Black Iron Burger
In the rare occasion nowadays, I am able to sometimes grab dinner solo somewhere. I often debate about the cuisine, and I rarely want to eat something super posh right after work. I noticed a new location of a burger chain opened up. I often confuse the Black Iron Burger with the Blacktap Burger places but not this time. I walked in with no reservations at this 54th and 7th ave location and sat at the bar.
Ambiance
The decor felt like a typical gastropub feel with a lot of wood accents. There were plenty of seats available both at the bar or at the tables. They play music fairly loud such that it was difficult to hear the bartender somewhat. I can only imagine it getting louder with more people, so take that for what it’s worth.
The service itself was super fast, but then again I knew what I wanted. The bartender served me my drink within a minute of ordering, and the burger with side came out roughly about 5-10 minutes later.
Some people at other Black Iron Burger locations had been complaining about them charging 18% gratuity by default. When I looked at my receipt, I did not see any automatic charges.
Food
First Visit
The Allagash White beer (happy hour - $6.50) came on draft. On the wall it said $9, so I was pleasantly surprised that they gave me the happy hour pricing that isn’t well publicized.
The Black Iron burger ($15.50) came with double 4 oz. all natural beef patty, double horseradish cheddar, stout caramelized grilled onions, and a special horseradish mayo. This meat was very delicious and juicy. You don’t really taste the horseradish cheddar much, but the horseradish mayo added a subtle but enjoyable kick for those that like that. The grilled onions were unnecessary as they were a little too sweet for me. I thought the price was a little on the expensive side, but it was good. If I went again, I’d probably do a custom burger build and just add the horseradish mayo.
The Onion Rings ($7.50) came thin and crispy and served with house-made ranch dressing. The onion rings were very good with one criticism. I thought the batter should have been much more crispy than what it was. I’m a fan of batter that “sticks” to the onion rings, but really this batter is so thin and light that it easily falls apart if you don’t hold the onion ring right. The batter has a consistency of frying flour without an egg glue. The ranch dressing was pretty good as well, but I think they can improve the batter on the onion rings and make it more crispy.
Second visit
We came here for a second visit for a very quick 30 minute dinner before a theater showing. We were able to walk in around 5:45 PM on a Wednesday evening without any issues. We mentioned to them we had a show at 7 PM, and they expedited the food for us.
The Midnight Expresso Burger ($16.95) came with two 4 oz. all natural beef patties, cheddar, onion rings, lettuce, and espresso BBQ sauce. This was a pretty straight forward burger with good ingredients. The burger patty was juicy, and it hit all the right spots if you like BBQ sauce. The sauce was darker and thicker than expected, but it was good and bold.
The Patty Melt ($13.95) came with 5 oz. all natural beef patty, swiss cheese, stout caramelized grilled onions, and buttered rye bread. This was a straight forward patty melt with a good beef patty.
The Loaded Fries ($10.25) came with cheddar, scallions, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. The fries were super crispy, and all the condiments were quite good stacked on top.
Final Verdict
The food here was exactly how I expected in terms of taste. It was pretty good, and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again if I didn’t care for the price. Yep, the price I find is a little on the high side, but this is Manhattan. Otherwise if you’re in a burger mood, this is a pretty decent place. Consider getting the horseradish mayo if you like horseradish.
Yelp Jabs
The burger itself was fine. Overpriced and nowhere near as good as Five Napkin Burger.
I’ve always felt Five Napkin Burger was also overpriced and not that great. Five Napkin Burger suffers the same issue where the price is expensive for what you get, and the patties are small. I still think back to the day in North Williamsburg where I simply loved Pops Burgers.
No question…the best burger I’ve ever had! I had the Black iron Burger …
This Elitist is from Alabama. I would have thought they make pretty good burgers in Birmingham, but I guess not. I’ve had better burgers everywhere. This restaurant is definitely in the upper middle of my burger tier, but no where near the best.
Revisions
- Jan 28, 2025 - Second visit.
- Jul 8, 2022 - Initial revision.