Trailer Park Lounge - A Million dot commers can be wrong

Trailer Park Lounge
http://trailerparklounge.com/
271 W 23rd St
New York, NY 10011

Question: What does Hamburger America, NYC Food guy, A Hamburger Today, Burger Club New York, BurgerClub.org, New York City Search, Gridskipper, Urban Spoon, NYMag.com, The New York Daily News, Manhattan.About.Com and Zagat all have in common? They have all some how forsaken one of the best burgers in New York...The Trailer Park Lounge.

I eat a lot of burgers, I read a lot of lists about burgers, I RSS a lot of burger blogs and news feeds. You can pretty much say that I am a hamburger obsessed, crazed, junkie, fanatical, fiendish, captivated, fixated, possessed and so on and so on. I devote a lot of my time and my money to one of America's greatest hot sandwiches. I take the hamburger very seriously. So I am absolutely befuddled that my brothers and sisters of the burger have some how forsaken one of the greats.

But that is why I am here right?

Dressed up to look like the front lawn of a real trailer, the Trailer Park Lounge in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood was voted one of the top 5 "kitschiest restaurants in America" by the Food Network. Complete with a Tiki Bar, lawn flamingos, velvet Elvis', bowling decor and the actual side of a real trailer, you won't find a more fun and wacky place to have a burger in the 4 corners of the globe. Be sure to head over on Monday's and Tuesday's for the "Burger and beer" special for only $7.49. If you time it right, you can get $3 cans or drafts and $5 margaritas during "Happy Silly Giddy" hour from 4-7 pm.

You can order tacos, chili, chicken sandwiches, tacos and all sorts of other trailer treats but honestly, it's all about the grilled burger. These suckers come on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and your choice of cheese. Order em cooked how you like which if you are like me, you go medium rare. The burgers are juicy, not greasy and the patty to bun ratio shows beef on all sides! The salty meat, the tangy cheese and the toasted bun will leave you All Shook Up."

All burgers come with sweet potato fries or tater tots and you may as well pretend the first option doesn't exist. Any burger fan worth their weight in ground chuck knows, it's all about the tot baby!! They are the carbohydrate version of heroine and no one does them better than the Lounge. If you have the stomach or have others you can share with, get the mac and cheese. It's just about the best damn M&C since your mother's kitchen.

If Elvis is still alive, you'll find him at the Trailer Park Lounge wolfing down a "double-wide" with cheese and chili mac.

So to my burger eating friends mentioned above, say when and I'm there.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

McDonalds - Taxi Cab Confessions

McDonald's
http://www.mcnewyork.com/20219/

114 Delancey St
New York, NY 10002

Am I that addicted to cheese burgers? Do I have to have one at any cost? Am I not able to resist? Is my will power that weak?

You could blame it on the drinks I had with some friends, catching up over the holidays, but I think it was the burger. I just can't say no.

Truthfully, it was pretty good, even in the back of a taxi cab.


6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

The Burger Joint - You can't hide a winner

Burger Joint
http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php
118 W 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

What to do with the day off? Go on a Burger Conquest of course! Unfortunately for us, we weren't the only ones with the day off. But then again, an hour wait for the Burger Joint in New York City's Parker Meridien hotel is pretty standard. We figured with a 2 pm arrival, the lunch rush would be over but boy were we wrong!

The not so secret nor so hidden Burger Joint can be found behind a curtain, at the end of a roped line, underneath a neon hamburger sign in the lobby of the hotel. If you haven't been before, believe me, I didn't just let the cat out of the bag or in this case, the fries out of the bag. The Burger Joint is a tourist, foodie and burger maniac full on attraction. It's listed in nearly every best of hamburger list for NYC and for a good reason!

We waited in line for 40 minutes before we got in the door and that's when the real frustration begins. You still have to wait to get to the counter, wait for you food and wait for your table. It's a tiny little hole in the wall with a limited menu. Best make sure you know your order before you get to the counter, otherwise you will face the wrath of anxious burger-questers.

