So a guy walks into my store and hands me a menu and says, “Best burger in New York. Check it out.” And just like that, he was gone. I don’t believe he realized in his quick haste to whom he’s handed this holy grail. His menu is now in the hands of a burger expert. The extremities of a man who actually goes out and reviews burger joints. It’s as if he’s psychically challenged me to a duel. Perhaps he’s saying, “These are my burgers. Bring it on burger master!” Well, to battle we go sir. 

The burger joint of note here is called Rare Bar & Grill. The appearance looks nice enough. Like many restaurants in the Village, there are no windows and it’s open air to the sidewalk. Nice touch.

Kicking this party off as an appetizer is the Shredded Brisket Quesadilla served with guacamole and chips. I was freaking out over this one. In a prior post for a place called Ziggiz, I claimed them to have the “Best Quesadilla in New York.” No more! The new holder of that title is Rare. We have a new champion!! Wow, this was awesome! The chicken is cooked crock pot style with a spicy barbecue sauce, then shredded, stuffed into a tortilla with cheeses, veggies, and other spices. It does not happen too often, but this actually BLEW ME AWAY! Crispy, spicy, tasty, hot, delicious, and every other description that goes along with good food. Winner. 

Next up, the burger showdown. Let’s see if menu boy lives up to his word. Choosing a burger was tough as there were many that looked great from the Filet Mignon Melt, Bleecker Burger, BBQ Po’ Boy, and plenty others. My tongue was telling me he wanted more of that guacamole (very good and very spicy by the way). To oblige I ordered the Mexican Burger.

8 ounces of 100% Grade A American chuck beef, ground and freshly prepared daily in their kitchen. All that along with spiced black bean spread, guacamole, chipotle puree, tomato, and onion. *Sigh* Let’s take a moment of silence to remember the burger that once lay before me and upon first bite stood no chance. His spicy flavor and juices were so masterfully created that it was inevitable he be devoured at an alarming rate. My god it was incredible. 

 On a side note, not only did Rare have delicious fries (as I’d expect from them.) But they also had the most tremendous dipping sauces FOR the fries. The choices of Chipotle Aioli, Parsley and Roasted Garlic Aioli, and other were creative and delicious.

I stood up the challenge of this mystery menu-dropper-offer-man and he won. Rare was quadruple capital A Awesome. Here I was ready for the critique of a lifetime, “No one comes into my store and claims best burger in New York to me!”, and yet, I found nothing to destroy, nothing to slay. You win this round Rare with your fantastic burgers, incredible appetizers, and unique flavor combination. But I will be back for more. Yummmmm.

 

Rare Bar & Grill

228 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10014

Prices: Shredded Brisket Quesadilla $14, Mexican Burger $14, Chicken Burger $14

Hours: Mon-Wed 12pm-11pm, Thu-Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 4pm-12am, Sun 4pm-11pm, Brunch Sat-Sun 11am-4pm

Access: B,C,D,E,F,V Trains To West 4th Street; 1 Train To Houston

 

Hurley is a writer for Simply Scrumptious, an on-line food blog: http://simplyscrumptiousfoodie.com/

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