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From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

Some random WC thoughts:

Moving from Queens to eastern LI, I was suprised at the differences in the WC restaurants... no bulletproof glass.

For a work function, pot luck picnic, I brought a crave case. Imagine the spread on the table, fondue, quiche, finger sandwiches, caviar, and a stack of WC slyders. This was fellow colleagues and administration from work and about 85% of them have never had a WC burger before.

I had a friend of the family visiting from the West Coast and never had WC before. We convinced her that the bulletproof glass was soundproff, the "secret" burger to order was the "Kiki" burger, and you only need to order one slyder. I still laugh to this day at the expressions of the workers reacting to some lady yelling at them that she wants 1 "kiki" burger.

Good times.

From Serious Eats: New York

Win Tickets to Blue Point Brewing Company's 10th Anniversary in Long Island

Saranac Pale Ale or Yuengling Lager. Whatever is on sale at the local grocery between the two.

From Talk

Favorite or Odd Fair Food

Turkey Leg!!!! Funnel cake and zeppoles.

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From Talk

For the Burger Lovers: Bison burgers, is it worth it?

From Talk

What Burger place should I try next in NY?

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From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

Some random WC thoughts:

Moving from Queens to eastern LI, I was suprised at the differences in the WC restaurants... no bulletproof glass.

For a work function, pot luck picnic, I brought a crave case. Imagine the spread on the table, fondue, quiche, finger sandwiches, caviar, and a stack of WC slyders. This was fellow colleagues and administration from work and about 85% of them have never had a WC burger before.

I had a friend of the family visiting from the West Coast and never had WC before. We convinced her that the bulletproof glass was soundproff, the "secret" burger to order was the "Kiki" burger, and you only need to order one slyder. I still laugh to this day at the expressions of the workers reacting to some lady yelling at them that she wants 1 "kiki" burger.

Good times.

From Serious Eats: New York

Win Tickets to Blue Point Brewing Company's 10th Anniversary in Long Island

Saranac Pale Ale or Yuengling Lager. Whatever is on sale at the local grocery between the two.

From Talk

Favorite or Odd Fair Food

Turkey Leg!!!! Funnel cake and zeppoles.

From A Hamburger Today

The History of the McGangBang

I could not stop laughing thinking about ordering the McWhitey or the unprotected McGangbang.

From A Hamburger Today

$1 Burger at Tara Inn in Port Jefferson, NY

I got to try some local place in the area and try their burgers.  Grumpy Jacks which is right behind Tara puts out a marinated burger.  I ordered it rare and it come out nice and juicy on a super busy Sat night.  Fries were ok but what brought the quality of the burger down was that they used a kaiser roll. On top of that the roll had to be a couple of days old so it tough and chewy.

Down the road (route 112) there is a new place called Rib City Ale House. It now occupies a space that has turnovered 3 times in the past 6 years so I hope they last. We went for an early dinner and ordered a cheese burger rare. It came out nicely cooked and sitting on a kaiser roll. Thinking back to last weekend I was hesitant but it was grilled so it was slightly toasted on the outside and soft on the inside. What stole the show were the onion rings. I could not get enough of them. They had to be freshly battered and fried. A light airy greaseless intense onion tasting side that paired well with a nicely cooked burger.

From Serious Eats

Restaurant Gift Certificate Etiquette

I am a rube! We look for coupons in the papers and for dining deals for certain days. Recently we went to a restaurant with a buy one entree get one free. We ended getting "kobe" burgers which was a steal. We did present the coupon in the beginning to make sure that there were no hidden catches. The service was pretty good so of course we tipped on the precoupon amount.

From A Hamburger Today

Giant Pizza Burger

I suddenly do not feel good after seeing this picture.

From A Hamburger Today

Dear AHT: Boston Five Guys No Good

@John: Make a trek to see the inlaws and stop at the Levittown 5guys

From Talk

What Burger place should I try next in NY?

@Chuck: Thanks for making me aware that there is a 5 guys in levittown. We went to 5 guys last night and it was pretty good. And I got a pair of sneakers at DSW next door for $11 !

From Serious Eats

High Five to Five Guys' Burgers

Just went to Five Guys in Levitown, Long Island last night and found it tucked in a shopping plaza. Despite the location the place was still packed.

