BurgerClub

Pop is the latest attempt at getting burger trendy again. The place's ideal location for late night recovery in the heart of the meatpack craze is a sound idea. And to my surprise, this little pop has definetely a lot to offer.
It all comes down to the visual in my opinion: the concept of serving 2 little burgers (should we call them burgeritos?) in a lunch box style package works and enhances your pre-burger mouth watering experience. The folks at White Caste had it right for a long time: nothing is better than the feeling of picking up your cardboard briefcase loaded with 20 mini burgers. This is the same idea here, this will get you to sit down watching your tray with a big childish smile on your face. But....this almost led me to give too much credit to the actual quality of the burger. After an initial failure at understanding that pop burgers could be ordered rare or medium, i immediately corrected this with a second order of 'rare' pops. This however did not compensate for the overall dry feeling of the pattie. The adorable, round and slightly brioche-esque bun is definetely the crown of this baby burger in my opinion, and everything being mini, the cheese slice suddenly feels very generous. But bottom line is....the meat is not up to the standard. It is fresh, no frozen or processed junk, but i came to realise that grilling a mini patty properly is not really feasible. This is a B+ burger.

I think Goldie said it all, and I wish that I remembered what he said before I went to POP this past Sat.

This day was for our Shacktoberfest '05 meeting, But due to the miserable conditions outside, and a lack of interest in going across town for our plan B at "Good Burger" (the wife and I were perusing a photo show at the Chelsea Market) we ended up at POP.

My two mini burgers were about the only dry thing in the city that day... If I remembered from the previous review that I could order doneness, I would have specified medium-rare... but I'm not even sure if that would have helped these little dudes. The meat here is grilled over a flame, which is nice if done right. Exterior char is an awesome quality for me when on a juicy piece of medium-rare meat.



It is however, a good looking burger that excites the palate. The sweet little brioche buns aren't too overwhelming like most brioche buns can be, a nice little sauce on the bottom bun and mini shredded lettuce to go with the mini slice of tomato and cheese... it could have used a mini pickle slice in my opinion though. When I think of mini burgers, I think of Slider... a juicy, tender burger that is eaten in two or three bites (kinda slides down your throat).



The POP Burger is more like a mini version of your friends backyard BBQ burger that is cooked for too long over a heat that's not as hot as it should be... not much char and too dry. Not bad if you're eating for free and drinking many beers while enjoying the afternoon, but not my idea of good eats when I'm out spending money at a burger joint. Actually, I don't even think you can call this a burger joint... It's more like a club, for the clueless elite. I really just wanted to scrap my second mini burger and go down to the Corner Bistro, where nothing is dry, nothing pretentious, and everything is done right.



So, if you're partying in the meatpacking with your entourage, and are looking for a burger to make you feel special... go next door to the Homestead and spend $41.

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lets eat!

so we met up at pop burger, ordered some burgers, fries, and strawberry shakes....i ate my fries, drank my shake and yada yada yada I went home wishing I had gone to corner bistro....(true that seeker)....

wait wait, did I just yada yada the best part?

I think not....

I mentioned the fries and the shake....

the goldburger and the burger seeker got it all right....nuff said

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I would never steer you wrong. I live for good eats.

I sadly feel unoriginal but merely have to echo what the burger club pioneers have written above. No matter how you order these arguably cute little burgerettes, the meat is just sub-par all around. While I too made the mistake of not knowing I could order my meat as pleased the first time, I went back the second time hopeful. Alas, ordering the burger rare just means rather than being gray and dry, they are now pink and dry. Sure, pop burger puts some nice little condiment action on the burgers, but this is merely a weak attempt for the slew of half drunken bridge and tunnel club seekers to not notice the little puck hidden underneath. While I do appreciate the novelty, decor, and cheap prices for an otherwise somewhat expensive neighborhood, Pop Burger is just like anything else in the world of pop, a mere 15 minutes of fame. I will not be Pop-ping over again in the near future.

Dam ok… Bite for Bite Pop Burger is def one of my favorite burgers in NYC. For 5 bucks you get 2 mini burgers with lettuce and a plum tomato slice. No extra charge for cheese. In fact unless you tell them otherwise they go ahead and just put the cheese on for you.
They Don’t really give you an option on how to get the meat cooked…it all comes mediumish. By that I mean sometimes medium well and sometimes medium rare but mostly just medium. Everything is great and fresh cooked to order. I think I could eat like 8 or so.
I think a lot of people just pass over this place as a novelty… “Oh you mean the mini burger dance club…” but if these puppies where full sized I am sure they would be on most peoples favorite list. The Quality of these burgers is top notch. The size is the only thing they have in common with White Castle (well other than hitting the spot after a night of partying or riding a cheetah across the woods of NJ)
The restaurant it self is also worth a look. The Mullet style set up (business in the front …Party in the rear) has a take out counter / eating area near the entrance that blasts Biggie, Tribe Called Quest and other 90’s Rap. In the rear they have a full blown lounge. DJ, pool, full bar w. cocktail waitresses.
While its not as model clad or posh as some of its neighbors…the last time I checked you couldn’t get a plate of awesome burgers with your Grey Goose bottle at Hiro.


Price: 5 dalla burger burger
Type: Mini but Goodie
Recommend?: Next time you go out in the area be sure to stop off for a late night bite.