The Experience: I don’t know anyone who grew up on Long Island back in the 80s or 90s who isn’t familiar with the old Croxley’s commercial proclaiming, “10 cent wings man, 10 cent wings!” Today it’s 20 cents for classic wings and 10 cents for boneless. As they state on their web site, Croxley Ales is Long Island’s original ale house & eatery, and has been operating for over 20 years. They revolutionized the multi-tap ale house and started the craft beer movement in New York. There are currently six locations to choose from, so I went with the Franklin Square location that I grew up going to.
Burger Ordered: Fireman’s Buffalo Burger
The Taste: The Fireman’s Buffalo Burger is a 1⁄2 pound patty with Buffalo sauce, bacon, and bleu cheese. The burger was cooked to my chosen temperature, medium rare, and was absolutely drenched in Buffalo sauce. The patty was a bit on the small size for my liking, and while I really enjoyed the sauce, it could have done with a better quality, more flavorful bleu cheese. The bun held up to this super sauced patty and was soft, but the taste was nothing special. The fries were okay, but certainly nothing to write home about.
The Verdict: This was a strictly middle-of-the-road burger with a lot of room for improvement. Add a little size, a better bun, and a higher quality bleu cheese and they might have something really good. In my opinion, stick to the wings or more traditional pub fare.
Croxley’s Ale House is located at 129 New Hyde Park Road in Franklin Square, New York.
www.croxley.com/
