The Burger Bistro

Bought a groupon and had a positive filling experience. you get a crayon and a plastic laminated menu. You circle or check that which you want on your burger and how you likeit cooked so there is zero chance of miscommunication or annoying wait staff who I have met who insist on NOT taking any notes by writing down the order and just memorizing it. There is zero chance of that happening. I really loved the freshness and the burger quality and the clarity of communication by having the menu maked with my crayon. Highly recommend.

On Sunday, January 9, 2016 I surprised my boyfriend with his 40^th birthday dinner at the Burger Bistro in Bay Ridge. Although they don’t take reservations, the manager Patrick said it was no problem to accommodate our group of 8. I spoke to him a few weeks in advance and he even hooked me up with a tee shirt to give my boyfriend as part of the surprise. Above and beyond my expectations for sure! I asked if I could provide table decorations and he was very accommodating.
Waitresses Danielle and Lucy did a fabulous job getting all our guests comfortable before the birthday guy arrived. It was pretty special because my boyfriend’s parents had flown in from The Netherlands for the dinner and he had absolutely no clue. When we entered the Bistro everyone who was eating there stopped and sang Happy Birthday! It was truly special and that was just the start!
From the beers and appetizers to the burgers all the food was served fresh, hot and perfectly prepped to each of our individual requests. The staff at the Burger Bistro does a superb job at making sure everyone is satisfied without being at your table every second. The ice cream sandwiches came cut to share and the staff carefully placed the 40^th birthday candle I supplied on the plate.
I can’t thank the entire team at Burger Bistro enough. If you don’t live in Bay Ridge I highly recommend you take the R and have the best burger in the five boroughs. Thank you for making this evening the BEST ever!

Good was good but they need to learn to make burgers wells done when someone chooses extremely well. Still pink inside.

Good burgers. I like the lamb burger and tater tots are a cool menu item. Nice selection of toppings for the burgers. You have a million combos of meat bread and toppings for the burgers. I would say on the higher end price wise but you get what you pay for.

I’m not quite sure what they’re going for with this place — it’s basically a food truck with a waiter.
PROS:
— Burger was very tasty, if a bit undercooked (we both ordered medium and they were on the rarer side of medium-​rare).
— Tots were crunchy and delicious.
— Plenty of customizations.
— Good beer selection.
CONS:
— All add-​ons are $ 1.50, which means a burger can quickly hit $ 20+ — how can pickled jalapenos cost the same as cheese and bacon?
— My slice of smoked gouda was cold and unmelted.
— Lettuce, tomato, onion were underneath the patty; not sure this is a bad thing, but odd.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
— Shredded lettuce… just no. Especially not on a burger.
— «Kobe beef», please, have some self-​respect and remove this nonsense from the menu.
— Create some pre-​configured burger combinations
— Get rid of table service (waiter was friendly but unnecessary).
FINAL RESULT: 2.5 /​5
Would recommend Bark, Frites and Meats (truck), Sheep Station instead.

We first came here with the Groupon deal and this is now one of our favorite burger restaurants. My 2 sons enjoy the laminated menu where you can check the box with a crayon to personalize your order. We only order the beef. The meat is always juicy and cooked to as per request. Once you have the real burger can’t go back to chain fast-​food franchises anymore. The fries are not too greasy and burnt. The staffs here are always friendly and attentive especially Lucy who is super nice and pretty, I meant professional… :-P
The free soda refill is a bonus. We will definitely continue to come back. :-)

If you want to run away from adult responsibilities and feel like a child again, Burger Bistro might be a good place to start.
The menus lets you personalize your burgers/​meals with a crayon! This makes the communication between the wait staff and customers much easier.
I got the groupon deal $ 10 for $ 20. Ordered a Veggie burger with guacamole. Heads up though, most of the toppings, there’s an extra charge. Extra charge on cheese, onions, even sauces!
I was really excited to try the seasoned fries but when i asked the waitress, she told me there was only regular fries.bummer.
Veggie burger was good, nothing too extraordinary. If it wasn’t for the groupon deal, i dont think i would return.

I like the place. Been there twice, once with a group once alone.
The food: above average burger (got MR cooked correctly both times, friends got R and M also cooked the right way). Average sides and toppings (good but nothing you can’t get elsewhere). Desert is ice-​cream. I don’t get ice cream my lunch and this place is totally lunch.
The service: Perfect. Been there twice and both times the server rocked.
Prices: above average but I don’t judge a restaurant by their prices (unless they sneak costs).
Glad I finally walked in here

Now this is a place that I used to go to enjoy a great burger and fries but to be honest after a few years this place had just gone down! The burgers are small, their fries are just ok.
Their dessert are frozen like the ice cream they charge u $ 7 for a small ice cream where u an get the same in a deli for 2.50 $
The service and atmosphere is ok… Not the best place. Is small and the prices are $$$$$$ not worth my money! I will not go again!

