On WGFC’s Burger Pick, we highlight a particular burger that we’ve absolutely fallen in love with and highly suggest you check out. For this edition, we’re taking a look at The Brew Inn‘s Brew Burger.
What once was an abandoned Greenpoint storefront has now become one of my favorite local watering holes, The Brew Inn. It’s opening day menu was nothing fancy, but my (always vivacious) bartender demanded I try their burger. “It’s the best in New York” she said, or something equally braggadocios. So, being a self-indulgent burger addict, I decided to see if their claims were baseless like so many others – but holy s#*t. Seriously. This burger is stop-in-your-tracks good, and the tots I smothered in their spicy schmear provided a satisfying fried complement. Think a cafeteria lunch, but good enough to be my last meal if I ever find myself on Death Row. Can I get a slow clap for chefs Charles Bivona and Amy Cunningham?
This is the real deal. Best Burger in NYC? I’d throw it in competition, for damn sure. Best Burger in Brooklyn? It’s got my vote. Best Burger in Greenpoint? Say otherwise, and you’ve got yourself a fight.
The Brew Inn has honed in on prime burger offerings over the last year, expanding their selection from two (The Brew Burger/All Good Things Burger), to four. A meagre offering versus burger joints that now overflow with a million mediocre options, but The Brew Inn knows quality, and doesn’t need to lean on variety as a crutch. The All Good Things will heat up Buffalo addicts, while the others provide a bounty of harvest goodness – but you’re coming here for The Brew Burger, and that’s that.
The Brew Burger (medium rare, Swiss, tomato jam, mayo caramelized onion, arugula, brioche bun).
The Bun: You know those food-porn photos that somehow get cooked dough to glisten like its coated in enamel? That’s this brioche beauty. Bakery fresh fluffiness somehow withstands the leaking juices that ooze with every bite, never becoming a too-soggy sponge.
The Meat: There’s a reason why all burgers on the menu suggest “medium rare” – because it’s not a freakin’ suggestion. Cooked to perfection, this delicate burger offers no resistance when you bite down, and still withholds all the flavorful juiciness of your meatiest dreams. At the risk of sounding cliché, this patty somehow melts like butter even though it’s clearly, and proudly, a disc of perfectly cooked meat. Perfect fat ratio, perfect heft, PERFECT EVERYTHING.
The Add-Ons: Swiss cheese isn’t my go-to, but it pairs with the other ingredients on a level that necessitates this hole-y oversight. The caramelized onions are reduced to a jam-like state, and the arugula fakes healthiness for a brief second, but it’s the tomato jam that stands out. Imagine the freshest-tasting ketchup imaginable, hitting on notes of pure, crisp acidity without any of that processed, fake tomato flavoring. I love this tomato jam. I can’t scream that loud enough. I put ketchup on EVERYTHING, but I wouldn’t dare taint this superior condiment with its weaker, blasphemous counterpart. And the mayo? Again, I’m not a mayo guy, but The Brew Inn knows exactly what they’re doing – the perfect binder for sticking bun-to-arugula.
The Result: This is a down-and-dirty burger that’s worth the pile of discarded napkins you’ll shamelessly leave behind. Each bite is a harmonious chorus of meat, cheese, and topping bliss. No one ingredient overpowers. Everything morphs into a distinct flavor that makes The Brew Burger a knockout favorite for the ages, boasting precise execution over outlandish, gimmicky competitors.
Paulie Gee’s and Five Leaves may draw most of the local attention, but next time you visit Greenpoint, make sure you achieve burger nirvana at The Brew Inn. Your tastebuds will thank you, even if your cholesterol count doesn’t.
Or, you can try their brunch version, because adding a fried egg on top makes everything better (pictured above)…