Everyone has their favorite burger joint in New York City, from Shake Shack to Burger Joint to J.G. Melon. When it comes to burger, my wife Jun and I are fairly easy to please and we need to get a burger fix probably at least once every month or two. One popular joint that has evaded my visit thus far is a modest tavern on the edge of West Village by the name of Corner Bistro. On the President’s Day, Jun and I had to stop by in West Village for a little gift shopping, so I figured why not visit the place? It was 2 p.m. when we stepped in, and contrary to our expectations, the place was crowded with a line already formed. After about thirty minutes, we finally got seated, already pretty grumpy about the fact that we had to wait out of all places at a burger joint. Well, after our late lunch at Corner Bistro, Jun and I agree that this place might be one of the best burger joints in the city.

The bistro burger at $12.75 per person is certainly a bargain compared to the other gourmet burgers sold at places like Minetta Tavern or Spotted Pig or but a little bit higher in pricing than, say, Shake Shack, especially if you consider that you have to get fries separately at $3.50 per person. Still, the size of the more or less perfectly cooked medium rare patty was on the generous side compared to other joints Jun and I had visited, and Jun especially appreciated the fact that the meat came out appealingly juicy but not being overly greasy, many other places that often resort to such tendency as appeal to the grease-hungry masses in American society. Each bite of meat with a simple combination of onions, cheese, tomato, lettuce and pickles packed inside the buns was quite wonderful, although we really had to work through this enormous stack with care not to make too much mess at the table. The fries were also quite aptly cooked, and served as a nice complement to the burger.

As noted above, Corner Bistro is likely to be perpetually packed all day, so try to go during non-peak hours if you want to avoid long lines. There was both draft and bottle beer selections plus the usual alcoholic beverages at the bar; a pint of IPA seems like the way to go here to wash down these beautiful burgers. Corner Bistro is a legitimate burger joint that I probably should’ve checked out earlier, and Jun and I would be happy to go back next time we have a serious craving for this iconic American dish.

KenScale: 8.25/10 (Jun’s Score 8.25/10)

• Creativity: 7.0/10
• Execution: 8.5/10
• Ingredients: 8.0/10
• Flavor: 8.5/10
• Texture: 8.5/10
• Value: 8.5/10

Address: (212) 242-9502

Telephone: 331 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

Website: http://cornerbistrony.com/