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“Bill's Bar & Burger”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	MeatPacking	Cheap Eats	Good

the shock set in. It was a brief document, with just a half dozen burgers, a few sides and an appropriate number of burger-friendly shakes. But still, it was shocking. I gasped. Five dollars and fifty cents for a hamburger? Did I read correctly? Yes, I had. Indeed, Steve Hanson, someone who clearly could be charging $9.95 for his burgers (and serving them in a much more “designed” setting) is not. His most expensive burger creation, the Fat Cat, will set you back $6.95. What’s most impressive to me about this place (other than the food, which for the price, is an incomparable deal) is that he took over the Hog Pit and instead of turning it into some over the top burger restaurant with a dozen choices, and an equal number of dizzying variations on the fry, he’s kept things simple and cheap. Bravo.

Now, before we get to the burger situation, a word about the chicken wings. These are one of the more pricy items on the menu, coming in at $7.25, but go ahead, splurge! You’re worth it! You are in the Meatpacking, after all, and if you were eating across the street at Five Ninth or Spice Market that wouldn’t even score you a cocktail. At Bill’s you get an entire plate of possibly the best wings in the city. Now these wings are boneless, and so there’s a surprising amount of plump meat here where otherwise there would be bone. What’s more, they’re deep-fried and crisped on the outside, then dunked into a bath of atomic hot sauce that yields a pleasure-is-pain kinda feeling. It’s a taste that’s likely to cause you to quickly reach for your pint of beer, and just as quickly, reach for another wing. Wrestle for one if necessary. They’re a hot fiery mess of the best kind.

Now, about those burgers. These pups are not made in the image of the fat and juicy burgers served at places like The Spotted Pig, The General Greene, or Five Napkin Burger. They’re more of Shake Shack parentage: thin patties, fresh and hot off the griddle, all coming in around medium on the temperature scale, flattened to a crisp for a burger that’s got some texture and still a good deal of taste. There’s little reason to stray from Bill’s Classic ($5.50), a simple patty slid inside a warm, toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, and pickles on the side. It’s perfect—cooked so that the meaty juices help sauce the burger. I added ... [more, click below]

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Posted: November 22, 2009

Other restaurants in MeatPacking :
+ Paradou   + Florent   + One   + Bivio   + Spice Market   + Ono   + 5 Ninth   + Fatty Crab   + Del Posto   + Morimoto   + Los Dados   + 5 Ninth   + Merkato 55   + Scarpetta   + The John Dory   + The Standard Grill   + Bill's Bar & Burger   

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