The Experience: When Korzo Haus locked its doors for the last time last year due to increasing rent in Alphabet City, I was crushed. The funky nature of New York’s subway system (and to a lesser extent, CitiBike station locations) meant that even though I live in North Brooklyn it was easier for me to get to the Manhattan location than their original spot in South Slope. So when meeting a friend on Monday at Wilma Jean and finding out upon arrival that they are closed on Mondays, it just felt right to travel a bit further south in Brooklyn and pay the original Korzo a visit.
For those unfamiliar, Korzo is a Slovakian burger joint that specializes in fried burgers. These aren’t fried the way you think about fried Oreos, or even corn dogs being fried. These burgers are wrapped in a thin layer of Langos (flatbread) instead of a bun, fried, dissected (so you don’t burn the crap out of your mouth on your first bite, and served looking like only an Eastern European burger could look. I had the original burger at Korzo Haus, so on Monday I tried the slightly more upscale Chef Burger.
Burger Ordered: The Chef Burger
The Taste: The Chef Burger is made from a Black Angus beef blend, which takes markedly different than the beef used in the standard Korzo burger. It has the fancy funk that I crave from time to time. It is filled with more veggies than the original, but nothing overwhelming and nothing that takes away from the uniqueness of the fried burger style. I’m not sure if Korzo changed the way they prepare the Langos, but it also felt thinner and less stomach-punishingly junk-foody than when I ate it for the first time three years ago. Like the first time I ate it, I loved the way melted cheese would surprise in different corners of the fried burger ball.
The Verdict: I love that Korzo finds a way to keep things varied, even with a unique (and somewhat gimmicky) burger. Make the trip to South Slope, grab a Czech pilsner, and chow down on this fried bit of fun.
Korzo is located at 667 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.
Sign up for Burger Weekly email updates!
