Brooklyn Burger Battles

The burger scene in Downtown Brooklyn is changing by the day, and the chain restaurants are taking over. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Shake Shack's announcement that they'd be coming to Brooklyn, right in the middle of Borough Hall, anchoring the Fulton Street Mall has seemingly set off a burger arms race in the area, and with Shake Shack is taking its sweet time, in the meantime, two other niche burger chains, Jake's Wayback Burgers and Smashburger, have seized the momentum.

On opening day a few weeks ago, I went to Jake's Wayback for an early lunch, ordering a Jake Cheeseburger with fries. Burgers are ordered much like at Five Guys, where you can pick from a list of free toppings. I added pickles and onions (and possibly jalapenos). 

I had zero expectations. In fact, since this chain is based on Long Island chain, I was even more suspicious. Yet the burger was surprisingly good, reminiscent of Steak & Shake, which I'm pretty sure is the effect they were going for, and the two patties had developed a nice crust without losing too much juiciness. The fries were well seasoned, but that's probably the only good thing I can say about them. I'd go back, but not after Shake Shack opens.

Smashburger after the jump.

Roman's: A Meaty Affair

When Mark Firth and Andrew Tarlow, the brain trust behind Marlow & Sons and Diner, bid farewell to the beloved Bonita, there was great anticipation over what would occupy the now vacant space in Fort Greene. The suspense ended when they doors opened to Roman's, an Italian-inspired trattoria, that was a surprising, yet welcome addition to the neighborhood. Though the cuisine may have strayed from the new American food served at their other restaurants, they stayed true to their bread-and-butter at Roman's with rotating menus focusing on seasonal ingredients. But after the initial fanfare Roman's had been subject of some heated controversy. Patrons have largely been split into two camps: those that love the creative menu consisting of small Roman-inspired plates, and those that criticize the restaurant for skimpy portions and exorbitant prices. Being a fan of both Marlow & Sons and Diner, MW and I decided to investigate ourselves.