The Experience: For each of the last 177 weeks, I have posted at least one burger review. On many of those weeks I have posted multiple burger reviews. This week was the closest I ever came to missing a deadline. It wasn’t because I’m sick of burgers, and I wish people would stop asking me if that’s the case. It was simply because for the very first time in over three years the week just got away from me. So yesterday, in a frenzy I began looking for burger joints with a decent reputation near my East Midtown office that I had never tried before. A request for recommendations on Twitter brought back only places I’d been before. But a google search turned up a typical midtown counter grill called Graso that had quietly built up a nice reputation for tasty burgers since opening last year.
On the surface, Graso Grill is exactly the same as the scores of lunch grills scattered throughout New York City’s business centers. They serve up salads, wraps, and sandwiches to order, and have just a few tables for dine-in lunching. What sets Graso apart is its extensive burger menu. As I tend to do when I don’t have a recommendation for the best burger on the menu, I go with the classic. I ordered mine medium rare, having been surprised that they asked me how I wanted it prepared at all. After a short wait my burger and fries were ready to go.
Burger Ordered: The Graso Classic
The Taste: My surprise continued when I discovered that my double-pattied burger actually came out medium rare. The Graso Classic is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, American cheese, and a slightly spicy house mayo. This burger was the standard definition of competent, which was really all that I was looking for from this place. I ended up housing this little guy in little time for a few reasons. First, because it was simply tasty. Second, because the bun totally fell apart on me. I feel comfortable calling that a blessing in disguise, as burgers from grills like these are usually overcooked and dry.
The Experience: For a quick fix in midtown, Graso Grill is serving up the burgers you need. My entire meal with fries came to exactly $10, so it’s a pretty good deal as well.
Graso Grill is located at 16 East 48th Street in Manhattan, New York.
