5 Napkin Burger

Some of the most crowded burger spots in NYC include branches of the 5 Napkin Burger mini-chain. We've been going there for years and have even endured hour-long waits in order to get a table (even though we're not really fans of waiting anywhere). We usually frequent the original branch as it's the closest to us and the one we've been going to since they opened. It's always packed, there are almost always lines out the door even at off-peak hours (although it's gotten a little better as they've opened more branches), and they can usually be counted on for a good burger.

We went out looking for a late weekend lunch on a recent weekend and were surprised to see that there were actually tables at 5 Napkin Burger. It had been some time since we've visited since we've been eating out less, so we decided to stop in. A got a different burger than usual, the avocado-ranch beef burger, while M decided to go for one of her old favorites, the Italian turkey burger.

Italian turkey burger with fries

The Italian turkey burger ($13.95) tops an herb-filled turkey patty with melted mozzarella, spicy tomato sauce, and vinegar peppers, and loads it all on a sesame brioche roll. At least that's what the menu says it should have. In the past, the description was pretty accurate. There used to be a zesty flavor from the tomato sauce, sourness from the vinegar peppers, lots of flavor from the turkey patty and the herbs and seasonings, richness from the melted cheese, and a soft pillowy bun. 

Cross-section of the Italian turkey burger

This time, it was all just kind of bland. It made M wonder if they were coasting on their reputation now and not putting as much effort into their burgers. It was just so different from her memory of the last Italian turkey burger she got there. The turkey burger itself, from its appearance, looks like it's filled with herbs and seasonings, but it was boring and relatively flavorless. Although many people think all turkey burgers have no flavor, M isn't one of those people and she genuinely enjoys turkey burgers. But this one tasted like nothing. The peppers were fine, but that was the only good topping. There was barely any cheese or tomato sauce, and the tomato sauce that was there was neither spicy nor zesty. The bun was fine. But the best part of the whole plate was the bowl of fries.

A's avocado-ranch burger ($14.95) consisted of an 8 ounce fresh ground beef patty, pepperjack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and ranch on a sesame brioche roll.

Avocado-ranch burger

A wasn't sure what to expect oddly enough. He read the description but didn't know how the flavors would pair together. The pepperjack cheese was very muted and didn't have that much flavor. The guacamole was nice and creamy, but it was also overpowered by the ranch dressing. In fact, A thought the entire burger was overpowered by the ranch dressing. It tasted like beef and ranch. That's not to say that's a horrible thing, but the other ingredients couldn't make an impact, and that's disappointing.

Assembled avocado-ranch burger

We did enjoy the fries. They were skinny, crispy and salted just the right amount. We were so hungry by the time our food came (the service was awful and we felt really neglected as our lackadaisical and frequently MIA waiter was barely around, unlike most of the other servers we watched) that we just dove right into the fries. Good thing they were tasty.

Delicious basket of fries

Although we've had good experiences at 5 Napkin Burger before, we probably won't return anytime soon. There are so many good places to eat in the city (and other good, more affordable burgers) that we don't feel the need to go back to a place where it seems like both the food and service have headed downhill. It's probably not going anywhere so maybe sometime down the line we'll go back, but not in the near future. For now, we would rather go one block further to Bareburger.