I give this place 4 stars for the cleanliness, service, variety, and flavor of a burger joint.
Burgers are fresh and they understand the difference between rare, medium, well, etc.
Their buffalo tater tots are interesting (good)
Nothing was greasy or felt heavy.
They Also serve liquor.
The only downside are the prices… A burger can run from $ 9 (very basic) to over $ 20 depending on how you dress it. Nonetheless, you leave feeling full!

We’ve been here a few times and wanted to come back because we had good memories here. On this particular visit, however, the burgers weren’t as good as we remembered them to be. We came with a group of 5 on a Sunday afternoon so it was quite easy to get a table. Thanks to the owners for having unlimited refills on sodas, and thanks to the staff for being on top of their game. We were quite thirsty from paintballing so we downed countless sodas.
As for the food, we started with buffalo tater tots and they were delicious! Good appetizer for a small group to share. Then came out burgers which we all went with beef instead of other meats. Toppings were plentiful since they do have over 2 million combinations possible! Everyone ordered something a little different such as bacon, mushroom, onions, pineapple, jalapeño, and others. They certainly do not cheap out on the toppings at $ 1.50 each.
The only issue we had were with the cooking temperature of the burgers. Everyone who ordered medium got theirs rare. Rare to the point where we had to use forks to rip the meat apart instead of biting through it. Those who ordered medium well had a leather puck! The meat was so overly cooked that it was dry and hard to eat. We had to lather the burger in ketchup in order to make it edible. Though the temperature was off, at least the flavor was good and the patties well seasoned!
We wouldn’t write off the Burger Bistro, we just probably caught them on a bad day. We’d still come back.

I probably end up coming here like at least once a week so I can say I’m a fan. I have to start off by saying that this place can be pretty pricey so the best times to come are for lunch — check out their lunch specials; it changes occasionally, but on a typical day you can get a good meal for under $ 15, tax/​tip included.
This place is more or less «build-​your-​burger» place and they charge per topping and per side. So be mindful, it could get pretty expensive quick without you noticing. Their lunch specials however, allow for 1 choice of meat, bread, cheese, sauce/​topping, and fries for under $ 15.
The sweet potato fries are my favorite, the Kobe beef wasn’t worth the extra money, and I don’t know why but their diet coke is on point! Definitely swing by if you work in the area!

Great location, nice décor, helpful service and good food.
Only complaint is that the music can be a bit too loud. This can make it difficult to have a conversation vs shouting match. Keep the music playing just lower

If you want a classic beef burger with American cheese, look no further. Burger Bistro does an excellent job of making quality burgers even without the frills. I’ve only ordered delivery from here so I can’t say much about their dining –in experience. But even with delivery, they were very quick and the burgers were not soggy or lukewarm by the time they arrived. The good thing about their burger is that they are not greasy, unlike Shake Shack or Five Guys. The only complaint I have is probably their salad appetizers. For a small salad, it costs a pretty penny ($ 9) and that’s without adding any meat to it.

Oh bother, how I wanted to love this place. I was drawn in by the build-​your-​own burger style that is perfect for multiple eating styles and those with allergies– they even have a separate gluten-​free fryer. However, the price is way too high. $ 60 for tots, 2 burgers (only 1 – 2 toppings each) with fries, and 1 beer? Oh, let’s not forget the $ 1.50 I was charged for hot sauce. I do not think the experience justified that.
For starters, the bench seating definitely needs a cushion for the back considering you’re forced to lean forward because of the mirror at shoulder/​head level. Imagine sitting like an upside down #7… Not too comfy. The tables are pretty small as well, which I could have dealt with. However, they are soon crowded with condiments, glasses, a water bottle, and plates. Speaking of plates, way too small for the satisfying portions, so much so that my toppings and fries constantly teetered on the precipice and eventually slipped off the edge to no man’s land. The crispy sweet fries were coated in a tempura batter and yummy in that fried-​way. The regular fries are thick cut and clearly real potatoes, though definitely lacking in seasoning.
The good– servers were very friendly. Homemade (in the LES) veggie burgers, fluffy gluten-​free bun, and outstanding buffalo tater tots satisfied my taste buds. Portions are large.
Overall, great concept; poor execution. I think I’ll give them another try.

