Dining Out, Lunch, Quick Post, Upper East Side, Various Locations, YorkvilleKerry Alaric CheeseboroAugust 10, 2011Blue 9 Burger, bun, burger, burgers, cheese, Coca Cola, Coke, combo, Dining Out, double, french fries, fries, grilled, ketchup, lettuce, mascot, mustard, onions, Quick Post, shoestring, soda, ues, Upper East Side, Various LocationsComment

Am I Blue?

[mappress mapid="177"]

I'VE DONE MY DUE DILIGENCE, I believe, when it comes to burgers here in the city. I had enough to have my favorites—Joy Burger still my #1!—and know enough that there are only a couple more that I may need to try (I'll get you, Minetta Tavern yet!) before I can finally be fully convinced that I have pretty much run the gamut in what this city has to offer in the ground beef sandwich department.

So it was only due to the few, if scant and random, recommendations from a few bar friends—and the fact that the Indian place I originally wanted to have lunch at was packed—that I meandered a few extra blocks to sample the wares at one of new-to-me Blue 9 Burgers outposts on 2nd Avenue in the mid 70s.

That spot was more "lo-fi" once inside than it had looked the few times I had walked by, hardly noticing the place. Their burger specialty are the sloppy and messy, "smashed" burgers that I prefer, offered here in one- and two-patty options (like many of its ilk), conveniently offered with fries and a soda for a discounted price.

I ordered a double with grilled onions, mustard, mayo, no tomato, and no raw onion. It was made to order and only took four minutes or so to arrive at my fast food cafeteria-style table.

Blue 9 Burger

Double Cheeseburger Combo, Blue 9 Burger

The burger is decent, nothing more. Plenty juicy, but lacking in any real identifiable flavor. I more "felt" the patties in my mouth as I chewed them than tasted them, lucky to have all those condiments and melted cheese slices to keep my taste buds occupied. The fries fared a little worse, even; I'm still shocked that Burger 9 claims to prep and cook their fries in-house, because they appeared and chewed like those made from ingredients like "potato starch", and could only be helped by repeated, hearty dipping into ketchup. (PHUDE Rule #27: a good fry should never need anything to dip into.)

To say that Blue 9's burgers are better than most burgers I could get at a pizzeria or bodega is, yes, faint praise indeed. I will have soon forgotten about this burger, I won't ever miss it, and the only part of the whole experience I will remember is trying to figure out why their mascot, an over-sized burger, is creepily smiling while trying to sell me what can only seem like one of it's young offspring...!

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

Kerry Alaric Cheeseboro