It's a standard white bun which doesn't win them favors with me but after just one bite, it didn't matter. My medium rare slab of ground beef with cheese, lettuce, onion and mustard instantly placed into my best of hamburger list. Wow. Greasy, full of flavor, great bun to burger ratio, just the right amount of cheese and Dijon mustard. They nailed it, the burger is fantastic. Merry Christmeat to me! The burger is $7 which is pretty pricey for what seems like a small burger but as I bit into my 2nd one, I realized, I should've just had one or skipped the amazing chocolate sake.

But after that kind of wait, what would you have done?


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

Crunchy's - The Best in Buckets

Crunchy's
http://www.crunchyseastlansing.com/
254 W Grand River Ave
East Lansing, MI 48823

Located in downtown East Lansing, the home of Michigan State University, Crunchy's proudly holds the title of "Best Burger in Town." In the 5 years I attended school there, I can honestly say that I was never served a better burger than the 1/2 pound crunchy burger. In fact, I even had a meal plan at Crunchy's. With great burgers, pizza and other bar related food items and beer available by giant mug or by bucket, it made for the perfect college dining experience.

Since the place was opened by original owner, Paul "Crunchy" Gratarolla in 1982, Crunchy's gone through several changes. New ownership, a patio, weekly karaoke and a beer menu beyond light and dark Stroh's but it has kept one thing -- the moniker "Best Burger in Town." Leave it to Burger Conquest to put it to the test.

We started with a "Bucket O’Pizza Nugs" - deep fried pepperoni and cheese in dough, covered with Parmesan and served with dipping sauces. They were very tasty shoe horn into a heart attack. As always, I went cheese burger served medium rare. They over cooked Cara's and Molly's burgers as well as my own and undercooked Lynette's bucket of "Lion Stout Buddys," Crunchy's take on a sliders that have been marinated in their exclusive Lion Stout beer, which is never a good start. But once they righted the wrong, the feasting began.

The burger choices are plentiful at Crunchy's but for me it could only be one, the Famous Crunchy Burger. A simple white bun, wrapped around a delicious and juicy 1/2 ounce piece of hamburger and cheese entered my mouth. It was just as I remembered, tasty, delicious and wonderful. The burger was bigger than the bun but just right. Oh man, if I only lived closer!

The Famous Crunchy burger proved it's the Best in town.


8 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

The Peanut Barrel - My Alma Meater

The Peanut Barrel
http://www.peanutbarrel.com/
521 E. Grand River
East Lansing, MI 48823

On a recent trip back to East Lansing, Michigan, I decided to stop in and revisit an old friend (read: burger) and catch up on old times. East Lansing is home to Michigan State University which also leads to lot of bars and cheap eats. One of my favorites while attending MSU was The Peanut Barrel. One of the only place in town that not only had a great selection of beers but also an outdoor patio, free peanuts and a well known hamburger, the Papa Joe. MSU providing my formal education and The Peanut Barrel providing part of my burger education, it seems only right that it's featured on Burger Conquest.

With more beers, than food options, it's easy to see that the Barrel is dedicated to a quest. Neither menu has changed much in the 16 years that I have been eating there. I ordered a cheese burger media rare with cheddar and a rye bun (a much tastier option than white.) The rye bun was hearty and delicious, just like I remembered it. But the bread to burger ratio was way more in favor of the former. The burger didn't seem as big as I could recall and it didn't seem as juicy and flavorful as my memory served. Perhaps it's been my worldly burger experience since or maybe the quality has dropped.

If you're in East Lansing, it's a great choice with a great atmosphere and for a low price.


7 out of 10 ounces
- Rev

Corner Bistro - Don't Believe the Hype vs. Old Homestead - AKA Old Faithful

The Corner Bistro
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7117729/
331 W 4th Street
New York , NY , 10014

Google search "best hamburger nyc" and you will find one restaurant in common with nearly every list, the Corner Bistro. It was even named checked in "The Best Burger in New York" episode of "How I Met Your Mother" on NBC. It's the burger to beat, or so we were told. In fact, some say our opinion was not credible without having taken a ride on the Bistro Burger train.