After coming here a handful of times, I think a review is long due.
The place is very modern and classy looking.
Came here just in time to catch lunch special. $ 11 for a burger, cheese, topping and side order.
The burger tasted so good. Very mouthwatering. Every bite I took, I just wanted to take another. The side orders are so generous. Most of the times I don’t finish it! Soda is $ 3 a cup with free refills! They also have a decent variety of wine but I’m no expert.
The waiter/​waitress is a hit or miss. Mostly a hit for me, very attentive and helpful. If you have questions, they are more than happy to help.
One of the top choices for me to get lunch.

I’m glad to have found a good place where a meat eater and a vegan can both enjoy a meal together with neither having to compromise. I really like the veggie burger. Having eaten the token vegan item at many places because it was the only thing available to me, I can say that Burger Bistro’s veggie burger is not an afterthought. It’s fresh and moist yet holds together well. It does not taste like a Dr Praeger’s or anything from the freezer. The only vegan-​friendly bun is the whole wheat, and that’s good too. I also particularly like the deep-​fried corn on the cob appetizer, the freshly made potato chips, and the sweet potato fries. There are no vegan dessert offerings though, so I recommend walking a couple blocks to Shangri-​La (
) for their yummy vegan ice cream.
The simplicity of ordering is great: just check off items with a dry erase marker on a plastic menu. I tend to stick to the extras on the menu that give the most bang for the buck, such as the portobello mushroom – deelish on a veggie burger! Toppings add up fast, and IMO most just aren’t worth the cost. For example, I think $ 1.50 is a lot for 2 tablespoons of guacamole. FYI, if you get the deep-​fried corn, it comes with chipotle mayo, so save that for your burger rather than pay $ 1.50 additional for it as a topping.
The wait staff have all been very friendly and helpful. They’re attentive to the extras that make a meal relaxing, such as offering to refill drinks and bringing napkins without having to be called over. The music tends to be alternative rock & grunge, fine by me. The rest room is clean and well-​stocked. Burger Bistro participates in many coupon programs so it’s definitely worth doing a quick online search. Last time I ate there I used an Amazon Local deal.

Good burger joint with a lot of options to customize your burger. However, almost all of the options are add ons at an extra price. Toppings are $ 1.50 and the sauces are $ 1.50 (which is way too high just for sauce). The price is way to steep for a burger joint in Bay Ridge Brooklyn.
The burger itself is a bit on the oily side, a mixture of oily and juicy but the oil definitely turns you off. The sides are okay, also a little on the oily side which of course is understandable because they’re tator tots but oily sweet potato fries just don’t taste good. The pineapple definitely balances out the meat and tastes surprisingly good with the burger. I definitely recommend adding pineapple.

Been wanting to come try this place for awhile. Happen to be in the area, so there is no question in my mind that this will be the place that I will be coming for lunch. The place was smaller than i expected but they have a decent amount of seatings. Some 4 people tables on one side and 2 seater tables on the other.
Servers are really friendly and ask if it was first time. The way you order is a little different than your traditional restaurant. You mark what you want directly on the menu. Start off by picking appetizer, then on to the different type of burger patty, cheese, toppings, sauce, bread, and sides. We had the turkey burger, kobe beef burger sliders, and the lamb burger with a side of tater tots. The turkey burger was not too memorable and probably could skip. Lamb burger was good and juicy but didn’t taste too special. The kobe beef burger slider was amazingly good and melts in your mouth. The only thing i didn’t like about the slider was that you could not pick the type of bread the slider came with. The slider bread reminds me of school cafeteria bread. The tater tots came in a generous portion. It was nice and crispy.
Overall, the service was excellent. The food was just ok only the kobe beef stood out. Think shake shack prob would have tasted about the same and a cheaper price tag.

Wow!!! No like seriously! This place is awesome! The venue is small but they really make up for it in service and flavor! It’s really nice for intimate dates.
The service is really great and super attentive without being intrusive! As for the menu it’s interactive. They give you a grease pencil and let you go to town and pick what you want. It’s easy to go crazy with it but trust yourself and know it’s always better to keep it simple.
For starters we each ordered one I had the fried artichoke hearts and my boyfriend got the famous buffalo tater tots! This was both a blessing and a curse… They were both absolutely delicious and addicting! I couldn’t stop picking at them and the portions were huge! Definitely made for sharing!
When our burgers came we could only eat half as we had already gorged ourselves on the appetizers. After that and the beer specials we were way too full for the deserts! We vowed to come back except next time one appetizer for the both of us and we’re definitely getting desert!