Both my wife and I ordered cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, raw onions, ketchup and mayo and instead of a large order of fries we took the suggestion of the cashier and ordered a small.

Even though it was busy we only had to wait a few minutes for our order to be called. As their policy, the burgers came well done but they still had a nice juicyness. The toppings were plentiful but not overpowering which still allowed you to taste the burger. Unlike Adams burger mine did not have that nice crust on the patty. I found this place to be comparable to American Roadside in Smithtown with 5Guys getting the nod because of their fries and the juciness of their burgers. My wife ranked them the over way around because she thought the burgers were better at AR.

Would we make the 59 minute trip from our house again? My wife says yes because of not only the burgers but there is a DSW, Kohls, and other stores around.

From Talk

What Burger place should I try next in NY?

@chuck: thanks for the list. Living out east on LI it is going to take me awhlie to hit every one but I am up to the challenge.

I might have to try five guys in the meantime.

I am hinting at my wife to go to city burger for my b-day to try the black label blend.

From A Hamburger Today

Jollibee Opening In New York City on Saturday

Whenever I am in Calif I usually go for the ChickenJoy. I am trying to convince my significant other to make a 2hr roundtrip to check this place out for burgers.

From Talk

What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?

We have a TJ's on the way home from work and we always stock up on these:

Madarin (sp?) Orange Chicken
Tomato Soup
Coconut Curry Sticks

From Talk

What Burger place should I try next in NY?

Thanks all for all the tips. We are planning to go the Parker Meridien next!

From Talk

The Worst Table in the House: Have You Ever Gotten It?

Because my wife and I look so young, (seriously we are in our mid 30's and we get carded all the time) I feel that maitre d's try to take advantage of us. We have been placed near the bathroom and of course the kitchen but the worse was one place added a table for us but it was in the doorway leading to the dining area. So when people were comming and going they kept on bumping into us. I finally had enough and politely made a big stink and they finally relented and gave us a more suitable table. To help apologize they made my gin and tonic a triple.

From Talk

Where should I eat in Buffalo, NY?

Definitely Anchor Bar if you want to do the tourist thing and say that you had wings there. I went with my wife and we were like they taste like this everywhere else. Order a medium or above since a mild is pretty much just butter sauce.

Make sure to try Beef on Weck! Western NY is the only place you can find it.

From A Hamburger Today

All American Drive-In

Made the drive to the South Shore to try this place and it was worth it. Going at 1pm on a Saturday the place was packed. Here is a hint, only have one person go in and order.

I had the Double Double (double cheeseburger) and my wife had the regular cheeseburger. As Nick pointed out in his article, the burgers reminded you of a McDonalds but when you bite into you can taste the difference.

The bun at All American has a nice soft and fresh taste while at McD the bun has that left out on the counter overnight type of hardness. The double double does have that perfect meat to bun ratio and the patties have that hint of fresh homemade taste.

The fries are definitely worth it. Ordered a large for my wife and I to share, we should have had a large each. Skin on hand cut fries which were right out of the fryer.

Milkshakes were just average, definitely not on the level of a Hildebrants. It lacked that homemade taste and it was similar to all the other fast food places that pour that huge plastic bag of liquid into the milkshake machine.

From A Hamburger Today

$1 Burger at Tara Inn in Port Jefferson, NY

@HB America aka George : If you are going to make the road trip then you also have to try, right down the road there is a place called Gourmet Burger Bistro. It opened the sametime as Bobby's Burger Palace so it was lost amid the hoopla. I have been there twice when it newly opened and I left unimpressed but maybe they have gotten better? Their menu of burgers is like Red Robin.

From A Hamburger Today

$1 Burger at Tara Inn in Port Jefferson, NY

The food in general is pretty good and the prices are great. Their happy hour is the best time! They have these pull tabs and you can either get 10 cents, half price, or full price. I got a round of drinks for $1.00 by "finding" the 10 cent tab. It does bring in an odd crowd of college students, business men, doctors from the hospital down the block, bikers, locals, and tourist. Imagine all these people crammed into a space the size of someones livingroom.

