The Financial District is a prime neighborhood for beer halls and gardens. It has a ton of waterfront real estate and beautiful views of historical landmarks, bridges, and Brooklyn. Clinton Hall is one such beer hall, though it is a few blocks away from the water. A few tables and a beer-centric bar make up the interior, while a host of picnic tables, a life-size chess board, and other games make up the outside area. Even in the winter months, the outdoor area is covered and usable.
Recently, the powers that be decided that they needed to improve their food game (their beer game is already impressive) and they debuted a new 20/20 menu, featuring 20 craft beers and 20 unique burgers. My crew and I arrived early, so one of them opted for a breakfast style burger, one for more standard fare, and myself, I went for the wacky burger of the week.
Burgers Ordered: The Italian Stallion, the Clinton Hall Classic with bacon, and the Bacon Egg & Burger.
The Taste: The Italian Stallion is basically what it would taste like if you combined a pizza with a burger, but not a classy pizza. No, it’s more like if you combined a late-night diner pizza with a burger. That’s not a slam either, because the mozzarella stick and pepperoni-topped burger filled me up something dangerously good. The Clinton Hall Classic and the Bacon Egg & Burger were equally well received, and equally-if-not-more messy. The runny egg on the breakfast burger was particularly drippy.
The Verdict: There’s a decent share of bars in this area, but I’d be willing to bet that few places nearby are putting as much thought into their burgers and brew as Clinton Hall.
Clinton Hall is located at 90 Washington Street in Manhattan, New York.
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