Address: | 432 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-677-8626 |
Site: | umamiburger.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–11PM |
TA
Tam Le
I and the 4 other people in my party agreed that Umami Burger was worth the 2.5 hour wait. Just have someone from your party (or everyone) arrive 2-3 hours earlier than you would like to eat, put your name down and go to a nearby bar. They text you a link to a website where you can check how many parties are ahead of you and the anticipated wait time. EASIEST WAIT EVER. So everyone at our table tried the thin fries, truffle fries, tempura onion rings, smushed potatoes, the Original umami burger and the Truffle burger. Fries were nice and shoestring, although I think I prefer Spotted Pigs. Truffle fries get soggy. Tempura onion rings lack the crunchy, crispy onion ring fried battered shell that I love in onion rings. Smushed potatoes were... just potatoes...smushed. The sauces they put out on the table are great, especially the spicier ones; however, the umami ketchup is forgettable. All in all, ignore the appetizer menu unless youre starving and want something on the table as soon as possible. Now onto the burgers... All the burgers are medium rare- perfect and charred with a little U on top. The burger sort of falls apart in your mouth, crumbles away. As my friends put it, it literally melts in your mouth. The Original burger was good but there was a little bit too much tomato in my opinion. The parmesan crisp was a nice touch. The truffle burger- amazing. Rich. Truffle-y. Nice salty finish. Definitely the groups favorite. However, I only had half of it and was told that having the whole thing is a little too rich. Burgers are a bit on the small side, so if youre starving, you can probably eat 2. Since we waited for so long and had some parties unfairly sat before us, the hostess hooked us up with free desserts- ice cream sandwiches from The Good Batch. This dessert review will not be that great because it was kind of a blur at this point; I was undergoing major food coma as I had just had a late brunch Clinton St. Baking Company 4 hours before and combined with everything else I ate, I wanted to die at this point. We had the Double Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream sandwich which sat between 2 chocolate stroopwafels. Now, Ive long since been a fan of Dutch stroopwafels and their crispy outsides and gooey sweet centers. I dont think the stroopwafels in this sandwich contained the iconic gooey center of a classic stroopwafel- these were more like plain chocolate wafers. The second ice cream sandwich was paired between a chocolate chip cookie and something similar to Momofukus compost cookie, but in the classic style of Umami, was more salty. That was delicious. All in all- easy wait, meh appetizers, great burgers, good desserts but then again who makes bad ice cream sandwiches?
KA
Karen Stephens
I see that Im going to have to come back and try again. Soooo close to being a 4 star review but for some very important points. Where was my "umami"?!? Even on a Thursday evening, youll have an easier time of it getting a seat at the bar. There are hooks for you purse underneath. Thank you! So many places forget that little detail and it can really hurt the experience not having anyplace to put your belongings. I got the 5 Spice Duck Burger. It wasnt bad, but I didnt taste a single one of the 5 spices. It was moist, but honestly, it could have been any kind of meat. It had none of the "umami" that I specifically came all the way down for. Now Im disappointed I didnt just go ahead and order the Truffle Burger. I only didnt because I got the Truffle Fries and I thought it would be overkill. Big mistake. The Truffle Fries were yummy. The truffle/cheese sauce was great, plentiful and kept its temperature and consistency for long time (unlike the gummy mass that is Shake Shake cheese fries). You get a selection of 4 dipping sauces. The Jalapeno Ranch... meh. The ketchup is basically unseasoned tomato paste and Im a person that cant stand the corn syrup crap that you get in most places. Again, no "umami". The El Diablo was righteously spicy. But far and away, my favorite was the Garlic Aioli. If you know me, you know I love a stinky garlic! And this delivered. Ive read other reviews complaining about the portions. I dont get it. Im actually obese and it was plenty of food for me. I couldnt even finish my delicious fries, forget dessert (the ice cream sandwich was calling me). Maybe I really do have a ridiculously slow metabolism. Maybe Ill get some x-rays done to prove I have big bones too. I wasnt going to drink only because it wasnt in my budget. So I got the Ithaca Root Beer. Tastes like a classic root beer. Then I broke down and ordered a Rum & Coke. If Im going to drink, I dont want to dilute my rum into a cocktail. I almost asked for a double because most places give you an insultingly tiny glass. Not here! I got what pretty much amounted to a double sized glass of mostly rum with a Coke chaser. Hello! And for 10 bucks it was a bargain. I almost ordered three. But the place was clearing out, kinda early mind you and I didnt want to be the stereotypical bar fly. Not that Im ever ashamed of that, I just needed to get home. There were so many good things about my visit here, but I came for the burger and that duck just didnt do it for me. Next time, Im just going to go with my apparently disproportionately small gut and get the Truffle Burger. Especially now since Ive read that it comes with the Garlic Aioli that Im now in love with.
DA
David Barton
Umami Burger opened up a few months ago in New York City and while I haven’t been brave enough to stand in a three hour line to try it, I did check out an Umami location in Hollywood when Hailey and I were recently out in California. I figure my lack of a California audience makes a post about that location meaningless, so take this for what it’s worth when looking at the New York City location. I was pumped to try these burgers after hearing so much about this place. We went to town, ordering: Truffle Royale: beef patty topped with braised short rib, roasted garlic aioli, and house truffle cheese Umami Burger: shitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesean crisp, umami ketchup Tempura Onion Rings Truffle Fries Umami Burger Truffle Royale Truffle Royale I’d heard these burgers were supposed to be legendary, and while I’m not sure my life was changed, it was a damn good burger. How can you lose when you take a burger and top it with more meat? The house-ground, hand formed patty was juicy, tasty and exploding with flavor. The short ribs on top were equally as good and all that melted together to deliver a punch to my taste buds. The burger is sandwiched in between a soft, slightly sweet Portuguese bun. After eating a burger like this, sides are almost an afterthought. After all, you go to Umami Burger for the burgers. However, the Tempura Onion Rings were a favorite for me. The rings were large and were lightly fried, fluffy and crisp. The Truffle Fries were good, but next time I think they’re worth skipping. The sauce was tasty but in the end, all it does is make the fries soggy. The Verdict Is the food worth a three hour wait? I don’t think anything is worth a three hour wait. However, Umami Burger boosts enormous flavor and delivers. Aside from a well formed and flavored patty, toppings are king here, with everything ranging from Shiitake mushrooms to green chiles to avocado. At $10-$15 for a burger the prices aren’t insane and worth it for what you get. I’m a big fan of 5 Napkin Burger and I’d put Umami Burger right on par with them, if not a little ahead because of their larger variety of burgers. As soon as the hype around the New York City location dies down, I’ll definitely be paying them a visit.