The burger is not that bad. Not Shake Shack quality, but I rate it better than a Ruby Tuesday/Applebees burger. The fries are OK. What saves them is that they are fried perfectly. Also the wings come out with a nice crispy skin and moist meat. The rest of the menu you can not argue for the price. One of the best bar menus I have ever seen. Lobster, soup, salad and fries for $15.00!

From Talk

Did You Watch the Premiere of Hell's Kitchen?

Its so different from Top Chef but I appreciate that it is unique and not just a carbon copy ie Nanny 911 vs SuperNanny.

From A Hamburger Today

Shake Shack Burger Patty Recipe

Being a newly minted reader and I would like to thank everyone for their posts and to the staff for their reviews. My wife and I went to Hildebrants last week and we just returned from Shake Shack.

Now I understand what all the hype is about. We ordered two single ShackBurgers (mine rare and hers medium), fries, and a concrete Shack Attack. We were lucky that we found a parking spot nearby because it was so cold out. The burger was perfect, the bun and meat patty left a buttery aftertaste in my mouth. After one bite my wife proclaimed that this was the best burger that she has ever had.

The fries were right out of the fryer and were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The concrete was just ok to me but was a perfect ending to a 1 3/4 hour drive. Our only regret after walking around the city was not getting another order for the drive home.

We live in Suffolk County, NY and were wondering where should we go next? Anything in our county or Nassau? Thanks

From A Hamburger Today

Overcooked Burger Send-Back Success at Bacchus in Brooklyn

@drmoze, that is the main reason I do not send my burgers back.

My question to everyone is: which establishment would you think would spit on your burger? a chain restaurant, a diner/restaurant , a fancy pants place?

From A Hamburger Today

Bobby Flay's Burger Chain Opens on Long Island: Bobby's Burger Palace

In SO FL, where the Latino population is quite large, almost any sandwich you order from an authentic place has commercial potato sticks on it as a matter of course. This is NOT true for the traditional Cuban sandwich, but for pretty much any other kind you get potato sticks. Kobey's (sp?) is one popular store brand here, but the quality varies dramatically from can to can. Sometimes they are fresh and a tiny bit under-cooked, pale and tasty. Many times they are over-cooked and and darker and lose that fresh flavor for one that is slightly, well, flat with a distinct aftertaste. So, the burger-with-chips is not at all unheard of idea.

From Talk

What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?

Is the Pomegranate Glaze really discontinued? My mom tried to buy it in Atlanta but they didn't have it. Can it be found elsewhere???

From A Hamburger Today

Shake Shack Burger Patty Recipe

You really need to try Big Nick's Burger and Pizza Joint on 2175 Broadway, its like a hole in the wall burger joint. Great burgers and great service too

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

@KevinB: It's a saying...I know you weren't asking seriously, but I'm not sure how else to answer that.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

I worked in detroit for a while; about once a month I'd drive out to White Castle for a sack. If I ate them every day, or even every week, I'd probably be sick of them, but now that I'm back in Toronto, we can only get them on family trips to the US. And we found one in Ohio that shares space with Church's chicken which has vanished from Canada, and was our favourite fried chicken. A wing and a thigh from Church's and two cheeseburgers - great road food.

And I'm curious - to all those people who said "they taste like ass", where, exactly, did you learn what "ass" tastes like?

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

If you're eating white castle before 10pm, you're doing it wrong.

Never ketchup on white castles either, just bun, onions pickles and cheese.

The chicken sandwiches with honey mustard are good, as well as the cheese sticks, but you'll want to pass on their "marinara".

WC's also has some of my favorite fast food fries. love the kinkle cut.

Like they say "You gotta get to White Castles before the crazies do!"

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

Robyn, you must get the fried clam strips next time!!! I love them; crunchy, chewy, and salty. I used to get them all the time in HS with my friend who insisted on getting onion rings so we got our veggies.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

I have said this before on Slice (regarding Co/UPN style vs. Lomardis brick oven vs. a plain slice) and the same holds true for burgers. There is a time and a place for all burgers, for me.. it is circumstantial! Sometimes I want some LaFrieda meat, sometimes I want a pub burger, sometimes I even crave a McDs, and yeah... sometimes I actually crave a steamed bun, oniony White Castle slider. Just how it goes! Now I might get a LaFrieda burger 10 times before I hit McDs or WC, but still.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

White Castle burgers are pretty unique.They punch holes in them to create the "steaming" process. Very different from a regular burger that is normally seared on a grill, WC Sliders have that uniform gray color and texture, which most people seem to either love or hate.

