5 Napkin Burger, Hell’s Kitchen
I walked by 5 Napkin a few weekends ago and the smell nearly knocked me out. Sweet, sweet greasy food heaven. So when I found myself back in the area Friday nite, I knew there was one place and one place only where I was going to chow down later.
I ordered the Original 5 Napkin Burger, 10 ounces of ground chuck with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and rosemary aioli. Yes, that’s right. That big dollop of white is not cheese. It’s a straight up mayo mixture on top of cheese. The gourmet burger originated at uptown French restaurant Nice Matin, where it quickly became the joint’s top seller. Two years ago, the chef decided to create an entire restaurant based around it, and voila, 5 Napkin Burger was born.
The verdict? Granted I only eat about four burgers a year so I’m no expert, but I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon to waste one of those precious patties here. The burger was extremely juicy, but there was just no special flavor to it (same with the fries). I’d much rather have a Shake Shack burger for a fraction of that price (5 Napkin Burger: $15). My favorite part of the meal was my frozen strawberry mojito. It was one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve ever had, and it never got watery like most frozen drinks. All in all it was a fun experience, but not one I’ll be dying to repeat regularly.
