Last Friday, I was told about an American-themed restaurant opening in the East Village whose theme was American stereotypes: red, white, and blue everywhere, Walmart references, large meat dishes, etc. As soon as I heard about this, I immediately knew that I would have to go there and write a column about it. I imported some patriotism from Staten Island (aka met my friend Warren at the ferry terminal) and we headed straight for this new burger place – only to find it closed. The place opened up 5 hours later than their Facebook page said they would, so we had to search for another place to eat. Sorry, Merica NYC Burgers, but you’re not getting reviewed this week (and it’s your fault).
Our brief search for another burger joint ended when we found Paul’s Da Burger Joint at St. Mark’s Place & Second Avenue. On the outside, it only looked moderately more appealing than any other East Village restaurant, with a small storefront with a lot of neon lights and a sign that said “voted best burger in NYC.” I’ve definitely never seen that sign before. Warren and I were gravitating towards it though, so we went in and found a pleasant surprise.
When I walked in, I thought I had walked into a burger joint in the West during 80’s or 90’s. The walls were full of old-school metal signs advertising their special burgers, NYC street signs, and Americana signs, such as a “Yankees fans only seating” sign (there was a similar one for Mets fans in the back), a sign that reads “Beer is now cheaper than gas. Don’t drive, drink,” and an exit sign for Yankee Stadium. I assume the exit sign was stolen form the Major Deegan Expressway, and all of the road work there is replacing that sign. Those are just the memorable signs. Even better, they played good classic rock and pop.
The menu is well over 50% burgers, but there were a few sandwiches and omelettes at the bottom of the menu. Regrettably, I cannot review the milkshakes (since my stomach is in a bit of a love-hate relationship with dairy right now) but I can talk about their burgers. Warren and I both ordered the “El Paso Burger,” a cheddar cheeseburger with jalapenos. My initial reaction to the burger, and the first thing I said after taking a bite was, “I can taste the freedom in this burger.” We had finally found our all-American burger joint, despite our initial setback with Merica NYC Burgers. I know my initial reaction is very vague, but it’s honestly how I would sum up the burger. The beef was clearly fatty, yet high quality beef that I could tell was from the middle of the country just by its taste. The cheddar pretty much served its purpose as a complement to the burger, but the jalapenos were too mild. Overall, I rate the burger a solid 4.5/5. A few other burgers on the menu that stood out to me were the Pizza Burger with mozzarella and pizza sauce, the Eastsider Burger with ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions, and the St. Mark’s Burger with mushrooms and fried onions. You can create your own burger with your own toppings, but I recommend trying something from their menu. Yes, ham is an odd topping for a burger, but you might like it. I’ll most likely get a hamburger with ham next time. Also, small portion freaks be warned: these aren’t small burgers.
The bill came out to about $13 per person since we both bought deluxe burgers. It’s not the best burger I’ve ever had, but it’s better than good enough, and what really makes Paul’s great is the theme and authenticity of the place. There are too many great local businesses that have been booted out of this city by one thing or another – rent, hipsters, chains, etc. The East Village is mostly in tact, which is one reason that I like the place, and Paul’s is a great example of why it’s good to have local, old-time businesses stay in a neighborhood. It adds some authenticity and character to the place. Additionally, they’re one-of-a-kind – people will come into the neighborhood to go to their favorite restaurant, but they won’t travel very far to go to a chain restaurant. I will certainly go back to the East Village for Paul’s many times.
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