Personally, I love and miss them since there's no White Castle in my area. Get the fries drowned in cheese whiz, amazing. Shakes are good too. All of course tasting the best around 4 in the morning.

Also I've never had a fine dining / trendy "slider" (and I've had a bunch.. usually too much/ wrong kind of bread, overcooked meat, falls apart, etc..) that came even close to being as good as a 75 cent White Castle burger.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

I think this a pretty accurate description of a typical WC experience, minus any real case of the munchies! I have to second the mozz sticks though, the tomato sauce is pretty gross, but the coating is made out of some kind of addicting crispy batter I find irresistible. I live within 10 minutes of both a WC and the original White Manna in Hackensack, NJ and I must say - I'd take White Manna hands down, any day. P.S. The Jersey City location um, sucks.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

Oh, those lovely memories of shuttling through after college classes in my yellow VW Beetle, first stopping at WC for me (3 cheeseburgers & onion rings) and then through KFC for the SO (2 Chicken Littles and fries). Ah - when dating was just so simple...

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

When in high school in the mid-70's a the night would often end with a trip to the Castle. The unfortunate one who decided to stay home would get his car "Casletlized".....we would break into the car and hide White Castles throughout..the seats, under the seats, dashboard, glove compartment..even on the antenna..you get the picture. The one burger under the sun visor got em everytime. Great fun and memories.

From A Hamburger Today

My (Sort Of) First Taste of White Castle's Burgers

you need to go to white manna in hackensack, nj - wayyyyyy better than white castle

From Serious Eats: New York

Win Tickets to Blue Point Brewing Company's 10th Anniversary in Long Island

Magic Hat's Circus Boy [an unfiltered American-style hefeweizen flavored with organic lemongrass] is my go-to whenever I'm indulging in the half-price sushi deal at Hi-Life

From Talk

What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?

My top 5:

Chicken egg rolls
Frozen Naan
All of the curry sauces are amazing
Peanut butter pretzels
Booze, especially the Hofbrau

After reading this, I need to try that pumpkin butter.

From Talk

What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?

To the Columbia Mo crowd, I am the one who drove 100 miles to St. Louis to get the Blackberry Tea! Columbia is now so large, we could support a TJs if they would put one there!

From Talk

What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?

I drove 100 miles to the closest Trader Joes to me just to purchase their Blackberry Infusion tea and they NO LONGER CARRY IT!!!!!!!!!!! I could have cried. I am in love with that tea. They told me to try World Market and I found some Blackberry Sage green tea (for 3x the cost of Trader Joes teas) and it was weak and not comparable at all Could someone please tell me where I can find that luscious tea???? Many thanks!

From Talk

Favorite or Odd Fair Food

There's a stand at the MN State Fair near the all-you-can-drink-milk-for-25-cents booth that sells either a turkey (I think) or chicken (maybe) sandwich that is seriously the greatest food in the history of EVER. I also like the grinder sandwiches on Machine Hill with cheese and marinara. And to top it off? A deep fried Milky Way on a stick for dessert. Perfect.

From Talk

Favorite or Odd Fair Food

I go to two festivals around here, The Italian Festival (which is held in June) and Oktoberfest (held in September).

Mmmmm. Have to get funnel cakes and Pepperoni Bread from the Italian Festival-as well as some sort of pastry-not a cannoli though. I have been spoiled and know what they SHOULD taste like and what is supplied doesn't match up. Can a Philly Bakery please come to DE????

From Oktoberfest: Warm Potato Salad, Brats or Sausage, sauerkraut....mmm

From Talk

Favorite or Odd Fair Food

Wow, I really miss fresh malasadas, andagi, and souki soba at fairs/carnivals. When I move back, I'll appreciate them more.

I'll probably miss the awesome gigantic turkey legs the size of my head, when I move back.

Recent Posts

From Talk

For the Burger Lovers: Bison burgers, is it worth it?

From Talk

What Burger place should I try next in NY?

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