This St. Marks staple serves up a thick-ass burger for under $10.
Although both a bit under-seasoned, the burger and fries combo for under $14 is a steal, especially if you go on your birthday like I did, and save an extra $5.
PAUL’S DA BURGER JOINT
131 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
Stan’s is a donut and coffee shop that we hit a couple of times during our trip to Chicago. The turnover here is so frequent that you’re almost always guaranteed a warm, fresh donut. We tried the apple fritter and the blueberry cream cheese filled.
Here, the blueberry was the winner.
This joint is definitely worth hitting for interesting on-tap coffees (like barrel aged cold brew, or nitro) and fresh, uniquely flavored donuts.
STAN’S DONUTS & COFFEE
181 Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60601
The famous Olympia Diner scene from SNL, come to life!
I have to say, I expected this burger to suck, seeing as though this place is definitely somewhat of a tourist trap, and the meat to bun ratio seemed way off. That’s why I went with the triple. Boy was I wrong in my assumptions. The burger was great!
I will make it a mission to come here on every visit to Chicago. Next time I’ll try the Polish sausage and the hotdog.
BILLY GOAT TAVERN
Lower 430 North Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
This old school stool seating diner has been around for a long time in the UVA area. My wife and I were in town for a wedding, so I had to try this place. We tried the Double Gus Burger, which is two thin patties, with American cheese and an egg. I’m generally not a huge fan of egg on a burger, but this one really hit home.
Great onions rings and fried hot dog too.
We finished off with a slice of lemon pie too. This joint was exactly what I wanted it to be. Cheap, delicious grub.
THE WHITE SPOT
1407 University Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903
This joint came highly recommended by a food reviewer and meat expert friend of mine, Nick Solares. He has waxed eloquent about the burger here many times!
It’s deceptively simple. Nick ordered it for me: Rare, simply seasoned with just salt, and seared on the plancha, with cheese melted on both sides of the bun.
I have to say, for under $8 (sans fries), this thing rivals many of our city’s great steakhouse burgers. They’re using real quality ground beef, and they certainly know how to cook it. Rare was warm to the touch in the center, but not much bleed out or drips on the plate. Impressive.
And total steal at that price point. Go give it a shot!
JOE JUNIOR
167 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10003
Zafi’s Luncheonette is a small, old school counter-service diner on the lower east side.
They do have some regular seating, but the counter is the best way to enjoy an old school diner like this. If indoor dining resumes in NYC, you’ll be able to pop a squat there with spacing between stools.
I had their burger, which was meh at best, but the vanilla milk shake made it all worth while. That thing was absolutely perfect.
I’ll be back here to work my way through some of their more traditional diner menu items, like a gyro, club sandwich, chopped steak, etc. Hopefully they will all be better than the burger.
Stay tuned…
ZAFI’S LUNCHEONETTE
500 Grand St
New York, NY 10002
This roadside stop in Red Bluff is like an improved mom and pop style Denny’s. We stopped in mainly to try the pies, but we couldn’t resist trying some of the savory items too.
First, the marble rye patty melt:
This was nice, and I liked the idea of it, but after coming off of the perfect patty melt at Pinecrest Diner in SF, we were underwhelmed.
Philly Style Prime Rib Dip
This was okay. Nothing to go nuts over, and a bit light on the meat. The fries and tots were good though.
Now on to the pies.
The butterscotch pie was probably the most well liked at the table. Really great texture and flavor.
I wanted more from the s’mores crunch pie, but ultimately I would house these, slice after slice, with ease.
The strawberry and rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream was perfection. I usually don’t love fruit pies but this one was fucking fantastic.
Definitely stop here if you’re driving by. Stick with the pies!
SHARI’S CAFE & PIES
128 Bell Mill Road
Red Bluff, CA 96080
I didn’t eat much here other than having a bite of this awesome patty melt that was served on delicious rye bread.
This little spot is a classic American no-frills diner.
Worth checking out, but be warned: they do generate a line outside.
PINECREST DINER
401 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hudson & Charles Dinette serves up some nice burgers with thick cut tallow fries! I tried three. In order:
1) Double “Smash” (9/10) – A classic American double with shredded lettuce and pickle.
2) Catalina Stack (8/10) – A double with catalina sauce, lettuce and pickle.
3) Foxy Burger (8/10) – A thick Korean single, with kimchi and spices.
All burgers come with thick cut tallow fries, and the prices range from $14-$23.
The first was near perfect, with a great crispy char and nice toppings. I only dinged it because it really wasn’t a smash, but this is definitely my preferred style of burger.
The other two were great but a bit aggressive on salt levels. The same goes for the fries, but I didn’t mind so much on those. I’ll definitely be back for the double, and also to try some steaks and pies.
I also tried their Korean fried chicken & waffles entree. The sauce is a mildly spicy gochujang base, heavily sprinkled with scallions. The waffle is more like a muffin or biscuit, with sesame and scallions. There was a mix of breast and thigh meat with a great crunchy breading, three pieces per order.
HUDSON & CHARLES DINETTE
522 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
This is a great addition to your fried food rotation. I walked by Jimmy’s Diner before a filming gig and had to try the joint based on looks alone.
Turned out to be a great choice. This “Lucky Schmidt” sandwich was awesome. Fried chicken fingers, melted swiss, bacon, jalapenos, chipotle mayo and pickles on a potato bun. Great crispy fries too. Go give it a shot!
JIMMY’S DINER
577 Union Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
