Rays against the Texas Rangers on a Saturday in late April. The burger was okay. The fries were reasonable as they were $2.00. The last part to the meal was a strawberry banana smoothie. Hit the spot for $5.00. Anyway, the meal was about $14.00 with tax, and I would say I would be better off going to a club and spending that money on a vodka sprite for a girl I will never end up speaking too. The best part of the experience was the public bathroom which had one stall that was as clean as Brittney spears spreading her legs. I give it 2 out of 5 burgers. Next time I am early for class, hungry and having a conversation with my stomach, I will be back, but try and go directly to the bathroom.