Leave the Toppings Outback or Down Under: Five Leaves Plain IS Better!

I was pretty pumped to try the burger at Five Leaves after hearing it talked up by a lot of friends, and I’d been suggesting this as our next Burger Club stop since June, so I was pretty stoked that we finally decided to go.  Things got a little complicated, however, when I learned that the Five Leaves burger is not only a whopping $15, but that it also comes with egg, pineapple, and beets.  I’ve had this wacky Aussie concoction of a burger before at the Sunburnt Cow (where I actually didn’t mind it so much), but as a burger purist and recovering picky eater, I was not so psyched to check it out again. Having lobbied for this burger for months, though, I couldn’t really back down.  Unfortunately for me, Anna also missed Burger Club after sleeping through her 7:30pm wake-up call (don’t ask questions people), so I couldn’t rely on her to take this one for me.  So, I went ahead and got the funky burger.  

I’m not a delicate eater to begin with, but you put a sunny-side-up egg, pineapple, and beet on a burger and it’s not gonna be pretty for anybody.  The egg was dripping all over the place right off the bat & the pineapple started flying off the back of the bun after my first bite. I realized quickly this wasn’t gonna work and after one bite of Bex’s delicious burger without all the fixings, I ditched the toppings and just went in for the plain ole burger. Which was pretty damn amazing. Great flavor, perfectly grilled, damn fine and juicy. Yeah, the burger itself is so good I just gotta say “damn.” Why you’d cover up this practically perfect burger with a bunch of distractions is beyond me--it really stands on its own as a fantastic burger, and I was fine even without cheese on mine.  So, if you go, I’d highly recommend you ditch the house specialty, risk getting called a Plain Jane, and enjoy this burger in all its delicious meaty glory. Sorry Aussies. 

Jane rates: 4 cows

Bex:

This is what I’d call a “bistro” burger in size: bigger than a fast food burger but not so ginormous that it’s impossible to take a bite.  I think they make their own buns although that’s just a guess.  They reminded me of ciabatta and are very tasty but mine was much bigger than the burger patty so I broke some off and left it on the plate.  The beef was perfectly seasoned and juicy and delicious. So delicious.  I ordered mine with cheddar cheese but I think it would have been just as yummy without it. Toppings of tomatoes, onions, and lettuce came on the side.  The sliced Roma tomatoes weren’t my favorite because they were too thickly sliced, but the red onion was very thinly sliced and the 2 leaves of Boston bibb lettuce were fresh.  The pickle wedge was just bad; who likes a soft and mushy pickle? The fries were crispy, salty, and excellent.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the small amount of harissa mayo that comes on the bun- great condiment!  

(excuse the grainy photo, it was really dark once our food arrived, and Roger and his fancy camera were absent)

Bex rates: 4 cows and a calf




(1/2 of) BCNY rates Five Leaves: 
 





Five Leaves
18 Bedford Avenue
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 11222
www.fiveleavesny.com/