BURGER REVIEW: CORNER BISTRO
Corner Bistro
331 West 4th St (at 8th Ave)
(212) 242- 9502
CASH ONLY!
http://cornerbistrony.com/
Rating: I’d Cross 3- Street For That!
1 Sentence Review: Despite a diversity of opinion, I think the Bistro Burger is just ok, but at least it’s cheap!
The Burger Man Group Strikes Again! This time, Corner Bistro in the West Village. Corner Bistro was preceded by a reputation as a neighborhood gem; a good bar with an amazing burger; that sort of thing. In the end, the burger was just eh, although it was very reasonably priced and the pub ambiance/atmosphere gave it a different feel than any other burger we’ve had up to this point.
Our group of five arrived at 8pm on a Monday, to find a line of 20+ waiting to be seated. We opted, instead, to sit at the bar where we ordered a burger, side of fries (3 between the five of us) and a beer each. The bar was fairly full, and noisy. It definitely had the feel of a pub, complete with McSorely’s light and dark beer on tap ($2.50).
Now, on to the Bistro burger ($6.75) itself, which in my opinion was a disappointment (although there was some disagreement on this). The burger was nicely cooked, but that was about all I can say was actually good about it (Danger JD agrees). Well, that and the size: there was a substantial amount of meat on that bun, and it was fairly airy (not dense), increasing the visual size (twss?) (probably around half a pound). But cooking something properly and a large quantity of meat don’t necessarily create a good burger. I thought the meat was lacking flavor. Honestly, even a little salt could have gone a long way to enhance the natural meaty flavor of the burger (but of course, we don’t want it tasting salty either, so in moderation!). On top of the burger was a little cheese, which reminded of a kraft single. The lettuce looked eh (white and iceberg-y). The bun was also another major source of disappointment. I don’t know where it came from, so I apologize for guessing, but I would guess that it was a Pepperidge Farm sandwich bun from the grocery store. Now when I make a burger at home, that’s what I use. But when you make a half pound burger in a restaurant, you have to use something better. The bun was too small, and too flimsy. It was just destroyed by the meat on top of it. The fries were thin and crispy, and I thought they were decent.
All in all, I would say I came there with moderate expectations. I wasn’t expecting anything amazing, but I was expecting a pretty decent burger. What I got was a normal, just ok burger. If you find yourself going to Corner Bistro, I suggest you go for not only the burger (as I did), but also for a decent amount of beer, with some friends, for the pub atmosphere and maybe a night of going out. As it compares to the other burgers the group has sampled, I’d say it’s the worst. It’s price is closest to Shake Shack, but I think the Shake Shack burger had a much greater depth of flavor, and was overall more satisfying, despite being smaller in size. However, half the group felt differently, and while no one thought the Corner Bistro Burger was outstanding, some (Gopher JD, for example) thought that it was better than Shake Shack. I’ll let you go and decide for yourself!