Enter a snowstorm struck Manhattan Friday afternoon and 5 people with the day off! Located in the West Village, the Corner Bistro is really nothing more than a ragged Irish bar with a menu so simple, that they don't print them. Burgers, chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, chili and fries. Without much fuss, we ordered a few beers, some fries and of course a burger each. Arriving was no small feat considering the weather conditions and that some of us had to take multiple trains to get there. The anticipation was building.

When the waiter arrived, he dropped Tim's burger on the table. The bacon slid into Jackie's glass. It was a mess. Did he take it back to get us another? No! He just left it there and said sorry. Chuck, who is allergic to cheese, specifically ordered his with out but with grilled onions. When it arrived it had cheese and no grilled onions. Both burgers had to be sent back.

My burger was small, in fact so small, that it left me hungry, even after a plate of fries. There was hardly any juice to the burger and it was over cooked on the edges. The bun fell apart as I ate it and for all the hype and all the excitement, I was really let down. It was your average burger, nothing more nothing less. The overcooked shoe string fries, the same they served in my high school cafeteria were nothing to be excited about. In fact, it was like a summer block buster movie, loaded with celebrities that in the end was all advertising and marketing but no story.

Add in the terrible service and I just can't feel any excitement about this place.


6 out of 10 ounces
-Rev




I was left so disappointed. I just couldn't go out like that. I made a suggestion to Team Burger that everyone was instantly excited about...

AN IMPROMPTU BURGER-OFF!!

Realizing we were only 1 Avenue's walk from the Old Homestead Steakhouse, also on many a top 10 burgers in New York list, the decision was made to bring on a challenger.


Old Homestead
http://www.theoldhomesteadsteakhouse.com
56 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

Some of you may know we have a sister foodie website in http://steakclub7.com who parades the Old Homestead as the best Steak in NYC. Now it was time to see how the burger racked up.

A much fancier environment and less noisy, the Old Homestead has been serving up steaks in Manhattan's meat packing district at this point for more than 137 years. You have to be doing something right to be in business that long.

The meal started off with their Kobe Slab Bacon, which is pretty much the ultimate slab of salted pork. It's not like your Daddy's Sunday morning bacon, this thing is a monster! It's larger than your plate and has the taste of pure salted heaven.

Then it arrived. The coveted Old Homestead Burger, looking glorious and ready to be munched up by 5 people hoping for a big win. Oh god. Oh thank you. Oh Homestead!! The burger was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The meat was succulent and juicy. The cheddar cheese was flavorful and oozing out the sides of a well constructed bun that held together through the entire burger. Even the fries were delicious. I tried Chuck's pepper slab burger and it was simply divine.

This was our white whale. Ahab could go home. Not only was the day avenged but we found a new #1 burger in NYC. Old Homestead, you never disappoint.


9 out of 10 ounces
-Rev

White Mana - Sometime's Easy is THE Order

White Mana
http://www.yelp.com/biz/white-mana-jersey-city
470 Tonnele Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07307

A long time New Jersey burger institution, the White Mana originally appeared at the 1939 World's Fair. From there the business was relocated to it's current location on Jersey City's truck route, Tonnele Avenue. There is another location in Hackensack, NJ but the JC one is a personal favorite.

It's pretty simple; hamburgers / sliders, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, hot dogs, french fries and drinks all served short order style. Imagine the sit down diner version of White Castle. The burgers are made from fresh ground beef, right in front of you and the White Mana is open 24 hours a day!



For a no frills slider, its delicious. Just enough grease, just the right amount of cheese, just the perfect bun and just the perfect spread of grilled onions. Add a side of crispy fries and a grape drink and you are rockin. The White Mana never dissappoints! For a little extra love, the chicken sandwich is pretty tasty too.


9 out of 10 ounces
- Rev