A Tale of Two Burgers
Burgers Ordered: Brad, Frankie, Matt & Christopher: The Beef Burger
The Experience: In the short history of Burger Weekly there have only been a couple of staunch disagreements between Burgermeisters Matt and Brad over the quality of a given burger joint. Those disagreements stemmed from a difference in taste on similar burgers. Tavern on Jane provided Matt and Brad with a difference of opinion based on something entirely different.
But before we get to the schism that would divide Burgermeister opinion more than ever before, there is much to be explained about the night’s events. The Burger Adventure was meant to take place at the Spotted Pig. However, despite the fact that the Burgermeisters arrived there relatively early on a Tuesday night, there was a two hour wait. Neither Brad nor Matt nor their two guests Christopher (our favorite fighting bake-master, making his 3rd appearance at a Burger Adventure) and Frankie (making her 6th appearance at a Burger Adventure) wanted to wait that long for dinner.
Luckily, the West Village is something of a Mecca for notable New York City burgers. Only a few blocks up from the Spotted Pig is Tavern on Jane, and across the street is Corner Bistro. After settling on Tavern on Jane and being told there would only be a ten minute wait, the Burgermeisters dug in their feet. Sure the hostess was surly and yes the place was overcrowded, but once the Burgermeisters got to their table and saw that the paper tablecloth was furnished with CRAYONS it all seemed worth it.
Age is just a number, and crayons are always fun
So while the Burgermeisters were mostly having fun tagging the table, there was a bit of tension in the air because of the crappy weather and the change in venue. Every Burgermeister ordered the Beef Burger medium rare, forgoing the Bison Burger. Matt piled on Tavern on Jane’s works; mushrooms, sauteed onions, cheese and bacon. Everyone else got some smaller variation of that combination.
The Taste: Frankie’s burger, topped with cheddar cheese and bacon, came prepared medium. She ordered it medium rare, but that was under the influence of the Burgermeisters. She actually prefers her burgers medium. She liked the crunchy bacon and said of the burger as a whole that it was tasty but not the best she’s ever had. She didn’t think her bun would hold up as it was made of quite mundane bread. It held up well enough, but everyone agreed that it didn’t add anything special to the burger.
Christopher felt much the same way Frankie felt. He liked the burger but didn’t love it. He had a serious problems with the onions being advertised as sauteed when they came mostly raw on the burger. His burger also came out medium instead of medium rare, but he didn’t feel too slighted by this.
Brown and Blah
Brad was fuming when his burger arrived. Bite after bite he hoped he’d get to the pink center of his burger, but it was brown all the way through. He ordered his with onions and bacon and didn’t think either topping was particularly worth the extra charge. That’s right, every single additional topping to the burger costs $1 at Tavern on Jane. Brad found the bacon to be dry and the onions to be raw. He had to drown the burger in mayonnaise, pickles and ketchup to give it flavor, and then felt greasy and gross when he’d finished.
In the spirit of ending the review on a positive note, the Burgermeisters decided to finish with Matt. Matt felt guilty about how much he loved his burger given how indifferent or angered the other Burgermeisters were. He even gave it his prestigious “da bomb” label. It was cooked beautifully to the purest potential of medium rare. The American cheese was the best he has had on a burger, with so much of it there that it poured out of the sides and even mixed in with his cold slaw. He said that the bacon added a great flavor, on top of the great flavor of the patty. He agreed that the sauteed onions weren’t the greatest, and that mushrooms weren’t anything special, but there was just a magic to the whole burger itself that was sweet bliss to him. Matt repeatedly claimed it was in his top 5.
Tavern on Jane’s Saving Grace
Showing how altruistic he is, and perhaps to prove that the burger at Tavern on Jane could indeed be great, Matt gave Brad a bit of his burger. Brad agreed, he’d been shafted and Matt’s burger was truly delicious. And speaking of delicious, everyone agreed that the fries at Tavern on Jane were some of the best at any burger place they’d been to.
The Verdict: After Matt’s burger-gasm the Burgermeisters HAVE to recommend Tavern on Jane. The potential for greatness is there. However, it would be wise to go in knowing that the restaurant charges you for every add-on, that the space is a bit cramped, and that you must order your burger rare (or at least impress upon your waiter how important it is to you that your burger be pink and juicy).
Tavern on Jane is located at 31 8th Avenue at Jane St.
