Stand's menu offers a "burger with cheese" and a "cheeseburger." So a question arises, uh, what's the difference? Heat. Besides slight variations in toppings, the burgers are more or less the same. Except, Stand serves the cheeseburger with the cheese melted on the side, so that the major difference, at least in the dairy, is in the melting. Kabam. Was that the sound of your mind just exploding?
If serving a cheeseburger with the cheese melted on the side, fondue style, isn't enough to already blow your mind, just wait. Stand broke two of the top five Burger Pet Peeves, but Stand may be the best burger of the year. Here's how (in no particular order of the annoying):
Burger Pet Peeve # 1: Shredded Lettuce. There's the saying, "if something isn't broken, don't shred it," for a reason. But, no really, why shred the lettuce? The only reason to shred lettuce, ever, is for cole slaw, which isn't even very good, so, ultimately, there is no real reason to shred lettuce. Unless that lettuce will grace a Stand cheeseburger patty. When the melted cheese is poured onto the patty, the shredded lettuce sops it up. Otherwise if the lettuce were a flat leaf, the cheese would roll right off and that would be sad. True, Stand could choose not to melt their cheese. But we like it when they think outside of the box, even when the box is refrigerated and thinking outside of it causes the cheese to melt and subsequently the lettuce to be shredded.
On to, Burger Pet Peeve #2: Paying extra for sides. A burger should come with a companion food: fries, naturally. Side-salad, onion rings, something. The Stand cheeseburger arrives on a white plate, with no other distractions, just burger and a beautiful bowl of cheese. Yet, again, it works. If Stand wants to take us minimalistic, we'll go there. Because the burger is that good.
The burger: The bun at Stand operates as the book-ends that hold everything in place. It is wheat, sesame, kind of like Royale's but does not disintegrate. The onion marmalade plays partner to the cheddar, which is pretty salty, so you get the salty and sweet thing going on. The meat is lovely, fresh and perfectly cooked. Love sigh. Anna rates:
Bex: Stand makes a beautiful looking burger- it's tasty too. I personally like shredded lettuce- and Stand's toppings were all fresh to the max. I also enjoyed the honey-lavender milkshake which had a sweet and sophisticated flavor. The only drawback was the atmosphere- there was a big buttoned-up shirt just got off work factor which is a slight turn off for me, but our pretentious-free mustachioed server made up for the douchebaggery.
Roger:
I gotta tell you, STAND as a restaurant, was just ok. Maybe it was where I was sitting but it seemed so generic. The tables seemed cheap. The walls had stock wallpaper of a photo of booths at a restaurant that wasn't STAND! Huh? Plus the take-out part is huge and makes the place look like a cafeteria. I think it struggles with an identity
crisis. That being said the burger is pretty damn good. Especially when you get a burger with side of burger!! That's right people, check the photo. That's a Big burger with a mini burger side. I know. Brilliant.
Jane: Pass the cheese please! I've always had a strong aversion to cheese sauce thanks to Kraft mac-n-cheese, but Stand's blue cheese burger was completely amazing. Being able to dip and pour the sauce added a whole new dimension to the cheeseburger experience (and was great for dipping fries). The cheddar sauce didn't taste as good, in my opinion, so if you're going for the sauce I'd stick to the blue cheese. The fries were great and the root beer float was a delicious way to top off the burger.
24 E 12 sth (btwn University Ave and 5th Ave)
212-488-5900
http://www.standburger.com/
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8 comments:
Hi guys. Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to email you or whatever, but try Jimbos. Very tasty burger.
Wow. So glad to find your burger blog. First I think, 'why didn't I think of that?' Then, I read your STAND review, and my head hurts. I would be lost; glad you're not.
As your portfolio of burger tests has grown, will you revisit what you now consider your top favortie burger joints?
Thanks, Dan
Also glad to find your burger blog. I completely agree on the shredded lettuce and skinny fries (spotted pig)! I have found my people.
Make your way to island burger, cafe lafayette (BKN) (layfayette buger=!!!), and burger joint at le parker meridien hotel.
You guys need a link for joint suggestions and general comments.
I thought Stand sucked. But everyone has their own experiences. Royale is king for me. And Pianos has a Red Wine burger that's a close second. Then Shake Shack / Steak and Shake. Stand isn't even close for me. We have a burger club but everyone is very lazy about going, so it doesn't happen often. I read the Hamburger Today blog a lot too. Anyway, nice site guys.
"The only drawback was the atmosphere- there was a big buttoned-up shirt just got off work factor which is a slight turn off for me, but our pretentious-free mustachioed server made up for the douchebaggery."
That's a pretty obnoxious comment. I wear a button down shirt to work. That makes me a douchebag? I don't know what you do for a living, what you look like, or what clothes you wear, but I'm pretty sure that you were the only douchebag at Stand that night.
see, now this is exactly what they must've had in mind when they created the internet.
i shall now go eat burgers.
the club should try Ottomanelli Bros NY Grill on Lex and 93rd.....delicious.
My son and I did our own burger showdown over the summer using Burger Heaven as "par." Jackson Hole, a huge, tasteless, way-below-par slab o' meat. Burger Joint, did not live up to the hype -- just made par. Corner Bistro's Bistro Burger was the winner among normal-priced burgers. But the price-no-object winner at $21.00 was the T-Bone Burger at Rare - biting into it was like seeing God. Rare's trio of sliders and normal cheeseburger were great, too, but just below Corner Bistro's.
I gotta disagree with you folks. Waaaay too much sauce on these guys. The drippy overimaginative toppings completely overpowered my ability to enjoy any other aspect of the burger. I do agree with the charge that the decor is cheap, though. Felt like a strip mall. I went to Stand for a burger date on the recommendation from a food writer for a major newspaper. Total bust.
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