LIC Burgers

Writer for LICqueenstv Daniel Sennet

It seems like everyone and their brother has an opinion about the best burger in the city these days. Just typing in “Best burgers, nyc” will give you pages upon pages of peoples’ lists. And in Manhattan, there are chefs putting the burger on such a high pedestal that eating one no longer becomes about the joy of something delicious, but about attaining the unobtainable, like driving a Maybach or winning the lottery. The DB Royale Double Truffle Burger at DB Bistro Moderne in New York is $140! Are you willing to shell that out? Luckily, we’re not there (yet?) in Long Island City. We still have classic burger joints that cater to those people, like myself, that are just looking for a delicious patty between two buns and to hopefully share that with like-minded individuals. With that in mind, I went out to try, compare and contrast the house specials at Long Island City’s three dedicated burger spots: Burger Garage (25-36 Jackson Avenue), Petey’s Burgers (46-46 Vernon Boulevard) and Corner Bistro (47-18 Vernon Blvd – and yes, it’s the same as the West Village historical location). 

A true burger enthusiast is probably thinking that I’m an idiot (my wife will undoubtedly agree); 

comparing the pub-style burger at Corner Bistro to the fast-food style burgers at Lucky’s or Petey’s is like comparing coffee to tea. Let’s face it though: both coffee and tea are delicious, and like these delightful beverages, these three burgers may appear at first glance to be dissimilar, yet each has a unique taste, serves its own purpose and deserves its place in LIC’s burgeoning culinary scene. 

Burger Breakdown:

B.G Burger at Burger Garage is a 1⁄4 lb patty served with a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and the “B.G. Sauce.” Along with fries and a can of soda, total cost was $10. 

Bistro Burger at Corner Bistro is an 1⁄2 lb burger served with lettuce, tomato, cheese and a heaping pile of bacon. $9.75 before tax, tip and not including fries. 

The Petey Melt at Petey’s Burger is a 1⁄4 lb patty served between a buttered and pressed bun with two slices of cheese, a slice of tomato and their own version of a secret sauce. $5.00 after tax. Let’s start with the bun. I’m of the personal belief that a bun is like sauce on brisket: good meat doesn’t need it. However, if done right, a bun becomes like a tomato or a slice of onion: a good complement to the meat and perhaps not a necessity, but a powerful force that completes the package. Petey’s 1/4 lb patty is flanked by a perfectly moist potato bun that adds more than a hint of sweetness to the burgers. 

The Bistro Burger is your typical sesame seed bun and Petey’s steals home by evolving our primitive notion of a bun into a grilled cheese. They take their normal bun, butter it up and press it in their panini-press so that it is extremely flavorful, crunchy and simply delicious. This round goes to Peteys. 

Corner Bistro focuses solely on the burger meat itself and ensures that all of your attention is on the patty and not the accoutrements. It obviously prides itself on the simple. The meat is flavored with a bit of salt and pepper, AND THAT’S IT! What follows is that each bite is the same as the last: just divine. The earthiness of the meat, the fact that it’s char-broiled to ensure an even cook throughout and the chunky texture of the beef make this patty the best of the Long Island City Burgers. Petey’s burger is all but drowned out by the overly rich flavors of the grilled cheese sandwich in which it is housed. Once you dissect it and taste the patty, you’ll find nothing to write home about. It’s tasty, grilled on a flatbed but not really satisfying to a discerning palette. Burger Garage takes a giant leap ahead of Petey’s by using a blend of chuck, brisket & short rib. The fattiness of those cuts lends extra flavor to the patty and makes it worthy of a return trip. The common factor underlying each of these is that the quality of the beef is really high; each place prides itself on all natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. It makes a difference. 

Finally, the other stuff. By other stuff, I mean what else comes on the burger besides the meat. As noted above, the sandwich that is each place’s specialty is prepared somewhat differently. Petey’s separates itself from the bunch by not only creating a delicious grilled cheese, but by adding in sautéed onions along with its signature sauce. Corner Bistro ignores saucy additions and delivers a massive pile of thick cut, smoky bacon, fully melted and very high quality cheddar cheese and a slice of tomato with lettuce. Burger Garage was the only to put the pickle in the sandwich (Corner Bistro added it to the side) and included a signature sauce that was not markedly different than Petey’s, or Shake Shack, or McDonald’s. In fact, anyone can mix Ketchup with Mayo, add in one or two other ingredients and call it special sauce too. As much as the onions at Petey’s are important, when you toss bacon into the mix, you’ll always win and so big points to Corner Bistro for keeping to simple and creating the extravagant. 

When push comes to shove, I’d much rather wait the extra 10 minutes and pay the extra $4 for the superior patty at Corner Bistro every day of the week. However, after a long night or to satisfy a fast-food cr.aving, I’d go to Burger Garage before Petey’s. Each spot is putting out delicious fare in their own right and each should be tried at your earliest convenience, if not for the simple joy in life of eating a good Burger.