Bill Cianci's (Mostly) Burger Reviews: Nardi's, LBI, NJ

Where:
Nardi's Tavern and Grill
118th Street & The Blvd, Long Beach Island, NJ

Phone: 609-492-9538

Email: http://www.nardistavern.com/

What:
Cheeseburger

Build:1/2 pound certified Angus burger topped with raw red onion (yawn), American cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun.

Comments: Nardi's makes a decent 1/2 pound burger. It's not earth-shatteringly great, but it's a very good tavern burger and if I had been drinking, I'm sure I would have rated it an excellent burger. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and the bun was very fresh. The fries were out-of-the-freezer-bag-and-into-the-fryer, so they were mediocre at best.

The toppings were also a disappointment.The generic hot house red onion (sliced through the equator, not pole to pole), the wilted, leafy green stuff people are calling lettuce these days, and of course, the hot house tomato absolutely devoid of any flavor or color whatsoever and carrying with it a mealy texture. It's amazing how people have come to accept these poor excuses for tomatoes. But I suppose there's a good chance that the last 3 decades of children probably don't know what a Jersey Red even tastes like...what a shame.

Again, the burger was decent, although the typical tavern toppings Nardi's offers is a crime…and it's not just at Nardi's – it seems pub style burgers everywhere are serving toppings without care. The latest craze and biggest abomination being toppings served on the bottom of the burger... (don't get me started).

When is someone going to offer an old-fashioned "hamburger sandwich" with salt added to the meat prior to forming the patties, which are then sprinkled with ground black pepper and flat-grilled to a crisp golden brown perfection on the outside, and still juicy as all hell on the inside? This, served with nothing less than 2 slices of cheese (one fore and one aft) makes for a perfect no frills, no toppings, no nothin' and definitely NFK, burger purist's delight.

Side note:Nothing compares to iceberg lettuce for ANY type of sandwich... and since it completely loses its crunch when shredded, iceberg must be served full-leaf. Remember, the purpose of lettuce is to provide a crisp, cold, crunch to a sandwich without altering its flavor profile; that's the beauty of iceberg lettuce. For now, it looks like we'll be forced to continue eating leafy green lettuce. I'd love to continue my rant about the widespread use of the "politically correct" leafy green lettuce (because it's good for you), but I'll spare you.
Nardi's service:
The service (or lack thereof) is so slow that it actually gets to be a bit funny. You can hear people at other tables talking about why they think the food is taking so long..."maybe they are short-staffed today,” "maybe the cook is new," "perhaps they lost our order,” or "maybe some other table got our food.” Too funny.
I've been to Nardi's with my family and friends for brunch many times with parties ranging from 2 to 10, and every single solitary time the food takes no less than 45 minutes to reach us after ordering. And you'd think it would be cold after waiting so long, but no, it's always served hot - I just don't get it.

Ahhhh, but the bloody marys are wonderful...

Nardi's burgers get an 8.5/10 on the BC rating scale.

**BONUS REVIEW from NARDI'S**

The Chicken Florentine Cheesesteak consists of chopped chicken with plum tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and cheese on a submarine roll.

It was ridiculously good. Sorry only 2 photos, but check them out.