Hamburger America

by George Motz

The most obvious landmark you’ll notice outside Donovan’s Pub is the undeniably old–New York elevated subway rumbling overhead every few minutes. What you may not pick out is the tavern’s odd proximity to a church only a few feet away, directly across the street. “This place was here before the church so they were allowed to stay,” regular Don Moran told me from his spot at the bar. According to New York City zoning law, no drinking establishment may be operated within 500 feet of a place of worship. So this may be the closest you’ll get to a church to drink and eat great burgers in New York City—in fact, the stained glass windows do give the place a churchlike feel.

  In 2004 Time Out NY called the burger at Donovan’s the best in New York City. That’s quite a claim in this town of diverse food possibilities and unlimited types of burger joints. Did the press increase sales at the sleepy neighborhood tavern? “Sure,” bartender Robert admitted, “but we’ve been selling a lot of burgers forever.”

  HILDEBRANDT’S

  84 HILLSIDE AVE | WILLISTON PARK, NY 11596

  516-741-0608

  WWW.HILDEBRANDTSRESTAURANT.COM

  TUE–SAT 11 AM–8:30 PM | SUN 10 AM–4 PM

  Densely packed suburban Long Island, New York, is a place where new malls and homes are constantly springing up and, unless protected, the past is unceremoniously swept away. In a part of the country where it’s getting harder to find genuine nostalgia, locals embrace Hildebrandt’s Luncheonette. This early-twentieth-century landmark soda counter, confectionery, and ice cream parlor offers a glimpse into the past. The counter, though, is not a washed-up has-been. It’s as vibrant as ever and happens to serve some of the tastiest burgers this side of Manhattan.

  Hildebrandt’s opened in 1927 and was the only business in the newly developing dirt road suburb of Williston Park, 20 miles from New York City. Today, Hildebrandt’s is owned by Joanne Strano and her son-in-law, Bryan Acosta. Joanne and her late husband, Al, bought the vintage luncheonette in 1974 when longtime owner and chocolate maker Henry Shreiver was looking to retire. The Acostas learned the chocolate-making trade from Shreiver and made a major improvement to the existing burger on the menu—fresh ground beef.

  This classic luncheonette, with its checkertiled floor and long marble counter with 13 stools, maintains a vintage look by making use of the soda fountain trappings of a bygone era. The seltzer and syrup dispensers are not vintage props. They all function daily, as does the long bank of ice cream chests behind the counter. Ice cream is a big draw at Hildebrandt’s because it’s made right at the restaurant.

  But according to Bryan, most come for the food, which is a mix of classic diner fare and Italian specialties added by the Acosta family in the 1970s. Surprisingly, this amazing burger has been exiled to the bottom of the menu. Look for your cheeseburger in a section marked “sandwiches” at the bottom of the list, just after the meatball hero.

  “We have the greatest burger,” Bryan told me without pause, and added, “I’ve never really had a better burger. I really haven’t.” He can boast all he wants. It really is a great burger. The burgers at Hildebrandt’s start as fresh-ground sirloin the restaurant receives from the butcher down the street. Bryan himself hand-patties the four-ounce burgers just before the lunch crowd shows up. The burgers are offered at the four-ounce size, or ask for the eight-ounce and get twice the meat. “We just take two four-ounce patties and smoosh them together on the grill,” Bryan explained. On the flattop griddle, Alfredo presses the burger flat and places a bacon weight on top. It’s served on a classic white bun with tomato, sliced onion, and a wedge of iceberg lettuce. Bacon is available, but not necessary (this meat is so good you won’t want anything to hide the flavor). Ketchup is king at Hildebrandt’s (there’s a bottle every few feet on the counter) but mustard has to be culled from the countermen in small pouches.

  Hildebrandt’s fries are a great addition to your hamburger lunch. They are large, hand-cut, deep-fried slices of potato that, if ordered well done, resemble homemade potato chips. Order a milkshake, listed on the menu in Long Island vernacular as a “frosted,” and you’ll get a tall glass and the obligatory metal cup the shake was made in. Since the ice cream is homemade, the shakes are superb.

