The Burger Bistro

I had the best burger in LIFE! If you are going there for a burger (which is the only reason you should be there) make sure you call ahead and order the doughnut burger. It’s a mixture with sweet and salty! Also if you are into appetizers the corn on the cob and the Buffalo tater tots. I believe the queens location closed but PLEASE make sure you go to the ones in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

I need to say that I don’t order out much and many times that I have, I ordered from Bistro Burger. I am very bummed out that it’s closed. So sad. All the items I’ve tried have been amazing! The burgers, the tots, the ice cream sandwiches were all so good. Shame that other sub-​par burger joints stay open and Burger Bistro closed.

Their fill out menu is similar to the meatball shop. I had a beef burger with a whole wheat bun. It tasted kind bad and now i have FOOD POISONING!!!
WARNING –They have no restaurant inspection grade posted!

Best burger in Astoria. Definitely up there with Shake Shake and Bareburger as the best burgers in NYC. I would call them the big three in the best burger businesses category.
First of all, completely customizable. We are talking about all toppings in play (lettuce, tomato, red onion free), lots of veggies, cheeses, and meats options.
Next, despite high menu prices it is usually a good deal. They have been on Groupon, LivingSocial, and Amazon Local multiple times. Also they have specials every single night like unlimited cheese night, half price wine night, etc.
Last but definitely not least, Garlic Bread Bun! Highly Reccomended.

Unique concept — a hybrid between The Meatball Shop (you get to write on your menus and choose the type of meat, cheese, toppings & bread) and Bareburger (selections-​wise). General manager seems down-​to-​earth and food itself was solid!
They also have a special every day of the week. Would personally go on Mondays for half-​off appetizers, Tuesdays for free toppings, or Sundays for half-​off sangrias!

Just had a solo dinner here with a groupon in tow. Ordered the lamb burger, medium-​rare, on a potato bun with smoked gouda, jalapenos, and wasabi mayo, with a side of sweet potato strings.
Solid meal, without a doubt. This place is good. The burger was juicy, cooked well, and the sweet potato strings were seriously delicious. Service was super friendly and welcoming.
I stuck with water, keeping it chill on a Wednesday night, but it seemed they had a decent drink selection. The place was empty when I got there, but I could see it hosting a crowd. it’s a good spot and I would definitely return. Only gripe I’d have with the place is that it’s overpriced. Without a groupon my lamb cheeseburger with a side of fries would have been like 20 bucks. That’s not reasonable for 31^st avenue burger joint in Astoria. I really thought the food was good so I wanna see it do well, and I like the whole «make your own burger» thang, but the prices need to come down if I’m gonna return without a promo, to be real about it.
But if you’re looking for a solid burger, check it out. I’d even go for it over bareburger, no joke.

Decided to try this seemingly anonymous burger joint on a whim and it turned a rainy Saturday night into a day on the beach. Was greeted as family as we entered the door and immediately felt at home. To say the wait staff was friendly would be like saying Deniro is a «decent» actor.
The special of the night was the Elk burger which Cory, my attentive waiter, informed me was a «bit more gamey than beef, yet still delicious». I utilized the unique salad bar-​esque ordering options for toppings and was on my way. While I don’t expect to order Elk again, I doubt it would be prepared as well as this.
The size of the burger was perfect. Big, without being obnoxious, it left just enough room for a fantastic dessert.
As far as drinks, fri/​sat night happens to be half off wine night. Perfect!
I wanted to focus on the burger so I avoided the sides, but my next trip will be focused on tater tots and seasoned fries without a doubt.
My only advice would be more definitive advice from the waitstaff, if I wasn’t as sure of my what I like as I am I could’ve used more direction.
Can’t wait to visit again!

Went here for my first time with my boyfriend. The customer service was great and the food was even better. I ordered Deep Fried Corn as my appetizer (highly recommend) and my meal was a Very Well done burger with bacon, cheddar and pepper jack cheese topped with a garlic roll.:) I was told about the glazed donut burger they have but I was informed by the waiter that it has to b ordered the day before and to call the day before if I want that special order.
I had a good experience here. I came around 4:30 so it wasn’t too busy here. I will definitely come back and feast again. Too bad I was too full for dessert because the options looked good also.

