The Experience: As I’ve noted a few times this summer, I’m on a big mobile burger kick. I’m also always eager to try burgers off of the list that influenced the inception of Burger Weekly. Only one burger met both of those requirements, tangentially though it did so. Carnegie John’s Cart has been a Carnegie Hall appendage for quite some time. I arrived at 11:30, when I was told John first starts grilling for the day. Luckily, I got there before the rush, because a huge line formed behind me. For only five dollars I got a very hefty cheeseburger topped with onions and peppers. John wrapped in tin and I found a spot to sit nearby and eat this beastly meal.

Burger Ordered: Cheeseburger

The Taste: I’m sorry to say, but I think intense hunger from hungry workers doing physical labor in Midtown West have inflated the reputation of Carnegie John’s wares. The burger was a crazy mess, and the bun did nothing to keep things together. Fortunately, the wrapper was enough to keep the tidal wave of cheese and grease off of my clothes. Unfortunately, though there was plenty of grease on my hands, the patty was somehow still lacking in flavor and tasted quite dry. I felt most satisfied in the burger when I began to imagine it as a beef-filled grilled cheese sandwich, rather than a cheese-drenched burger. The onions and peppers were fine, but didn’t add enough flavor to the burger to make it memorable.

The Verdict: I can’t give this burger cart a real recommendation for anything other than its low price (by New York standards it is a very big burger for five dollars). Unless you’re starving and in the area, and the line isn’t out of control (what is it with long lines for mediocre food in this area?), skip this one.

Carnegie John’s Cart is located on the corner of 7th Avenue and 56th Street outside of Carnegie Hall.