Medium Well
As the gourmet burger craze continues to sweep across New York, one of the latest burger boutiques to pop up is modeled after an auto-repair shop and is bountifully equipped to fix a flat stomach. Located in perpetually up-andcoming Long Island City, The Burger Garages walls are lined with hubcaps and tires, but dont expect the restaurant equivalent of MTVs Pimp My Ride to have Xzibit manning the grill. Picture something more along the lines of the reliable and reasonable mechanic your parents trusted.
The Burger Garage opened for business this summer, after owners spent months wading through red tape. The restaurant, which also serves hot dogs ($3.25), may not be home to New Yorks most distinctive burger, but the selection of delectable comfort foods makes up for the flavor the patty doesnt pack. Served on glutenfree buns and made with 100-percent USDA certified Angus beef, the burgers come bland and dry when ordered well done. Aside from the expected toolbox of toppings, the soy-marinated jalapenos ($.50) complement the subtly progressive nature of this corner eatery. But its the twice-fried French fries ($2.75), dainty-yetflavorful onion strings ($3.25), sweet potato fries ($3) and perfectly-mixed milkshakes ($4.75) that set The Burger Garage apart from the onslaught of cookie-cutter burger chains across the city.
What The Burger Garages Black Angus beef cheeseburger ($4.70) lacks in distinct flavor, it makes up for in freshness and overall quality. The burgers are made to order and the lettuce, tomatoes (from Brooklyn-based Eli & Alis), pickles and onions are all served crisp and do the best they can to add character to the griddlecooked patties. The potato roll is soft to the touch, but only adds in dulling the overall taste of what should be The Burger Garages signature item.
While the French fries are nearly identical to those found elsewhere, The Burger Garage earns points for the double-frying technique, which makes each hand-sliced Idaho potato crispier than those of the Garages rivals. This approach is sometimes puzzling for those not familiar: It doubles the time that potatoes are in the actual fryer, so the fries are especially crispy but free from any extra grease. Another treasure on the menu is the half onion strings and half French fries combination ($3). The onion strings are tantalizingly delicate, rubber-band thin and fried to perfection. When paired with French fries, the combination of crunchy and crispy makes for a pairing any fried food enthusiast would salivate over. Its also the best bargain on the menu.
The Burger Garage sets itself apart from other start-ups by specializing in milkshakes. Rich and generous in size, the shakes alone are reason enough to skip Five Guys. Available in six flavors, including coffee and banana, the creamy drinks recall the days of diners past, when a milkshake was both a social activity and a dessert. Although the shop offers a wide variety of sodas, including root beer from the Louisiana-based Abita Brewery on tap ($2.50), the milkshakes are the perfect complement for a well-done burger. Made with Hersheys ice cream and served thick, these shakes are the defining item on The Burger Garages menu. In no other category can The Burger Garage so epically triumph over any other run-of-the-mill burger joint.
But when it comes down to it, the burgers at The Burger Garage arent quite unique enoughthe eatery burns the competition with its milkshakes and onion rings, but the patties are going to need some work before they take off. So while Astoria residents arent likely to abandon burger staples Bare Burger or Peteys, The Burger Garage stands to do well serving Long Island City; its one of the only burger-focused joints in the industrial neighborhood. At best, there is a reliable new repair shop in the area that isnt a part of some great corporate burger conspiracy. Nothing fancy. At worst, The Burger Garagelike 5 Napkin Burger in Astoriawill be quickly lost in the eclectic restaurant scene.
>> The Burger Garage
25-36 Jackson Ave. (at 44th Dr.), Queens, 718-392-0424.