Battle of the Burgers: Corner Bistro vs. Bareburger

It's no secret that I have a mild obsession with burgers. It probably started when I was very little with the many BBQ's my family would hold during the summer. However, back then (because I'm so old?) there was nothing fancy about a hamburger. In fact, I preferred my burgers sans cheese, lettuce and tomato, onions, etc, which often resulted in a scolding from my mother. "Dios mio, Francesca, you're so plain." Well, I just liked my burgers simple. Now? I love simple but also love frills. Pack on the fancy cheeses, delicious sauces, and vegetables I've never heard of. Don't get me wrong, I never want the flavor of the beef to get lost in all of this, but there is something about pairing exquisitely seasoned beef with a secret ingredient sauce that just tickles my taste buds.

So, I did some research and came up with a Top 10 list of NYC's Best Burgers. It wasn't easy, but there were some places that appeared on most lists compared to others. In fact, I might have to sneak one more in just because if I didn't have it on the list I might get yelled at. Let the battle begin!

Corner Bistro is on about 95% of lists and I absolutely understand why. Their famous burger is the Bistro Burger which comes dressed with cheese, lettuce, tomato, raw onion, and bacon. I gave up on bacon about a year ago, mainly because I've consumed so much of it that I literally just don't like it anymore. But, this bacon was special. I think the burger would be fine without the bacon, and just as delicious, but the bacon definitely adds a little something extra to the flavor. And what I loved the most about it was that it was neither salty nor flabby. This, paired with the thick and juicy beef, and raw onion, made for crazy sensory overloaded. Not to mention that it really brings you back to the days where you were a kid and would grill in your backyard. The food is even served on paper plates! Everything was so simple and I found myself very happy there were no frills.

Bareburger is the complete opposite. This establishment is only now becoming a bit more well known. Their first restaurant opened in Astoria and now it seems that everywhere I turn I see a new one. What makes Bareburger so special is that everything is organic and their menu is huge. There are so many types of burgers to choose from. I went with the Avocado California Burger, which comes with beef (Bareburger gives you the option of about 6 different meats, including bison, elk, ostrich, etc.) raw milk cheddar, hass avocado, romaine lettuce, tomato, raw red onion and cilantro lime dressing. Is your mouth watering yet? Thought so. I love all of these ingredients and they do in fact make for a delicious burger. My issue was exactly what I stated above: I lost the beef. It was almost as if I was having a sandwich sans all of the beef. And it was just a tad too salty, unfortunately. The avocado was perfect especially with the cheese and onion, but nowhere did I taste the cilantro lime dressing. In fact, I didn't even know dressing was on there. This being said, I have tried their sandwiches and I would recommend this place to anyone.

But, this is a Burger Battle, so Round 1 goes to Corner Bistro.

Corner Bistro
331 W. 4th St.

Bareburger
Multiple Locations