Here are some updates on burgers I've eaten since the original post of my burger map a month ago. I have updated the map as well. The below burgers are ranked in order. Overall, amazing list of burgers this month. Most are in my top 20 ever although it includes a handful of repeats that I knew would be good. As always, let me know more suggestions. I still need to expand into other boroughs a bunch more.
Rolo's: 9/10. We have a new top 5 burger in the city. I hesitated to give this burger such a high ranking on only one visit, but it was perfect. Incredible flavor. I loved the grilled onions. I was able to get a walk-in table for 2 at 5 pm on a Sunday. Apparently, they run out of burgers very quickly so if you go, make sure to go before 6 or early for their brunch.
Hamburger America (Repeat): 8/10. Went back to try the classic this time. Still amazing and will definitely be visiting many times. I'm going to stick with the onion burger from here on out as the classic was a bit too mustardy for me I could see this place rising up my list as they start to bring in guest chefs from all over the country for their monthly specials. The waiter said they should be starting by May or this summer. I also got the ham sandwich which was a great side item.
Burger Joint (Repeat): 8/10. Hadn't been in a while and reminded me why it was so high on my list. This was my first time in their new location on the other side of the hotel. Much more space than I remember so should be easy to go and get seats. Note that the double is way too big. It must be 10+ oz of meat. Next time I will be sticking with the single, and may even experiment with their extra toppings like chili crisp.
Donovon's Pub: 7/10. I really liked this place. Easy to get to on the 7 train. Great wings as an appetizer. I went with the plain Cheeseburger, but they have 20+ types of burgers on the menu. I will definitely be experimenting next time. This was a classic, juicy pub burger that I highly recommend.
Emily (Repeat): 7/10. Hadn't had the burger in a while. The first few bites quickly brought back memories of how overwhelming this burger can be. The sauce is amazing and I actually am a fan of the pretzel bun. It would rank higher if it wasn't all just way too much. It gets very messy and I could hardly finish it. The 7/10 ranking is solely on the first half of the bigger before it starts to wear on me. I will stand by the pizza is even better than the burger. (I'm now realizing that after eating a pie of pizza, I may just be full by the second half of the burger. I should try going for only the burger soon.)
Gotham Burger: 7/10. I was really excited about this one as everyone was comparing it to Hamburger America when they both opened at similar times. While really good, I don't think this place is quite up to par with what HA is doing though. I will say I went for the Beastie Boy, which is the triple smash burger. Bites with the onions and club sauce were amazing, but they did not proportionally add all those great ingredients to match the triple smash. Next time I will definitely be trying a single or double to see if it bumps up the rankings a bit. I will say the fries were exceptional.
Polo Bar: 6/10. I was ecstatic to finally get a reservation here after years of sporadic attempts. The meal started off great with the corned beef sandwich and I loved the oyster with caviar accompanying my huge martini. Unfortunately, the burger was the least interesting part of this meal. It was good but absolutely nothing special. It doesn't hold it's own when compared to any of the above burgers. I recommend trying out the restaurant if you can get a reservation, but would skip the burger if I went again.
Bistro Vendome: 6/10. A friendly neighbor told me this French restaurant had the best burger in my neighborhood, so I had to give it a try. As there isn't much going on burger-wise near Sutton Place, it was surprisingly good, but similar to Polo Bar above, nothing to write home about. As I like this style a bit more, I have to agree this is the best burger in my neighborhood edging out the only other burgers I have tried nearby (Jimbo's Hamburger Place and P.J. Clarke's)
Map link:
Matt's NYC Burger Club Map
by SquanchyMelo