Just because something is popular in New York City doesn’t mean that it has to be popular in Boston as well. Boston is its own city that can start and foster its own trends. It should not have to rely on trendy NYC gourmet burger restaurant imports like 5 Napkin Burger to add some spice to the restaurant scene.
Located on Huntington Avenue in a Prudential Center storefront, this overdecorated and overpriced gourmet burger restaurant opened earlier this year in March. Strung from the ceiling are vintage looking incandescent light bulbs and large meat hooks. In the center of the restaurant is an odd display with a meat grinder and two bowls filled with lemons and limes. In all, it is a failed attempt at butcher-shop chic.
The supposed crowned glory of the restaurant is the Original 5 Napkin Burger. A 10 oz. patty of fresh ground beef is cooked to request, then topped with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, rosemary aioli, and served on a soft white roll. While the meat was cooked just right and the bun was perfect, this burger fell more than short of its reputation. With not enough cheese, onions or aioli, this burger definitely constituted only one napkin.
Also offered is a turkey burger, an Ahi Tuna burger and a veggie burger. The actual veggie burger patty isn’t very unique, as it is mostly made of grains and beets. It is topped with the homemade 5N sauce, bread and butter pickles, lettuce and tomato, and served on a multi grain roll. This burger was quite tasty but definitely lacked the appropriate amount of seasonings.
5 Napkin Burger’s only redeeming qualities were the large amounts of perfectly cooked french fries, the homemade tower of onion rings and the spinach and artichoke dip (served with endive spears and french bread crostini).
So, the next time you’re looking for a good burger in Boston, save yourself $15 and go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, where chances are, you’ll actually need those five napkins.
For information on hours and reservations go to the 5 Napkin Burger website.
Thanks for the heads up–go Five Guys!