Primehouse Steakhouse Burger

Primehouse: Steakhouse Burger

I recently dined at Primehouse with an ex-colleague of mine and he mentioned that their burgers were really good. So, guess what I order? The burger of course. He mentioned he ordered the Bacon & Blue Cheese Burger previously and it was incredible (because of the bacon!). I am not a fan of Blue Cheese and can not imagine it on a burger, so I decide to order the Steakhouse burger. The steakhouse burger is your classic burger with cheese, however, Primehouse likes to dress it up with their seasoned house made steak sauce topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms.

For $15, the Primehouse Steakhouse Burger comes with fries or a side salad and with a variety of cheese selections (gruyere, american, swiss, etc). The burger you see in front of you -- is the Primehouse Steakshouse Burger with Gruyere cheese and a side salad.

Once it arrives to the table, I'm amazed at the "hunk-i-ness" of the burger. Yes, the back-yard thick bbq burgers! I almost immediately reach for a mushroom to taste -- initial reaction -- ooh, salty. That initial taste did not bode well for the rest of the meal. After placing the tomato, the lettuce and the bun on top of the burger -- I had another bite - still salty. The burger and the bun was tasty, but the combination of the mushrooms made the burger just a bit too salty for my liking. I thought about sending it back to the kitchen -- but didn't. If that's how they serve it, that's how they serve it.

So for my round-up review for the burger, a big thumbs down. For $15, I can get a better burger for a third of the price at Shake Shack and the Burger Joint... Or, for a slightly less expensive burger, but same quality, I will go back to one of my favorite burger places in the city -- 5 Napkin Burger!

There is still one burger place I have yet to try -- Minetta Tavern... one of these days, I will meet you there Minetta burger! In the meantime, happy eating!

Live cheaply and eat like a King/Queen in New York City for $10 or less!

We all know New York City is an expensive place to live ... but is there a way to live cheaply in New York? Of course there is and I'll prove it to you with images I took with my iPhone.

So what do you think you can get for $10 or less in New York City? Not much, right? Well how about three meals? For $10 or less, this is what my friend Collin and I bought last night on our late-night food tour.

Gray's Papaya
2 hot dogs + 1 Drink = $4.45 + tax

White Castle
Choose your own meal = $2.99 + tax

99 Cent Pizza
1 slice = 99 cents!

Grand Total for 1 Night = $8.70! (and that's for 2 people, $4.35 each!)

Ok, you can't eat this every night -- otherwise, you'll end up like that guy from Super Size Me -- but, the point is -- there is a way to eat cheaply in New York if you're a pauper and want to be a King/Queen for the day ... sometimes eating like this can be an adventure... well, at least for us, we just kept on laughing as we went to our next food destination!

caveat: but we probably won't be able to do this for a little while, well at least until our stomachs recuperate from all the grease... ha ha, yes, read the fine print! :D

Other photos from our food tour:

Shake Shack Burger Attack!

If you love burgers, you'll enjoy Shake Shack. If you miss the west coast burger from Inn-N-Out, you'll enjoy the Shake Shack burger with its own special "shack" sauce". The simplicity of the burger is really what draws you in -- the soft and lightly toasted potato bun, the crispy leafy green lettuce, the juicy tomato, and the fresh ground beef.

The burgers comes in all varieties -- pack the burger with a single or double meat patty; or forget the beef altogether and get the "shroom" burger; or if you feel indulgent and can't make up your mind, get the "Shack Stack" which combines the 'shroom and cheeseburger together (woah!).

Pair the burger with french fries and a milkshake and you're set. The milkshakes are the thick and creamy kind (i wonder if they use Carnation ice cream?!?!). Shake Shack has everything you think a food shack would have -- burgers, hot dogs, french fries, ice cream, sodas, ice tea, beer and wine (ok, maybe not that). So enjoy!

Shake Shack can now be found at three locations and all three of them have long lines.
1. Madison Square Park (Original), located @ 23rd and Madison (11am-11pm)
2. Upper West Side, 366 Columbus Avenue at 77th Street (10:45 am to 11 pm) -- faster line than #1
3. Citi Field aka New York Mets Stadium, 12301 Roosevelt Avenue (Flushing), open 2 hours before game

IF you didn't come right when these shacks opened up their doors and are are not too keen on waiting 45 minutes to a hour for a burger, like many people do at Madison Square Park (seriously - don't people have things to do???)... I would highly recommend other burger joints around the city that are just as good and even better (i.e. Burger Joint, Corner Bistro [though has a wait as well during peak hours]) than Shake Shack. For more burger reviews, look at my previous 5 Napkin Burger posting.

If you happen to be around Madison Square Park and find that the line is way too long for Shake Shack ... Go check out Eisenbergs Sandwich Shop at 174 Fifth Avenue (5th Ave between 22 and 23rd ). Its a good little find that has a really great pastrami sandwich & egg salad with bacon sandwich. Plus, you can buy it and walk back to the park!

Best Burgers in New York! 5 Napkin Burger Review

Shot with: Canon PowerShot SD880 IS

If you thought you've had the best burger of your life -- you haven't! Well, not until you try the Original 5 Napkin Burger. I kid you not, the burger is fantastic (and i've tried a lot of burgers)! If you like juicy burgers, this is it -- the flavors will be running rampant in your mouth and the juice may even run down your chin! why do you think the place is called 5 napkins? Probably because you need that amount of napkins to finish the burger ... just as Homer Simpson would say -- "mmmm BEER" ... i'd say "mmmm BURGER" ... you won't be disappointed (well, unless you're a vegetarian) with this special 10 oz. fresh ground chuck burger with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, and rosemary aioli that is served on soft white roll... d-licious!

And usually, restaurants can either only get the burger right or the fries right, but never both (why is that???) But, waaaaalllllla - this place has great burgers and great fries! so, if you like crispy fries -- you're in for a treat! Btw, they have milkshakes (which I didn't get), but that would probably be a bit too decadent for this meal (though I do admit a shake does go well with burger and fries)...

So where does this burger rank on my Top 5? Very high... Its different from some of my other favorite burger joints -- because there are varied burger "types" available in NYC -- the plain simple burger (meat and bun) with or without added toppings (bacon/cheese/lettuce/tomato/pickles/grilled onions, etc) and with or without special sauces (barbecue, variations of thousand island-like dressings, aioli, etc) ... So how can you compare a burger from one restaurant to another, especially if each restaurant serves their burger differently? Not easy, is it?

Here are my TOP THREE burger joints in NYC (5 Napkin burger is noted above)...

Corner Bistro - simple burger with/without cheese, like the ones you'd get at a backyard barbeque (and they can grill the onions for you -- ah, yum!); soft bun; bacon is available; no milkshake, but they have root beer and many "real" beers since its a pub; crisy fries, akin to McDonalds on a good day.

Burger Joint - simple burger that you can order with the "works" -- however, they won't grill the onions (boo!) and is served on a great soft bun; you can also order an awesome milkshake here (fries are decent)

There are many other burgers spots that I have or have not tried (Shake Shack (akin to Inn-n-Out); The Spotted Pig, Irving Mill, and more)!

Check out The Reader's Choice in TimeOut's 2009 Eat Out Awards for the Best Burger Joints!

Happy eating!

5 Napkin Burger is located on the corner of 45th Street and 9th avenue, (212) 757-2277