Mother Burger

Reunited and it feels so good.

Burgers Ordered: Brad – Mother’s Nacho Burger; Matt – Uncle Matt’s Wing Burger.

The Experience: Here at Burger Weekly we promise you one burger joint review every single week, and not even a hurricane could keep the Burgermeisters from doing their civic duty. But the road to this week’s Burger Weekly outing was paved with difficult obstacles.

Brad started last week doing a solo review of LaGuardia Airport’s Custom Burgers by Pat La Frieda. The experience, while delicious, was hollow without his Burgermeister-companion-for-life Matt there to be a glutton alongside him. In their time apart Matt had planned to do a solo review of his own, first of Five Guys and then of the Bronx Ale House, but neither of those reviews panned out for differing but equally idiotic reasons.

Matt went with Frankie (a future guest Burgermeister to be sure) to Five Guys for their signature meal. However, without Brad’s guidance he forgot to take a single note, picture or moment of video down until he’d already finished devouring his burger. Though there was still a full cup and bag of fries left (those who have been to Five Guys are surely aware of the gluttonous amount of fries they serve), there was no red meat to document and thus the meal had been wasted. Matt had then planned to go to the Bronx Ale House, but an appointment he’d made with a locksmith forced that to be cancelled.

Because of this it was even more important for Brad to get back to New York from his vacation in Detroit so that the Burgermeister Promise could be upheld. But because of the Hurricane Irene-prompted closing of New York area airports, there was only one way for Brad to return on time. After a ten hour drive, at one in the morning, Brad walked through the World Wide Plaza during his final steps home and caught Mother Burger’s awning out of the corner of his eye. He texted Matt a picture of the place, and the two knew that this was where the Burgermeister reunion would take place.

World Wide Plaza is the perfect place for an early evening end-of-summer dinner. The Burgermeisters were promptly seated at an outdoor table in the middle of a well-populated dinner crowd. The two opened their menus and there was no question which burger each of them would order.

Presentation: Mother Burger prides itself on offering all four major food groups: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Fries and Beer*. The Burgermeisters aren’t interested in Hot Dogs, but they were sure to tackle the other three groups. Matt eagerly ordered a can of PBR, and Brad couldn’t help but catch Matt’s contagious enthusiasm.

Matt also knew right away that he had to order the Wing Burger. After all the burger carried his namesake. Brad kept his spicy streak alive by going Mexican and getting the Nacho Burger. The waitress pulled a McDonald’s move and came back to the table to ask the Burgermeisters if we wanted to Deluxe-It (add fries to our order). Brad and Matt were happy she did, because just in the way that they sometimes forget to request their burgers cooked a certain way, on this night they wanted their second stomachs filled with fries.

Taste: Uncle Matt’s Wing Burger is covered in spicy wing sauce and topped with bleu cheese. It also comes with the traditional burger add-ons. Upon tasting it he exclaimed that it was perfectly cooked to order. Both he and Brad realized that their past experiences getting overcooked burgers had left them scarred and now surprised whenever a griller gets it right. Matt said he knew the wing sauce was there when he bit into the burger, but didn’t have to feel it gush into his mouth. He appreciated that it wasn’t overwhelming and that it had a good aftertaste.

The Nacho Burger was a typical Mother Burger topped with tortilla chips, Pepper Jack cheese, tomato, jalapenos & guacamole. Brad equated it to a messy beef taco with a bun. The beef’s flavor was lost in all the guacamole and jalapenos. Much like the Bibimbap Burger at Social Eatz, the ethnic flavor of the burger overwhelmed the patty itself. Brad said it tasted delicious and left him quite full, but warned that those looking for a traditional burger should seek other means of satisfaction.

The fries were good but unspectacular… that is until the Burgermeisters dipped them in “Mother’s Special Sauce,” Mother Burger’s take on spicy mayo. This was a real triumph. Brad did warn however that eating the sauce, the spicy burger and drinking beer might wreak havoc on the digestive systems of those with weaker stomachs.

The Verdict: The Burgermeisters couldn’t be happier to be reunited, and Mother Burger proved to be a fine venue for the reunion. They do serve traditional burgers for those burger lovers that don’t want anything fancy. And for those of you who like to change it up there are at least two options to do so here.

You Decide: A subsequent conversation that Brad had brought up a question that the Burgermeisters need your help answering. What makes something a perfect burger? Does it have to be a traditional hamburger; cooked medium to medium well, with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup and/or mustard? Can a truly amazing burger draw outside the lines, like Mother Burger’s Nacho Burger does? Tell us in the comments what you think.

Mother Burger is located at 329 West 49th Street in the World Wide Plaza.

*Milkshakes can be subbed in for Beer.

Article by Brad Garoon

I run this burger joint.

17 Comments


  1. I feel that the traditional burger will always be the best, but that experimentation with other kinds (wing burger, nacho burger) of burgers is also a necessity for all true lovers out there.

  2. I need to be linked to every part of this series. I’m from the area and have been to all of the aforementioned places. Add in the Piper’s Kilt to the places you have to try, and, for completion’s sake, Cheeburger Cheeburger. There’s also Westchester Burger Company and both Ron Black and Lazy Boy if you aren’t worried about Westchester.

    Of those mentioned, huge fan of the 5 Guys Bacon Cheeseburger All the Way. The combination of flavors really makes it taste like a different awesome burger every bite. Bronx Ale House Burger is a bit overrated, though it’s good, and I genuinely dislike Motherburger. The patties are just too small and the focus too much on the stuff around the meat, to the actual burger’s detriment.

    The perfect burger is a rough question, but every other the top great burger I’ve ever had has been both generous with the cheese and mushrooms, and never has it just had ketchup – that tastes too generic, it has to be something different and specific. Before 5 Guys I’d have said anything over medium is murder, but, well I was wrong there, apparently.

    1. Matt has been a fan of the Piper’s Kilt ever since living down the block from the one in the Bx. On a side note, it’s also his father’s old stomping grounds, so his name means something in those parts.

      As for Westchester, not anytime soon. We’ll definitely make changes to our list and add the others. We always love recommendations.

  3. The bun is crucial. Too much bread dominates flavor, too little and it’s sloppy as Mr. Hasselhoff would contest. I also enjoy a variety of condiments. I just read in the Times about a NY restaurant experimenting with ketch-ups, something like 16 types.

    Brad, I’d be honored to eat a hamburger with you in Bloomfield or the city.

      1. Honestly I’d like to watch you guys in action for a day before I dive in. Understand and analyze the process. See what you come away with.

  4. Hey guys, just checked out this review and I may have to hunker down with a Wing Burger. Love that combo. A perfect burger is such a subjective thing and everyone has their own opinion about it, often times based upon what they grew up eating. Even for myself a perfect burger can change depending upon my mood or a craving. I do think there are some constants though: 1.) start with quality beef. If not, then no amount of toppings, sauces and the like can save it. 2.) quality bun. What does this mean? It means the bun should be able to hold up to the last bite and not disintegrate before I’m halfway through the burger. Nor should it be so tough/chewy that the burger and toppings slide out onto my shirt, turning it into an edible Jackson Pollock painting. Now, a good quality bun/bread doesn’t always mean it’s the right choice for a burger. 3.) toppings. I’m more of a purist at heart: bun, beef (maybe a slice of cheese) and bun. I like the beef flavor to shine through. However, if there are to be toppings they need to be FRESH. Nothing worse than a limp, mealy slice of tomato, lettuce leaves that look like they just uttered the word “Rosebud” or slithery onions (blecch!). I’ve been to Shake Shack and Burger Joint numerous times and they seem to nail the fresh toppings every time.

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