  The clientele at Hildebrandt’s ranges from little old ladies to large families with kids. Bryan, waiting tables in the back, makes jokes as he takes orders. “These are the best seats in the house,” he tells two older ladies looking for a table, “unless of course I’m waiting on you!”

  In the vicinity of New York City, Hildebrandt’s is not alone. The long-gone business model for this type of soda fountain survives at places like Hinsch’s in Bayridge, Brooklyn, and Bischoff’s in Teaneck, New Jersey. They too make their own chocolates, and in the case of Bischoff’s, countermen still wear white paper caps and striped shirts. At all of these vintage soda fountains of German descent, you can take home hand-packed ice cream by the pint or quart, but the similarities end there. Only Hildebrandt’s makes a top-quality burger. That, and the mocha frosted, will keep me coming back.

  JG MELON

  1291 THIRD AVE | NEW YORK, NY 10021

  212-744-0585 | OPEN DAILY 11:30 AM–4 AM

  The Upper East Side of Manhattan is known more for its high cost of living and less for good old places like JG Melon. The humble, dark, no-nonsense tavern should have been in the first edition of this book, and was prevented only by scheduling conflicts. When Mayor Mike Bloomberg saw my book, he told me, “JG should be in here. They make a great burger.” He should know. The mayor lives only a few blocks away and is crazy about hamburgers.

  Jack O’Neil and George Mourges (the J and G of JG Melon) were working at midtown restaurant Joe Allen when they decided they wanted to open a place of their own. In 1972 they leased Bar Central on 74th and 3rd and changed the name to JG Melon. The building dates back to the 1920s when the tavern was built by a local brewery to dispense its own products following Prohibition. Almost immediately, JG Melon became a watering hole for socialites and politicians, as well as locals and Wall Street types. Every sitting mayor for the last 40 years has felt comfortable at the tavern and the burger is at the center of it all.

  Today, JG Melon retains its friendly broken-in pub ambiance thanks to the dapper Shaun Young, who plays the role of the New York City tavern proprietor perfectly. His clean-cut presence clearly sets the tone here and has done so for decades. After a stint as a bartender in the early 1980s at JG Melon, Shaun became a partner. “Jack and George made me the manager, and after 6 months I was ready to leave,” he told me. They offered him a partnership and 30 years later he’s still there. George passed away in 2003, leaving Jack and Shaun as partners.

  I asked Shaun what kind of meat he used for the burgers and without missing a beat he shot back, “It’s a secret,” and looked away. JG Melon’s burgers start as a special blend of cuts ground by the same butcher they’ve used for years. He added, “What I can tell you, though it’s not really a secret, is that we have a hot grill, very hot.” The burgers are portioned into 7-ounce balls then gently flattened on a large griddle, and Shaun pointed out, “Like a steak, we only flip them once.”

  A cheeseburger and a Bloody Bull

  The result is a substantially thick two-fister whose construction is perfect. No crazy toppings here, just a basic, beefy, uncomplicated burger that is truly satisfying. Because of the high heat and the steak-treatment, the exterior of the burger is seared to a serious griddle char that helps retain all of the moisture. You’ll need a napkin—this one is juicy.

  Equally famous at JG Melon are the cottage fries that have been on the menu since the beginning. At one point, Shaun convinced Jack and George to switch to shoestring fries. “There was a complete revolt!” Shaun remembers. “We had to switch back immediately.”

  Do not leave JG Melon without having a Bloody Bull. A drink you don’t see often that hails from New Orleans, the Bloody Bull is like a Bloody Mary but half of the tomato juice is replaced with beef broth. What could go better with a bee
fy burger than a beefy drink?

  There are a few tables in a rear dining room and 16 coveted seats on the sidewalk, but grab a stool at the bar if possible and listen to the burgers sear on the flattop adjacent to the bar. The sound is heavenly.

  Shaun is a true New Yorker, having grown up only a few blocks away, and he knows that JG Melon’s success is no mistake. “Why fix something that’s not broken?” he asked me. He also pointed to Jack and George for the reason that simplicity and quality trump all. “I give them credit for staying on top of the product.” And that’s why people keep coming back.

