food comas

Burger & Barrel

Chef: Josh Capon
Cuisine: American, Burgers
Neighborhood: SoHo
Price: $25-40 per person
Address: 25 W Houston, NYC 10012
Telephone: (212) 334-7320
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 11:30am – 11:00PM Sunday to Wednesday, 11:30AM – 12:00AM Thursday to Saturday
Weekend brunch served 11:30am – 4pm

Burger & Barrel is a classic American gastropub servings burgers, steaks, fried chicken, pork chops, meatballs and other meat-sweatastic treats.  B&B is the SoHo follow up to Lure Fishbar from the triple-J team including restauranteurs John McDonald, Josh Pickard, and chef Josh Capon.  During the day, this classy neighborhood spot is spacious and airy, and at night it switches to a more sleek and intimate mood with the rich wooden paneling, red brick walls, and pendant lighting which creates a nice glow against the dark exposed ceiling.

I have eaten here multiple times for brunch and dinner and have enjoyed the very satisfying albeit greasy food (it’s a burger joint after all).  B&B is a great spot for any and all casual occasions including dates, friends, family, etc.  I even came with several friends to watch the NBA playoffs — it’s not exactly a sports bar as there is only one TV but the game was shown and all were content (I came for the food anyway).  My meal highlights include the Short Rib Hash for brunch, and for dinner, I always order the Chicken Lollipops and Braised Short Rib Tacos.  Also loved the Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich.  I’m not really a burger connoisseur but the general consensus amongst my friends is that the burgers are good, but maybe not really in the top 5 in Manhattan.  But I do love the side fries options and the generous thick slab of onion rings that top every burger!

BRUNCH MENU

Bacon Bloody Maria
Burger & Barrel’s own bacon-infused tequila, bloody mary mix and actual crispy bacon bits… I was intrigued by it but sucking up bacon bits through a straw was a bit too weird for me.  I love bacon and bloody mary’s but I prefer them separate.

Short Rib Hash with sunny side up eggs and warm tortillas
Heaven in brunch form.  The hash itself is just incredible, but it comes with delicious accompaniments such as perfectly fried sunny side up eggs, pico de gallo, creamy guacamole and this amazing flatbread to scoop it all up so you don’t miss even a crumb!

“Leo” Pizza with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, caramelized onions on flatbread
My sister liked the pizza but I personally wasn’t a huge fan of this combo of scrambled eggs + cream cheese + salmon.  I felt it was a bit bland even with all the “stuff” … but then again may have just been too distracted by the Short Rib Hash.

DINNER MENU

FOR THE TABLE

Chicken Lollipops: ancho chile or spicy buffalo
Basically fancy chicken nuggets that come in spicy or more spicy flavors.  I want more!

Bison Sliders with smoked cheddar, bacon and special sauce

SOUPS

Roasted Tomato Soup with a grilled goat cheese sandwich
I am obsessed with grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in creamy tomato soup — one of my favorite brunch dishes ever.  The goat cheese adds a nice tanginess to the dish with its distinct sweet and salty flavors.

TACO PLATES

Braised Short Rib with pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa
Josh Capon just knows how to do short rib right!  I always order this as a quick snack as it’s just so savory and refreshing with the thin pico de gallo and tomatillo salsas.

BURGERS

B&B Classic with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, American cheese, special sauce
I probably liked this one the best out of all the “fancier” burger styles on the menu.

Bash Style with caramelized onion & bacon jam, pickles, cheese
Very unique burger, Natalya was a fan of the pickles and bacon jam combo.

Mushroom & Gruyère with caramelized onions & dijonnaise
Can’t really go wrong with mushroom and gruyère, but it’s very rich as one would expect.  I’ve tried making my own Mushroom Duxelle Sliders version but that had the mushrooms and onions mixed in with the patty.

SIDES

French Fries, Polenta Fries, Brussel Sprouts, Sauteéd Spinach, Corn Pudding, Cous Cous, Tater Tots & Sweet Potato Fries (pictured)
I definitely want to try to polenta fries soon… the sweet potato fries and tater tots were yummy!

DESSERTS

Chocolate Chip Banana Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie is my favorite dessert ever, but this was a lot more chocolate chip than banana cream.  Only order if you like tons of chocolate chips coating your pie like sprinkles!