Grazin’

Yes, I understand that a burger made from an animal who lived on a local farm will cost more than your Sysco-​sourced junk, and yes, I admire the ethos here.
But when said $ 18 burger is most memorable first for its blandness and second for its price tag, that’s the only positive thing I can say about the joint.
Rock on, socially-​conscious restaurateurs. Glad you do what you do. But I’d recommend satisfying a burger fix elsewhere.

Great place for lunch! We enjoyed the juicy and delicious burger. Also, the best chili I’ve ever had at a restaurant. A big plus that they have high quality ingredients. Definitely reasonable prices. The service was great too. Can’t wait to go back.

People complaining about the prices here don’t understand how food works. The meat here isn’t from factory farms, like it is at an $ 8 burger place. Properly raised meat is better for you, and I’m okay paying more for it.
The burgers we got were all perfectly cooked to the temperature we asked, and the quality was excellent from the meat itself to the condiments and pickles. The owner greeted us and it was clear that she’s passionate about what they’re doing there. It’s apparent that they truly care about sustainability and animal welfare. That’s not something you get from the average burger joint!

OK, I avoided this place because I thought it would be uptight and full of weekend folk. My mistake… this place is awesome.
Hats off to a super local and friendly staff. (Yes, Rebecca, you are the hostess with the mostest).
The food is farm fresh and MELTS in your mouth. I guess that we are not used to really fresh food which is why the taste was incrediable on impact.
Highly recommend the burgers. Yes, the place is more price than most diners… but it is worth every penny and we will back… a standout on Warren Street.
Kid friendly too.

I can’t say enough great things about this place! They can do no wrong — amazing juicy burgers, perfect fries with homemade ketchup, and the sodas! Oh my! good thing you can’t find these soda everywhere or else I’d be a big soda drinker. Good news is if all sodas were like this, they probably wouldn’t have the terrible reputation they currently have.
My husband and I loved it so much that we went back for breakfast the following day — just good, fresh, simple ingredients cooked to perfection. And amazing service during both visits!

I am a big fan of railroad car diners. When you add to that a menu of fabulous burgers, I’m very happy. The meat is certified humanely raised – and it tasted wonderful. I went on a Monday mid-​afternoon and it was empty, but filled up over time. The décor is clean and bright. Did I mention it’s a diner? The special burger had bacon goat cheese and arugula with a citrus dressing, so of course I tried that. Delish – tho I ordered the burger medium and it was a little more pink than I expected. But with meat of that quality, I actually liked it. The burger prices reflected the location – in trendy Hudson. The fries that came with were also terrific, with homemade-​seeming ketchup. I can’t wait to go back.

The owner was hanging out having lunch at the bar when we walked in and we chatted with her for a while. It’s wonderful to talk to the people who care so much about the food and the customers who keep the lights on. She works on the family farm they source the majority of the ingredients from — and it shows. The food is spectactular.
My wife and I both had burgers, done different ways. I’ll spare the details, but I’ll say this: If you’ve never had a grass fed burger with a short supply chain you have to try it. There’s a different flavor to the meat, almost an umami, that’s tough to describe. You don’t get it from grocery store packaged meat — even if it says it’s from all grass fed cattle.
This place is great, and busy, so show up early for a table!

During a recent trip to the Museum of Firefighting, made the stop to Grazin due to all the great reviews. Had a 10 minute wait on a Saturday afternoon for a table for two. Excellent service and food. We had the Suzie and Stines burgers and both were top shelf. Would certainly return.

I was very surprised at the price of the burgers, they were all a shade under $ 20. I was visiting from Manhattan where is common to see $ 20 burgers but I did not expect it upstate.
I got the grazin burger with bacon. It was a very tasty burger with a nice serving of fries. It hit was delicious and hit the spot. But was it $ 20 good? Probably not, but I do appreciate their theme of using locally sourced organic meat.
The price deters me from putting this at the top of my list of places to come back to, but should the mood strike, I will revisit for a solid burger and fries.

I loved this little gem so much! My food was awesome and the staff was so nice. I went in by myself and the waiter and waitress had no problem chatting me up and making me feel welcome. Their whole schtick is farm-​to-​table and it’s done very well. Definitely going back when I want to naw on some red meat, which is most of the time.