I had purchased an Amazon deal for here and decided to try it out one Saturday night. Upon arrival we were presented with menus and some red pencils to mark off what we wanted on the menu. It’s a bit gimmicky, but hey whatever, you get to build your own burger. They have a variety of toppings to choose from, but I went with a standard bacon cheese burger with fries. I find it best to go with the basics to really judge the taste of a burger.
When my food arrived in a reasonable amount of time and I dug in. The burger was more of a medium well instead of the medium I ordered. I find a lot of places do this. A burger place should really have this perfected as it is very important for flavor. Other then that the burger was decent. The fires however, reminded me of the frozen variety.
The staff was very friendly and helpful right from the beginning. They constantly checked in on us to make sure we were good. It was decent for an Amazon deal. I will not rule out returning, but there are better options in Astoria.

More like 2.5 stars.
Ordered on Grubhub tonight. Got a veggie burger with tater tots and a side of chipotle mayo. My burger was cold but still alright, the tater tots were good. However, they forgot the mayo which cost $ 1.40 so that’s frustrating. Secondly, their ordering time was kind of ridiculous, I ordered at 8:23 and the eta was between 9:55 — 10:05. Frustrating because businesses in the same area usually get here within 30 – 40 minutes. This order showed up before its eta, but still over a hour after I ordered and the food was cold.
I think I’ll give them another chance since they deliver to Roosevelt Island and not many places do, but not a great first try.

Great laid back environment. Friendly staff and great service.
Fried Corn! Must have

Eh? I’ve had better. I read reviews before going to this burger joint, but honestly I was disappointed. Its a little over priced for burger in Queens, and each add on is more $. Ohh and the Buffalo tots ! Overrated, it was awful. We ended up tossing almost all out.
Would we revisit? Umm don’t think so.

Service was great and friendly — quick to sit everyone walking in, good explanation of the menu and offering suggestions. I noticed the waiters were chatting with several other tables so very attentive and personal.
You get to «build your own burger» which is fun — choose your protein, toppings, type of bun etc. Lots of options but I think some of the toppings are overpriced (jalapenos and pickles should be free IMO)
I got a sharp cheddar burger — beef was juicy but was overdone for my medium request (I find this to be a common occurrence at most places so can’t really fault the place too much) Tasty but not really memorable.
Did NOT enjoy the fries at all. They taste like fake frozen fries.
Overall, it’s not a bad place but with so much competition in the hood, it wouldn’t be my first pick for a burger.

So I came here with a fellow Unilocaler since we both had a tots craving and I thought the place was just OK. The place inside is pretty straightforward, I remember looking around thinking this place didn’t have that homey feeling at all. One of the biggest draws was that the service was excellent, friendly and very attentive. I really thought every aspect of the service was wonderful.
The food:
Fried Artichoke Hearts w/​Horseradish Cream– It was a nice dish, but the artichokes could have been slightly crispier and the hearts were too mellow in flavor. Horseradish cream was a nice touch.
Med rare beef burger with fried mozzarella, fried egg, frizzled onions on toasted brioche with a side of tater tots. The patty had nice seasoning to it but it was slightly salty. The fried egg was messy, the frizzled onions were greasy and the fried motz were just two plain motz sticks??? The brioche was nice, but it was molested by the burger and toppings. It was a super messy burger and it was also hard to eat. It was way too high. Lastly the tots, one of my favs things, were overcooked, they were crunchy in a odd weird way.

On one of the coldest nights we have had this winter in NYC, I decided to be bold and brave the elements to fulfill a burger craving. Knowing that Bareburger was closed for renovations and making the trek to Sweet Afton was a little too adventurous no matter how bundled I was, I decided to give The Burger Bistro a shot.
The restaurant was relatively empty, given the cold weather and the fact that it was the middle of the week, so I sat at a table and was immediately greeted, asked if I had been there before (no, I have not), and was given the rundown of the menu/​approach to ordering. As instructed, I took my red colored pencil, checked off my choice of appetizer, meat, bun, and toppings, settling on the Buffalo Tater Tots and a relatively unadventurous burger (beef, frizzled onions as my main topping, and the horseradish cream on the side).
I can’t speak for all of the appetizers, but the Tater Tots are truly meant to be shared and not substituted as a side; the dish came out with way more tots than I could handle. The dish has a good combination of flavors, but the tots themselves were pretty mushy. I’m not sure if they just needed a bit longer to be cooked to get that nice, crispy outside that I like, or if it was the sauce that made them slightly soggy, but either way, that element was certainly lacking.
The burger was even more disappointing. I purposefully went with a «boring» burger to avoid any flavors from sauces and toppings interfering with my thoughts on the burger itself. Similarly, I went with the classic beef burger to see how they handled the basics. Unfortunately, the results were not so great, as the burger was inconsistent in both seasoning and cooking. There were a few bites that were flavorful and well-​seasoned, but overall, it was one extreme or the other; one bite would be completely over-​seasoned, the next extremely bland. As for the temperature, I ordered the burger medium rare, but it appeared to be cooked a little unevenly.
Ultimately, especially at the price point they’re offering, I was very underwhelmed. With several superior options in the area, I can’t see myself returning for any reason.

