5 Napkin Burger

The surrounding area of Kaufman Studios in Astoria is a bit of a barren land compared to the more bustling areas of 30^th and 31^st Avenues, where an outdoor café (or two) lines each block, with food offerings as diverse as the city itself. What you will find near Kaufman is a handful of chain restaurants (such as Uno, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Applebee’s), Studio Square (casually known as “the new beer garden” but don’t be fooled by this…it is a beer garden but strikingly opposite to the real beer garden in this town AND oldest beer garden in NY, Bohemian Hall), The Astor Room, and 5 Napkin Burger. Yes, 5 Napkin Burger is technically a chain, but it is not your cookie cutter dining establishment that leaves the diner with an acute sense of déjà vu.

photo courtesy of flickr

Even though 5 Napkin Burger Astoria is not located in the busier parts of this town, I think that is more of a blessing than a curse. Five Napkin is huge for city standards, with a private room that can hold over 80 people, a full bar area, a large wooden table for folding all those napkins (and for decorative purposes – more on that later) and tables and booths where you are not rubbing elbows with other diners. AND outdoor seating.  I loved the ambience of the place. While very spacious and open, the restaurant is lit with string Edison lightbulbs. The decorations are a hybrid of old-school hamburger joint meets industrial butcher shop.  On a back, white tiled wall, a plethora of glass siphon bottles in various shades of blues and greens were on display (the old-school way to make soda) as well as a vintage milkshake machine.  Metal tracks lined the ceiling of the restaurant, with meat hooks and large scales dangling about that gave the place a butcher shop feel. Rumor has it that the place used to be an old butcher shop, but I have yet to hear an actual confirmation. A large, beat-up wooden table was parked in one corner, with napkins and more siphon bottles atop that. I later discovered this was a napkin folding station – practical and pretty!

interior decorations

For dinner, my dinner partner and I each enjoyed the 5 Napkin Burger, which is a 10 oz. hunk of custom ground beef, caramelized onions, rosemary aioli and gruyere cheese on a soft white roll. I had some tweaks to mine, substituting raw onions instead of caramelized onions, and adding lettuce, tomatoes, and extra pickles. Essentially, a cheeseburger, on my end. I was a bit hesitant initially, since burgers of that magnitude tend to overwhelm me, and seeing the servers carrying them to other patrons confirmed these burgers were big. For our sides, I got the tater tots, while my partner ordered the Tuscan fries.

Our food came amazingly quick. I don’t think a full ten minutes went by. Even though the food came fast, it was hot and fresh, calming any suspicion that could have arisen. The ground beef paired with the gruyere was delicious, not at all overpowering. The meat was very tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked. I enjoyed my parings with the raw onion, lettuce and pickles. I was not a fan of the rosemary aioli, but my partner thoroughly enjoyed it, saying its flavors perfectly complemented the caramelized onions. Even though the burgers were large, we were both able to finish them, making them a perfect size for a hearty dinner. The sides were amazing as well. It’s always a bummer when you find a solid main dish, only to have disappointing sides to accompany it. The tater tots were a wonderful surprise – after biting into the crispy potato crust, I discovered the insides were filled with velvety soft seasoned mashed potatoes. The contrast in the crispy skin to the soft filling is very enjoyable. My partner’s Tuscan fries did not disappoint either: crispy fries were covered with a mix of garlic, parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese. Another plus -- the fries were covered with the topping all around, not just the top layer.

my order w. tater tots

my partner's order - the 5 Napkin Burger w. Tuscan fries

My one critique about the place would be their pickles. I am a big fan of pickles, especially on burgers, and 5 Napkin’s pickles are of the bread and butter variety, which I am not a fan of.  I also thought it was nice that they let you substitute any side you want for the fries, without an extra charge. They did charge for my extra pickles however, which did not make sense to me since I did not get the caramelized onions with my 5 Napkin Burger. So no swap there. In conclusion, 5 Napkin Astoria is a place I will definitely be returning to again. I dare to say they have the best burgers I have tasted in Astoria (sorry Bareburger) and the sides were equally tasty. The vibe of the restaurant made it one I will frequent often, and the quick service and full bar are added bonuses.