Ever since this spot opened about three years ago, we have been wanting to try this place out. Didn’t think it will take this long… but hey, when you are living a fun, busy life with so many other places to try, it can take a long time sometimes…
The first thing I heard about this place was their similarity to Shake Shack. Since I like Shake Shack, that was not a bad thing to me. I could see similarities in their offerings, and also their logo. Regardless, they seem to be doing pretty good with high reviews. There is a small seating area right at the entrance with counter table and bar stool chairs. They had hooks under the counter for your purse or bag, a nice considerate touch.
The inside is not very big, just enough to fit a handful of people comfortably. It was nice and clean, bright and open. They had a delivery staffs on stand-by, as they seem to get many delivery orders.
They don’t have many seating, but a creative way to maximize it. They have a counter with bar stool in the inside, and another counter, set several inches lower, facing the restaurant with metal chairs. I believe they close the window during the cold months, which eliminates the few seats that are places outside.
They have a brightly lit screen monitor showing their menu on the wall above the register. They offer burgers, shakes, hot dogs, etc. They had a picture of the meat cooking chart on the counter. For some people who are not exactly sure or know what each category like “Rare” and “Medium Rare” really mean, this is a very helpful chart. They also had a super cute tip jar in a shape of a huge burger.
Once your order is placed, then they start to cook your order. This means that it takes a bit longer time for your food to ready, but it will be super fresh! Another great thing is that they get their meat daily, and the burgers are made with farm-fresh produce. They offer veggie burger and a fish one too, but we decided to try their beef burgers. The first one we chose was Overlook ($6.95). We also added Cheese Fries ( $4.25) and a Dolce de Leche Shake ($5.75). They do not have any “set” items, so everything need to be ordered separately.
The Overlook burger came wrapped, I assume to keep all the toppings in its place. Their beef patty is made with 100% certified Angus beef burgers, which is another plus. They are free of antibiotics and hormones, served on a toasted potato bun. Overlook is made with beef patty, swiss cheese, grilled mushroom, grilled onion and their special Heights sauce.
The burger is a bit small, very similar to that of Shake Shack. I do however believe that this is the size that was normal for adults long ago. I heard that the kid’s size burger at McDonald’s used be adult size in the past. Our food has grown bigger, which is not always a good thing when you really think about your health… Anyways, this burger was great, really juicy, packed with flavor, and each bite was heavenly. The mushroom and onions were cooked perfectly, absorbing all the “umami” and went great with the patty. The buns were soft and super fluffy!
The cheese fries were pretty good too. The fries were nice and thick, crispy exterior with soft, potato-y inside. the seasoning on it was really tasty. It was very satisfying and filling, and yes, addicting… I thought the amount of the cheese fries were good for the price, it was a good enough portion to share among the two of us.
Dolce de Leche shake was really good, smooth, velvety, with great flavor. I thought it might be overwhelming with sugar and caramel, but it was mild and went down smooth… Their shakes are made with Italian gelato, and this probably has a lot to do with the flavor being less sugary. Italian gelato has a lower sugar and fat content than ice cream. That means I can enjoy this guilty pleasure better with less guilt… And they filled the cup with the sweet goodness all the way to the top. Thank you!
For the second choice, we went with Amsterdam ($7.25), Sweet Potato Fries ($3.70) and Mint Chocolate Chip Shake ($5.75).
And look at this beauty! Amsterdam burger is made with beef patty, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, homemade guacamole and chipotle sauce. The guacamole is made in-house, so another thing that they can offer nice and fresh! I thought they will put a small amount of guacamole on the patty, but no, they put a generous amount of it, like a mountain! It could be a disaster eating it, if you are not careful…but otherwise, it was awesome!
I know the green of the lettuce and green of the guacamole blends in together… Maybe this photo below shows the guac better? Anyways, they had a nice amount of it! I am picky when it comes to guac, but their guac was pretty good. The lettuce was super fresh and crispy, tomatoes were sliced nice and thick, again very fresh. The patty was juicy and flavorful. I was very happy with this burger also.
Sweet Potato Fries were good, lightly fried and had a good, real sweet potato flavor. They are thinner than the regular fries, and had a bit more crunch to it. Since I like softer fries, I prefer the regular fries, but that’s just me.
One cool thing about their sweet potato fries is that they come with maple mayo sauce! It kind of tasted like honey mustard, but without the spiciness of the mustard. It went really good with the fries, added extra sweetness to it.
The Mint Chocolate Chip Shake was really good too, smooth and minty, without overwhelming sweetness or being it too minty. It had a good amount of chocolate chips in it, which was fun to drink. They know how to make a really good shakes!
Burger Heights – 177 Wadsworth Ave, New York, NY 10033