First time coming to this place. After discovering that one of my favorite spots closed, I decided to try a new place.
The size of this place is actually small. Nothing fancy but also not a take out spot. I was hoping to have the most amazing burger yet in Astoria but unfortunately I was disappointed. The burger itself was moderately sized but lacked in flavor. It was very dry as well. I found myself putting too much ketchup just to add flavor. The seasoned fries didn’t really have much flavor either. I found myself putting more ketchup than needed. I didn’t think the meal was that bad but I was hoping for a little more given the a la carte options and price. You basically choose what toppings you want on this menu with a chalk pen but be aware, you can pay a hefty price if you add too many toppings. Granted, the service was decent but if I’m in the mood to spend money on a really good burger, there are plenty of other options around the area.

Tried this place for the first time last night and loved it! I get what people are saying about the prices because if you keep adding things on it does get expensive but a burger with standard toppings is the exact same price as Bareburger. Also Bareburger charges $ 7 for a plate of PICKLES so I really don’t see much of a difference there. The thing that Burger Bistro has that Bareburger doesn’t is personal attention and the fact that they aren’t trying to rush you out the door to turn a table.
The beer and wine specials are awesome. Who can beat half priced beers on Thursday and half priced wine bottles on friday and saturday? That’s what attracted me at first to be honest. 3 smuttynose IPA’s for $ 10.
Also, the music was awesome. The fries had a little too much truffle oil taste for me but the rest of the food was killer. I had chicken breast with pepper jack and carmelized onions and tomatos on a lettuce wrap, my boyfriend had the beef burger with cheese and bacon on brioche. Both were cooked perfectly and very flavorful. We will definitely be going back.
The owner also came over to our table to ask how everything was. Seems like a very cool guy that cares about his business and his customers.
My only suggestion: slightly dimmer lighting for late evening dining.
Nice little Astoria spot with no lines, quick service, good food, great drink specials.

All-​around FANTASTIC experience!
We went in last weekend because it is close to home, and it was snowing pretty hard. We were immediately greeted and told to sit wherever we’d like. The server came over and gave us a run down on the menu, told us how to order, and let us know about the drink specials of the day. I ordered a lamb burger with avocado and portobello mushrooms, and my husband ordered a beef burger with frizzled onions and pickled jalapeños. We also got seasoned fries and sweet potato fries. EVERYTHING was delicious! The burgers were juicy and cooked to perfection. The fries were tasty, too! We got the $ 5 wine specials. The wine was decent. When I heard the server offer another table ice cream sandwiches for dessert, I was disappointed that we had ordered two sides. I was stuffed and had no room for dessert!
The server was extremely friendly, and he had rely great timing. He read us well, and he knew when to check in and when to let us be. The chef came out at the end and thanked us for our business. He also gave us a copy of a book that they just had a book signing for a few weeks before. We will most definitely be back!

