The Little York - Milford, NJ

Where:
The Little York
569 Spring Mills Road
Milford, NJ 08848

https://www.thelittleyork.com/

What:

Fried Onion Smash Burger with Cooper Cheese 

($13.95 September. 2024)

Have you ever tried a burger at a tavern or inn and experienced anxiety hoping you're not going to be served another let down? I do it all the time, however, at The Little York, I experienced a very rare, "holy sh*t" moment. 

The burger was everything a burger should be, from the quality of the meat, the perfectly fried onions (not that caramelized glop) to the toasted brioche and special sauce. And for me, there was the extra cheesy goodness of a more-than-ample amount of Cooper Sharp American cheese. Not much more to say when a burger is this good. 

You NEED to get to The Little York in Milford and experience the magic.

 

Dipped N' Smashed, Hoboken, NJ

 

Where: 

Dipped N' Smashed

91 Washington Street

Hoboken, NJ

201-600-8727

Hours:
Fri-Sat 11:00AM-3AM
Sun-Thur 11:00am-12AM


What?

The Double Smash - $8.95 (June 2024) 

Two (2) smashed patties, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, smash sauce, Martin's potato bun. What can I say? It was everything I wanted in a smash burger... although it needed more cheese than the scrawny little piece I was served. The onions were fried perfectly, the pickles were plump with just enough vinegar to balance out the richness of the burger fat, cheese and burger sauce. Not much more to say, other than try it for yourself, you won't be disappointed. 

P.S. ~  The parking sucks.

The Donut Machine

SLAP BURGER

Where: 

127 Crooks Ave, Paterson, NJ

What: 

The Double Slap, ($8.50 June 2024). 2/3.5oz hand-smashed patties with American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and Slap sauce.

Slap Burger was not what I expected. I was expecting another wannabe smash-burger joint serving overly salted meat cooked to oblivion. This was not my experience at Slap. Their locally sourced 3.5oz pucks of meat (similar to Shake Shack's) are seasoned perfectly, and not overly-cooked. The meat-to-fat ratio renders a perfect amount of liquid goodness.

The double burger was quite a satisfying meal, in fact, it was almost too much for me - an order of fries would've put me over the edge.

After my initial visit to Slap Burger I was so hooked, I went the very next day to sample another double smash. Fantastic stuff... you won't be disappointed. In a time of smash burger joints popping up everywhere, I put Slap Burger a cut above the rest ~ for now. 

P.S. ~ The street parking sucks (park at the pharmacy across the street).

BC Rating: 8.8

Lindburgers - Home of the 50 Burgers!

Where: 

Lindburger
1695 West Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL
561-768-9918

Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:00am-9pm
Thur-Sat 11:00am-9:30pm
Sunday 11:00am-8:30pm

What?

The #1 A La Carte w/iceberg lettuce, American cheese & raw onion. Pickle and coleslaw on the side. 

Lindburger, home of the 50 burgers, with 3 locations since 1983. It's a nice neighborhood place to hang out, with friendly staff, and decent food. My one (big) complaint is that I ordered my burger medium and it was delivered very close to well-done. This is a huge rub for me since Lindburger purports to be serving "gourmet burgers" for 40 years. Although cooked beyond my liking the burger still held some juiciness and the beef flavor was great.

That's all I've got to say for this one, the beer was cold enough, the Tiger Shrimp appy was decent. Definitely worth a try if you're in the Jupiter Florida area. 

1950's Originals - Westwood, NJ

 

Where: 

1950 Originals
325 Broadway, Westwood, NJ 07675
(201) 275-0622

What?

Cheeseburger & Hot Honey Pimento Cheese Dog

I had such high hopes :(

What can I say, after a tip from my daughter, I was stoked on visiting 1950's Originals, but my excitment quickly faded once I arrived.

I was asking the staff about the burgers and what type of meat was used... was it 80/20 chuck? or was it a delicious blend? Perhaps chuck, brisket & short rib? I was answered with a long silence. Yup, open mouths and crickets. No one knew what type of meat they were serving. Then, a young woman spoke up and said: "yeah, it's a blend, I don't know what kind, but it's a blend".  Okay, long story short, the burger was between 3 and 4 ounces and not very hot at all, I'm sorry, but a hot freshly made quarter pounder with cheese at Mickey D's would have been better. I'm hoping this has something to do with them being a new-ish business because the place is cool inside and the staff is very pleasant. 

The hot dog... Well, here is the story regarding their Thumann's "Original" hotdog recipe:

What is the 49FIFTY Bag?

The 49FIFTY Bag was made for 1950 Originals exclusively by Thumann’s. We offer two varieties: Original (pork & beef) and Signature (100% beef). 

The name “49FIFTY” combines two important years: 1949 and 1950. In 1949, Thumann’s was
founded by Henry Thumann and his American dream was born. Henry had recipes that he created from scratch! Our proprietary Original & Signature hotdogs are true reflections of the first treasured recipes created by Henry Thumann and the standards of excellence he demanded, that are still followed today at their facility in Carlstadt, NJ.

That being said, the hotdog was just okay for me. Don't get me wrong, it tasted good, definitely a different taste than Thumann's regular dogs, yet nothing distinct enough to create a lasting memory. And the hotdog along with the cold pimento cheese topping was just not happening for me.

I think everyone should try 1950's Originals to see for yourself, and I truly hope you like it and I just hit them on an off day.

Cheesesteak Louie's - Seaside Heights, NJ

Where: 

Cheesesteak Louie's

22 Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751

(732) 250-2773

https://www.cheesesteaklouies.com

Hours:

Open 7 Days a Week

Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm

Sun - 11am to 8pm

What:

Louie's Original (slightly modified)

Steak, fried onions, Cooper Sharp American, seeded roll.

I've been reading so many good things about Cheesesteak Louie's that during a recent roadtrip to visit my Aunt in Toms River, we took a detour to Seaside Heights to check it out.

My wife and I have eaten at most of the other top neighborhood cheesesteak joints in Seaside Heights (IYKYK), but none of them come close to Louie's. The hype is real, and the cheesesteaks are to die for. 

Since this was our first visit, my wife and I decided that ordering the "Louie Original" was the best way go. We had an order of Tater Tots, poured our soda's (with "unlimited refills") and took a seat. 

Our food came out within ten minutes and as the server approached our table, we saw steam billowing out of the foil wrap. The sandwiches were served so piping hot we had to blow on them just to get a few bites in - and they stayed hot well into the second half - fantastic. The aroma alone had me salivating; the Cooper Sharp was ample, and the onions were done exactly right (not mushy). I knew this place was going to be great as soon as I walked in and saw a pile, and I mean a PILE of blood-red shaved ribeye steak waiting to hit the flat top.

It's also been quite a long time since we have experienced such a cheerful and helpful wait staff. 

Unfortunately, when the food is this good, and there's nothing to critique, only praise to be given, a food review can get a bit repetitive and boring so I'm keeping this one short. Take a look at my photos and get down to Louie's as soon as you can, you'll be happy you did.