Burger Club

Astoria added another burger restaurant to its expanding registry this past month with the opening of Burger Club, located on 30^th Avenue and 32^nd Street, a stone's throw away from 31st Avenue favorite BareBurger. I was initially drawn to the aesthetics of the corner restaurant –the décor is simple, with orange lined rolling garage doors and windows, and exposed brick walls. The inside shows exposed pipes on the ceiling, and the place has a polished garage persona, save for the blaring club music that finds its way into most dining establishments in Astoria.

interior of Burger Club

exposed brick walls + seating

bar area

seating

Having recently opened, I had called ahead to find out if they served alcohol or would be cool with BYOB. I was happily told we could bring our own alcohol while they are waiting for their liquor license, and that it would be no problem at all. The friendliness of the wait staff was not only present via telephone. From the minute we stepped in we were warmly greeted by the hostess, and each additional person that waited on our table exuded just the right amount of hospitality. We had excellent and attentive, yet not overwhelming, service for the entire night.

Burger Club offers nine burgers on its menu, along with a special of the night written on the chalkboard inside. These burgers range from the Burger Club Classic with Cheese to the Carolina Burger (topped with pulled pork, coleslaw, pepper jack cheese) to the Frenchy Burger (topped with foie gras) to the Farmer’s Market Burger (vegetable burger w. goat cheese). All the meat is provided by famed butcher Pat LaFrieda. Burger Club also offers salads, pressed sandwiches, and a wide range of appetizers and sides, including quesadillas, mozzarella fritters, and braised short ribs. While having this variety can appeal to a wider audience then just burgers and sides, it is my belief that a place specializing in one main dish should not stray far from that. I found it a bit odd quesadillas were on the menu, but I guess it does work for them, as the table next to mine ordered that and buffalo wings as their appetizers.

For my dinner, I ordered the Burger Club Classic with Cheese and extra pickles, with a side of waffle fries. The menu states that you can order waffle or sweet potato fries, so it was not clear if regular spuds are offered.  Do expect to pay extra for the fries or onion rings, as they are considered add-ons and are not included in the price of the burgers (which will run you $8-$12). My companions both ordered the Stuffed Burger (after debating between that and the Carolina Burger), along with onion rings and sweet potato fries (well done) for their sides. The Stuffed Burger is topped with smoked mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, and a basil pesto spread.

My Burger Club Classic came topped with American cheese, along with red onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. While I asked for extra pickles thinking they were the sliced circular variety common on burgers, I was not so pleasantly surprised to discover that Burger Club uses gherkins as their pickles. While I enjoy gherkins, I do not think they pair well with burgers. When I eat my burger, I enjoy having the sliced pickles inside the bun, and to sink my teeth into the briny soft flesh which pairs excellently with the rest of my burger. I do not understand why burger spots try to get fancy with their pickles (remember 5 Napkin?) I appreciate Burger Club trying to be unique with gherkins but taste should trump all else, and gherkins do not cut it.

The burger itself held up to my standards and was enjoyable. The waffle fries were crispy but nothing spectacular. My burger also came with two plastic cups of sauce, with no explanation of what they were. One seemed as if it had been laying out in the kitchen for a bit, as the top layer showed signs of discoloration. I tried each sauce, and neither tasted particularly great so they were left ignored. I found out later from the waitress they were a peppercorn ranch and a chipotle aioli.

Burger Club Classic w. Cheese

My friends’ Stuffed Burgers were filling and tasty, with the beef and prosciutto harmoniously pairing with the mozzarella and pesto. The beef patty itself also had cheese inside of it, as the waitress mentioned it might not melt as much if cooked anything below well done. The onion rings were good - light and fluffy, with a sweet coating similar to a fried dough coating. They were not greasy and the whole onion string did not come out in the first bite, common with most onion rings. The sweet potato fries came out cold, and not quite well done, making us believe they had been sitting back in the kitchen for a bit.

Stuffed Burger w. onion rings

Stuffed Burger w. sweet potato fries

As our waitress came by to talk dessert, she let us know that a brownie was coming out for us on the house. I noticed the table next to us got their bread pudding on the house, so I believe they were giving free desserts due to their recent opening. We also ordered the bread pudding. The brownie came warm, and served with vanilla ice cream, and chocolate and caramel drizzle. While I am not a chocolate fan, I loved the dessert. The brownie was moist and not overwhelmingly chocolaty. Having it warm was heavenly, and melted right in my mouth. The bread pudding was okay. Instead of the traditional vanilla sauce, it came topped with a lemon syrup which proved to be too bitter. The owner came to talk to us, and asked what we thought of the bread pudding, as he was still deciding whether to feature it on the menu. He was very kind, and showed a genuine care in our thoughts on the meal. When our check came, we were told they also put the bread pudding on the house.

warm brownie w. vanilla ice cream

bread pudding

I liked Burger Club’s burgers, gherkins notwithstanding. The service and friendly staff was top notch, and the food held to my expectations. I appreciate that it is not a chain restaurant, and am interested to see how it will do, considering the density of burger spots in Astoria, and the competition of many popular restaurants on 30^th Avenue.