  P.J. CLARKE’S

  915 THIRD AVE | NEW YORK, NY 10022

  212-317-1616 | WWW.PJCLARKES.COM

  OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11:30 AM–3 AM

  BAR CLOSES AT 4 AM

  There are few taverns in America as steeped in history as P.J. Clarke’s. All at once a neighborhood bar, broken-in dive, and a celebrity hang for decades, it’s also a great place to find high-quality pub fare. Among that fare is the world famous P.J. Clarke’s hamburger. P.J.’s has not been affected by its own celebrity status. It remains a comfortable place in the heart of a sometimes cold city—a friendly pub with a welcoming staff and a remarkably unpretentious hamburger on the menu.

  The iconic corner saloon, in a two-story brick tenement-style structure, looks totally out of place surrounded by the tall glass and steel office buildings of midtown Manhattan. Irish immigrant Patrick J. Clarke started working at the corner bar in 1902, and in 1912 he purchased the business and changed the name to his own.

  Before the skyscrapers, the neighborhood surrounding P.J.’s was mostly breweries and slaughterhouses. And those who are old enough will remember that the Third Avenue subway was elevated, giving the area a radically different feel. By 1960, the elevated tracks were down and the slaughterhouses were long gone. P.J.’s neighborhood has undergone a profound transformation in the last century but the tiny saloon remains, dwarfed by its neighbors.

  The tin ceilings, faded mirrors behind the bar, and stained-glass windows in front remind the casual observer of the saloon’s rich past. Sinatra made P.J.’s his last stop on nights out and even had his own table (#20). Affable young general manager Patrick Walsh told me, through his Irish brogue, “If there was anyone sitting there when Sinatra came in they’d get the boot.” Buddy Holly proposed to his wife here and Nat King Cole once called the hamburger at P.J.’s “the Cadillac of burgers.” Even the famed 1970s sports painter LeRoy Neiman put brush to canvas to create a portrait of the bar in full swing that proudly hangs in the dining room. There are many more stories, but you have to ask Patrick. He told me, “Every single day I learn a new story.”

  The Béarnaise Burger

  The meat for the burgers comes from cattle that are handpicked for P.J.’s. They grind chuck steaks in the kitchen and the fat-to-lean ratio is kept secret. The eight-ounce burgers are hand-pressed one by one, cooked on a flattop griddle, and served on a classic white squishy bun. Don’t be surprised to find a slice of onion underneath your burger. Today’s burgers are served on a porcelain plate, but Patrick told me, “They used to be served on paper plates and the onion was there to soak up the juices”—presumably to prevent the plate from falling apart.

  I’ve been going to P.J.’s for decades and the burger has always been perfect. The bun-to-beef ratio, the slight griddle crunch, and the moist, meaty flavor are what burger dreams are made of. There are a few burger choices at P.J.’s, but I always get the “Béarnaise Burger.” Imagine the simplicity of the elements—the perfect burger, a soft white bun, and a healthy dose of pure béarnaise sauce.

  The dark dining room walls are covered with an amazing collection of New York City ephemera (including P.J.’s death certificate) and old photographs of past patrons. The 100-year-old men’s urinals are as famous as the burgers and must be seen to be believed (they’re over five feet tall with thick porcelain embellishment). Sinatra once said they were “big enough to take a bath in.”

  P.J.’s has been part of the collective unconscious of literally millions of former and present New Yorkers. Just like your favorite jacket or an old pair of shoes, the tavern has always been a familiar, unchanging place that many rely on for hearty comfort food, a drink, and good company. The burger at P.J.’s is part of that legacy of comfort and hopefully will be forever.

  SOUTH DAKOTA

  NOTABLE BURGER CHAINS

  In the corporate burger world, all burgers are created equal by design. Most are frozen, then shipped for miles to their intended fast-food outlet. There are, however, a few hamburger chains that buck the system and offer burgers made with fresh ground beef: places like Red Robin, Cheeburger! Cheeburger!, and the Northwest’s own Burgerville. Here is a short list of my personal favorites:

  Steak ‘n Shake

  Locations throughout the Midwest and the South

  www.steaknshake.com

  This classic drive-in burger stand opened its first location in Normal, Illinois in 1934. Since then, Steak ‘n Shake has expanded to over 450 locations and still serves burgers made from fresh-ground strip steak, sirloin, and T-bone. A seat at the counter offers excellent views of the white paper-capped grill man preparing your “Steakburger.” A wad of beef is smashed thin and seared on a super-hot flattop griddle. Within just a few minutes, a moist yet crispy patty is placed on a toasted white bun and delivered to you on real china. Get a double with bacon for an unforgettable meal.

