Epstein's Bar, LES: the burger

We ended up at Epstein's Bar in the lower east side the other night.  Word from my friend's roommate was that they have a good burger.  The folks at CityRag agree.  They're smart folk.

Epstein's opened a while back in the old Living Room space.  The Living Room was a tiny little bar, packed with tables, where you could catch some pretty decent music on the right night (for free, no less), like, for example, the wonderful and talented Lauren Hoffman.  Those were the days. 

Somehow, the owners of Epstein's made the same space seem double the size.  They opened up floor to ceiling windows and doors, and put some tables outside.  Perfect for people-watching, if that's your thing.  It's mine.  There's a sizeable bar still, but only a handful of tables inside.  Lower east siders don't need all those tables (and they look just like east villagers did 10 years ago).   And, they have what appeared to be a really good internet-connected jukebox.  And a big flat-screen TV. 

None of that matters.  What matters is that the burger ($7 with bacon, although you can get it for $5 without), is really excellent.

I've read that they use the same beef supplier that the Corner Bistro uses.   I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing, but, the burger is juicy and delicious.  Nicely charred and beefy. 

It comes with some probably-Sysco McDonald's-style french fries (that's a good thing), a toasted bun, some lettuce, a "tomato" slice, and raw onion.  Push the lettuce and unripe tomato thing aside.  There's no place for that on a burger.  Better yet, use the lettuce to hold some ketchup for those fries and for burger dipping.  And put the raw onion on the burger, where it belongs.

Wash the 7 dollar burger and fries down with a 3 dollar pint of Stella, and you've got yourself one of the most cost-effective and tasty meals in the lower east side.  Although, this deal is certainly trumped by the 2-for-1 burger deal they have all day Sunday.  That's just silly.  It's almost worth me driving into the city to eat here on a Sunday.   

If you're lucky you'll get the bartender we had, whose name is Ben.  He acknowledged his limitations ("You really don't want me to make a mojito"), had a good sense of humor, and was friendly and affable, even to this old, chubby, and painfully unhip guy from NJ.  That says a lot right there.  Don't you think?

Note the lower east side hipster in the above pic.

Epstein's Bar : 82 Stanton St  : New York, NY : 212.477.2232

Comments

[dbrociner]

tommy, how would you compare this with the Copeland burger?

[tommyeats]

dbroc, to my mind you really can't compare the two. i think the quality of meat at Copeland is probably a bit higher, although i'm not convinced that "quality of meat" is really all that important to a good burger.

but, as far as how well it was cooked, and the juiciness, and the size, they are comparable. and, this was a very very good pub burger. the fries can't stand up to Copeland's, though. and the wine list at Epstein's leaves a lot to be desired. :)

the bun here is a regular old hamburger bun, as opposed to copeland's rocking roll. those little touches set the Copeland burger apart. but yeah, this is one helluva good 7 dollar pub burger.

[Rail Paul]

Copeland's makes an excellent burger, but the price is pretty substantial. Like $13 at lunch, or something in that range.

I'd expect a superb burger and fries at that price, at Copeland's delivers both

[tommyeats]

i can never get too upset about prices of things like burgers. this is how i look at it:

you're getting a meal. in the case of the Copeland burger (or hopefully any other burger that you choose to eat), you're getting an exceptional product.

i don't know of many places where you can get an exceptional meal for 15 dollars. to that end, a 15 dollar burger is a bargain.

i'd certainly rather spend 20 dollars on an exceptional burger than 18 on some mediocre chicken. or steak. or anything else for that matter.

that's my spiel. you all can use it if you'd like. just please put it back when you're done.

[Ev]

You didn't tell me it was in the Living Room space! Spent quite a few evenings there seeing Jim Boggia...
And pal, you're not old, chubby OR painfully unhip in my book! Leave that to the rest of us, willya? hehe

[Anita Dish]

i think the Copeland burger is the best i've had anywhere...so juicy and delicious!

jackson hole does a nice burg also, as for their price, it's about $12 with the topping that i like

[Jenny]

The burger is one of the best i've had in the city, but the other night my friend and I had the pasta and a cobb salad, and that to me was just as good as the burger. The price was right!