Awful. Just awful hipster joint. Both times i ate here over the last year i got sick. :(

Grazin’ is great! And super kid friendly. We showed up with our baby, and he immediately got farm toys to play with (sanitized after each use!). We all had delicious burgers and fries and everyone was so nice and friendly. We’ll definitely be back!

Having walked the entire length of the town, I was certainly pleased to find an eatery as good as this cute little retro-​diner before my hunger made me go all Donner Party on my friends. GREAT locally sourced burgers and my chocolate milkshake was outstanding. My friends seems so pleased with their orders that I feel confident they forgot all about my grumpy threats to eat them earlier.

Grazin’ bills itself as «the first completely Animal Welfare Approved restaurant in the world,» with meat from a farm in nearby Ghent. I can’t say I admire the food as much as the social consciousness yet but I’d be happy to try again.
Given the burger specialization I was underwhelmed with the flagship sandwich, «The Grazin’.» It just wasn’t large or juicy enough. Perhaps the more exotic creations like the «Uncle Dude» or lamb burger would have been better choices. But the homemade soda is a selling point; the minty, not-​too-​sweet birch beer was very refreshing. Other strengths include top-​notch fries and friendly service.

I have begun taking comfort in sourcing the food that I eat. And while this isn’t something that I practice each day, it is a theme in my life that has become increasingly important. When I think of a diner, I don’t normally associate it with words like «Organic,» «Natural,» «Grass-​fed,» or «Ecologically friendly.» But why not? Why isn’t it just the way things are?
The majority of the food you’re bound to order at Grazin’ comes from their own farm, Grazin’ Angus Acres in Ghent, NY. All of the cattle at the farm are raised on a grass diet and are free from hormones. Most notable of all is that all of the livestock is Animal Welfare Approved, meaning that these living creatures have been raised and treated with integrity. This is very important to me as a consumer and human being.
I came to Grazin’ for dinner on a Saturday night in October. Before you step foot in the door, you’ll probably stop to snap a few pictures of the classic aluminum storefront. Consistent with the retro feelings conjured up by the façade, you’re greeted by a jukebox (super fun selection of music on here), a slew of booths, and classic counter seating. A quick review of the menu reveals that, on the surface, there are very few frills. Burgers, a couple of salads, grilled cheese, soup, chili, and french fries. I started by ordering a housemade cola. Yes, that’s right, soda made at the diner. It was light and herbal, with notes of nutmeg and wintergreen. My wife had a beer that was brewed in nearby Athens, NY. It was served in a frosted mug and it was wonderful.
On to the main attraction: The burgers. It took me some time to decide on which burger was the right one for me. For the most part, the burgers were simple and came with the standard set of toppings, plus a few others that might be a bit unconventional like the jalapeño-​apple jam. I settled on the Grazin’ Burger, which was as simple as it gets — one slice of Havarti cheese, a little onion, and some field greens. I wanted to taste this beef and all of the time and emotion invested into the animal that it once was… It delivered on every level. Normally, I like to pile my burgers high with all sorts of toppings and condiments. The Grazin’ Burger was literally the first in my entire life that I did not put even so much as a drop of ketchup on. The meat tasted fresh in a way that I had not experienced before then. It tasted pure. It tasted loved. The burger came with fries that were just out of this world. We dipped them in housemade ketchup and mayonaise (!). We finished the meal with a black and white milkshake and a homemade cookie.
It should be noted here that you will not find traditional diner prices at Grazin’, as it is a bit expensive. However, don’t just consider what you have on your plate and think of dollar signs. Consider what you are supporting. You are supporting the humane treatment of living creatures. You are supporting farmers, the generations that came before them, and the generations that will follow. You are supporting a movement. Don’t allow the 1-​star reviews based on the absence of a particular type of cheese cloud the truth about Grazin’ Diner. This is a truly unique operation and one that I’m proud to patronize.