(2 stars = «Meh, I’ve experienced better.») In short: The food was okay, the ambiance was great, but I probably won’t be back – mostly because of the price. I recommend BareBurger instead.
THE FOOD: 3* out of 5. The number one thing about a burger joint should be big, flavorful, juicy burgers, and I got 2 of the 3 (big and juicy), but the flavor just wasn’t there. I ordered a lamb burger with goat cheese, bacon, frizzled onions, pickles, lettuce and tomato, along with wasabi mayo on brioche, all of which should have built up to an amazing feast. Instead it tasted bland. The lamb itself lacked flavor or spices. The only flavor to the burger was the way I asked for it cooked (black and blue), so the charred taste, while delicious, didn’t have anything to back it up with. The wasabi mayo was surprisingly weak – I wound up relying on my wife’s chipotle mayo to add some spice to the burger – and the bacon, rather than in strips, is broken up (described as «crumbled» on the menu; I was afraid of getting Bacon Bits, which thankfully wasn’t the case). My bun held together well, while my wife’s was a soggy mess.
None of which is to say that the burger was bad, it just wasn’t great… especially for the price (coming soon!). I was not impressed.
Speaking of the wife’s food, when I sampled a bite of my wife’s burger, I got a big piece of ground gristle in my mouth – saved her from it, YES, go me! – but it was definitely unpleasant and unchewable. (It was otherwise edible and I know I just got a bad bite, but…)
I ordered a side dish, a yellow split pea salad that also wasn’t so great. Yellow split peas + onion + tomato + cucumber is all well and good, but from the word «salad» I was hoping for at least a few leafy greens. Meanwhile, the yellow split peas needed heroic amounts of salt to be palatable and I wound up using my wasabi mayo as the cream sauce the dish should have come with. (It was pretty bland without it.) I wound up with onion-​breath for hours later, which wasn’t appreciated either.
Also there was a surprising lack of wings on the menu. What’s up with that, Bistro?
None of that would really be a problem, except for…
THE PRICE: 2* out of 5. $ 8.25 appetizers? Get real.
And that burger up above? The meh-​mediocre one? That burger set me back $ 17.50 without a side dish, and $ 21.75 with the split pea salad. If that meal had been closer to $ 15 I would be much more okay with the quality and much less harsh with the review. And I might even have been fine at a $ 20 total price point, except for the manner in which your burger’s price sneaks up on you.
That burger started at $ 8.25 (basic). Add $ 2.00 for lamb (not unreasonable), $ 1.25 for cheese (+$ 1 for goat = $ 2.25), + $ 1.25 for bacon, + $ 1.25 for fried onions (really? the raw onions are free), another $ 1.25 for pickles (these should ALWAYS be free), and another $ 1.25 for a tiny, underflavored wasabi mayo, for a final cost of $ 17.50 (yes, that’s $ 7.25 in toppings alone.)
The fact that they’re charging for pickles and sauce is outrageous, unless those things incite religious experiences, which they didn’t, and $ 1.25 for fried onions is ridiculous too (I would pay $ 0.50 for these). But the way the menu is structured it’s designed to be easy to forget that each piece adds to the total; hence the overall price of my burger.
The side salad was $ 4.25 itself, leading to a total of $ 21.75 (plus wine, which was half-​off and is every Friday.) The way the menu is set up, unless you do the math very carefully you won’t notice how costly your meal is getting, which seems like a great way to make money but kind of underhanded.
THE AMBIANCE: 5* out of 5 (for a burger joint). Upscale, contemporary. The wall-​to-​wall mirror on one side had a nifty trick with a large painting across from it, which had text backwards (a la Da Vinci). While I expected to spend the entire meal trying to read backwards, having the mirror there meant I didn’t have to. Well-​lit. Great music selections too.
THE SERVICE: 3* out of 5. Server was friendly, though he never offered his name and was more interested in pointing out that there were locations in other boroughs than in helping us with the menu choices. Interesting moments including the waiter asking if my wife would like more soda ($ 3! … with free refills), but not asking me whether I would like more wine (I did, but I’m shy at speaking up in restaurants), and when I did ask for a second glass much later, bringing out a what I’m pretty sure was meh-​Merlot instead of the second glass of delicious Malbec that I ordered. It was half-​priced wine night, so I wasn’t really upset, but I definitely noticed the change (and was billed for the more expensive wine).
The burgers weren’t bad, the atmosphere is great, and I might go for appetizers (ONLY!) on Monday when the $ 8 appetizers are half-​off, but I can’t see myself going back for a burger with sneaky prices and disappointing food.

My wife and I walked by Burger Bistro this afternoon, noticing it as a new establishment in our neighborhood. We took one of their menus with us on our walk home, and having a little gift money to spend, decided to try Burger Bistro for dinner.
The service was pretty good: not too relaxed but not overly attentive, especially considering we were one of two couples in the whole place. I liked the build-​your-​own aspects of the burgers, but with so many options for meats and cheeses and toppings, I would’ve liked at least a little indication of what pairs well together. The food was decent, but for the price, I expected much, much better.
And there’s the rub: their prices are deceiving. If we hadn’t taken that menu home and really looked it over before we decided to eat there for dinner, we would’ve been pretty sticker-​shocked and angry when the bill came.
$ 8.25 base price for a burger, plus an extra dollar or two depending on your choice of meat, plus an extra $ 1.25 for any type of cheese (though some of those come with yet another additional dollar), plus an extra $ 1.25 for each additional topping like bacon, pickles (really? $ 1.25 for pickles?), caramelized onions (and even some of these, like avocado, add yet another dollar onto the bill), and yet another $ 1.25 for sauce. All told, you get a decent enough burger that comes out to almost twenty bucks, and that’s BEFORE you add on the $ 4.25 for fries, rings or side salad, and/​or the $ 8.25 for an appetizer. Like I said, for these prices, I expected exceptional food and really only got a decent enough meal.
The food itself is fine, the service is attentive and friendly, but because of Burger Bistro’s deceptive, too-​high prices, I think I’ll stick with BareBurger for higher end burgers and fries.