  Oh, and the shakes are pretty good too.

  Smashburger

  Locations throughout the United States

  www.smashburger.com

  How could I not love a burger chain that smashes fresh ground beef the old-fashioned way? In 2007 there was one Smashburger, in Denver. Today there are over 60 locations all over the country and many more on the way.

  Five Guys

  Locations throughout the United States

  www.fiveguys.com

  This relative newcomer to the burger scene is making quite a dent in the business corporate fast food is doing, across the country, especially since the Five Guys business plan calls for up to 1,000 new locations in the next few years. One college student I spoke to told me he’d never visit a Mickey D’s if there was a Five Guys nearby. What’s all the fuss about? Great burgers made in large portions from fresh ground beef, not to mention free refills and the bottomless bag of fresh-cut fries. Corporate burger biggies are in trouble when even drunken students can tell the difference between fresh and frozen burgers.

  27

  NORTH CAROLINA

  CHAR-GRILL

  618 HILLSBOROUGH ST | RALEIGH, NC 27603

  (AND FIVE OTHER LOCATIONS IN RALEIGH-DURHAM)

  919-821-7636 | WWW.CHARGRILLUSA.COM

  Racing to catch a flight I was sure to miss out on Raleigh, North Carolina’s own burger mini-chain, the Char-Grill. Fortunately, I did stop, but would have missed the flight had the service not been super-fast.

  The set up is pure 1950s drive-in, but the ordering process is peculiar. No honking for service here. You park your car, walk up to the window, and fill out a cryptic order form. Once you have marked your choices, you shove the slim piece of paper into a thin slot in one of the large plate glass windows. Your order form slides down a stainless chute to the waiting grill cook. The lack of indoor seating and a glass-enclosed kitchen creates a sort of public hamburger laboratory—as you wait, you can peer inside and watch your burger being constructed according to the condiments you checked off on your order. Within minutes, your number is called and you are rewarded with a white paper bag full of hot food by a smiling employee.

  The burgers are grilled over a flame and come in three sizes, the largest being the half-pound hamburger steak sandwich. Any combination of mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, cheese, and bacon can be created. The staff all wear white paper caps and aprons and work at stations to keep this model of efficiency chugging along. The beef comes in fresh daily, as square preformed Angus chuck patties. The man
ager at the original Hillsborough stand, Scott Hobby, told me “All of the lettuce, tomato, and onion come from a local farmer’s market.”

  Bruce Garner opened Char-Grill in 1959. In 1975, two fraternity brothers, Mahlon Aycock and Ryon Wilder, assumed ownership and over three decades later are still partners in the business. They have expanded from the one location they purchased in 1975 to five locations with more planned. All of the locations are in the Raleigh-Durham area but Mahlon plans to expand throughout North Carolina—and as he put it, “probably beyond.”

  By design, not much has changed at Char-Grill. The Hillsborough location is a piece of American architecture stuck in time. The deliberately oversized, overdesigned structure is almost sculpture—the enormous white wavy roof looks as if it could crush the floor-to-ceiling windows supporting it. The other Raleigh locations also serve their well-known Charburgers, but it’s the original location that has that great drive-in feel. And for over 50 years Char-Grill has continued to serve the same tasty, flame-grilled burgers and creamy shakes.

  All walks of life visit Char-Grill for a dose of nostalgia. Mahlon told me, “We get everybody from the governor of North Carolina to construction folk and anybody in between.” And me. I’ll be back. I hope my flight gets delayed.

  PENGUIN DRIVE-IN

  1921 COMMONWEALTH AVE | CHARLOTTE, NC 28205

  704-375-6959 | MON–THU 11 AM–12 AM

  FRI & SAT 11 AM–1 AM | SUN 11 AM–11 PM