Grazin’ is amazin’. What a great looking, comfortable diner. The décor is in the spirit of an old 1960’s diner. A jukebox for effect and old ’45’s hanging on the walls. The service was wonderful. Our waiter was kind, welcoming, and there when we needed him.
We loved that they are a farm to fork restaurant certified in using only humanely treated meats (they say they are the 1^st restaurant in the U.S. To use exclusively humanely treated meats) and the vegetables are farm fresh.
The sausage and peppers sandwich was great. A fresh natural, sweet, Italian sausage in a top cut roll topped with farm fresh sautéed onions, green peppers and mushrooms. The grilled cheese with kale pesto lunch special was a great idea and well done. The kale adds a great texture and layer of flavor to the sandwich topped with cheddar and havarti cheeses. The French fries are ridiculously good and one can eat many of them before leaving the diner. The sodas are made the old fashioned way and the shakes and root beer floats were well done.
This was a really nice food experience in the heart of Hudson, NY. Thanks for a great lunch! Keep up the great work.

We caught them right before closing time so I wonder if that effected the service or quality. Place was good, not great. I was super happy to get a meal that was Farm to Face fresh. I grew up on a ranch and know fresh and this place delivered.
This place def had a old dinner feel but with modern food. Staff was OK, somewhat distracted at times but still willing to help. Thanks to Unilocal with help finding this place.

Here’s the rub… it’s in an old chrome diner. Good.
The not so good The burger was pretty feeble for 10 bucks. I know I know, the hipster sustainable grass fed GMO free gluten free beef… but honestly it looked like a hockey puck I used to shoot back in the freezing Connecticut winters. If your a skinny hipster that has roamed up from Brooklyn for the weekend and are eagerly craving to be «real» with the working man at a diner with a fashionable twist of grass fed meat, be my guest (even though I hate hipsters). I just know about six other places that wont make you crave something to eat afterwards like I did. Hudson has a lot of price product mismatches, so watch your ass and your wallet.

I’m a big fan of things like farm-​to-​table, sustainable, grass-​fed beef, etc. I will gladly dine at Grazin’. I like the concept of these things in a diner. Just don’t expect it to be haute cuisine. What it feels more like, to me, is the kind of meals I had growing up, at the kitchen table.
Several things about Grazin’ are really appealing to me. The first is the soda — as in real soda, with actual sugar… birch beer and cream soda tasting like they were really meant to taste, with the additional subtleties and complexities. Plus the soda comes with ice — a lot of ice — as in maybe you have to move some out of your soda to your water glass for chilled water.
Another is their french fries. If you close your eyes and eat one, you’d swear it was a Five Guys fry. Yes, they are that good.
I ordered a Grazin’ burger, medium, with a side of salad instead of the fries (I was lucky someone else shared theirs). The salad looked a lot like the kind I made growing up, picking fresh lettuce out of my parents’ garden, plus peppers and onions (but sadly, no tomatoes today). The burger came out to order, at which point I remembered something else about grass-​fed, chemical-​free beef — it tastes better cooked longer, especially when it’s not flame grilled. The pink center of a medium burger cooked this way isn’t quite as tasty as it might be cooked medium well. It came with onions and greens, but again sadly no tomato. If you want something with slightly stronger flavor, consider one of their specialty sandwiches, such as the ham club.
The other great thing about a farm-​to-​table restaurant is that the meals of the day will feature in-​season produce. And there’s a lot of local farms from which they can get supplies, another nice feature of this interesting addition to Warren St.

How can so much substance taste like… nothing?
The diner-​may-​care aesthetic will appeal any fan of nostalgia, burgers, chocolate malts or stylishly aloof servers whose names may actually be Flo. Grazin’ has serious curb appeal, and after it’s dug its claws in to you, the 100% animal welfare certification will help assuage your carnivorous guilt knowing your meal lived the life.
We waited longer to get a table greeting than to get our meals — it was twenty minutes before a server stopped by after being sat. And once the burgers arrived (her, the original Grazin’; me, the Uncle Dude with cheddar, «bacon,» jalapeño relish and chipotle mayo), the 6oz patties disappeared disappeared in a third of the time.
And not with broad smiles and juice-​dripping chins. The beef is clean (grass-​fed and finished, boasts the menu), but it lacked seasoning and fat. The fries were fine, pleasant even, as was the house-​made ketchup, but the burgers. Oh, the burgers. Even with the relish and the smoked, too lean Canadian bacon, giving tooth to the sandwich was like eating a clean napkin.
With the wait, the hefty price (sure, it’s humane but it’s from your own farms!), and the lackluster food, it was a definite miss for us.