J G Melon was opened in 1972 and its decor inside is unashamedly proud of looking entirely retro from this period. I liked this quirkiness and having been steered that they do among the greatest burgers in New York, it obviously had to be done. I opted for the classic cheeseburger for $13.25 and a side of bacon for a supplement. A juicy burger made with flank and chuck was served with fresh pickles and onions (no tomato or lettuce) in between two nicely raised and squidgy white bread patties. In the words of Jules Winnfield, “Mmmm-hhmm, this IS a tasty burger” and it was. I don’t have any dog in the fight of where the relish should go (on top of or beneath the patty) but the only thing that felt a little too much was the sheer volume of the patty to get through in relation to the other parts – this was a case of less would have been more I think.

However, although it felt like you needed the mouth of a python to get a bite, it was still a juicy and enjoyable burger. Scoring here is tricky as a burger is a burger and only so many ways it can be done – whilst a little heavy on the protein the ingredients were on the whole ok (my preference is for the bacon to not be so dry) and there was pride in their product which is a good indicator of pride and more often than not therefore, care. Overall, a cool place to try a New York burger and wash down with US lager in amongst a labyrinth of average options.

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