The Burger Guru

The Burger GuruThe Experience: I frequently get asked how I eat as many burgers as I do and don’t become a fat guy. It has nothing to do with an enhanced metabolism, as photos of a much heavier Brad Garoon circa 2006 exist (though are well hidden). Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time on elliptical machines and running around the streets of New York to keep the physical evidence of my gluttony from appearing on my body. As such, I found myself running with a pair of coworkers around Williamsburg the other night. After a somewhat disappointing effort on my part, I found myself very hungry and standing in front of the Burger Guru. What would you have done in my position?

Burger Ordered: The Guru Burger, Village Style

The Taste: The Guru Burger is a seven ounce grass-fed Pat LaFrieda beef patty. After having a great experience eating an elk patty at Bareburger last year, I really wanted the Antelope burger here. Sadly, they had run out and I was unable to get what I assumed was a similar type of meat (though subsequent research has shown me that technically, antelope is taxonomically closer to cow than it is to elk). Village style is my typical go-to style of burger, with bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg. As it turned out, the toppings outshined the beef patty. Though the seven ounces of meat were serviceable, they were without distinction. The salty bacon and melty cheddar balanced each other out nicely, and the over easy egg was fun both as a topping (the whites) and a dipping sauce (the runny yolk).

The Verdict: The Guru Burger met my post-exercise craving, but against other burgers in the area (Williamsburg is home to a host of great hamburgers) it doesn’t compare well.

The Burger Guru is located at 98 Berry Street in Brooklyn, New York.

Article by Brad Garoon

I run this burger joint.