Patty & Bun American Tavern

I predict that this place is not long for this world. It was almost empty when I went there, and there was an air of desperation about it that should have warned me not to eat anything there. But I went ahead and ordered, anyway.
The menu has shrunk about 50% since the first and only time I was there before (which was shortly after they opened). Gone is the lamb burger, and a few other options. Now it’s just a hamburger with some topping and sauce options. That’s not a problem for me, though. If you do one thing, and do it well, good for you. A niche restaurant can certainly do well in this town. But this place… First, they screwed up the order, which arrived with American instead of Bleu cheese. It would be one thing if they’d forgotten the cheese altogether, but to put Kraft on it?
Second, they don’t ask you for how you want your burger done. What does that matter, you say? Surely they just make it medium rare, as any normal non-​fast-​food place would. Well, no. They bring it to you well done. «Well done» as in «this ground beef is too far gone to be served undercooked.» Not as in «well cooked.» I can still taste that rotten skanky meat aftertaste in my mouth, blurgh! Neither patty nor bun were edible. I ended up eating less than half of my burger before deciding that it would be better for my health not to finish it.
The service is, to put it mildly, indifferent. The waitress disappears for 20 minutes at a time, and she doesn’t check in after your food arrives to see if everything is okay. The food takes an unforgivably long time to arrive, considering what it is. You get the impression that the entire staff of the place is out back smoking and praying for their customers to leave as soon as possible.
Anyway, this being 8^th street, the place was obviously doomed from the start. The street is cursed. Very few businesses survive on that stretch of it, let alone restaurants. Especially restaurants like this. On the bright side, maybe when this place finally folds, another will open in its stead that actually knows how to serve food and how to please its customers.

I was pleased with the décor and service. I sat at the bar, and the service was outstanding.
But the food was pretty forgettable. I had the 8 oz P&B burger, and while I agree that it was tasty and not greasy, it was pretty forgettable. The bun was fresh, soft, and very flavorful. (Well, at least one of the two of the namesakes isn’t bad.) I asked for avocado, which was $ 1 extra, and I wish I hadn’t. The avocado wasn’t yet ripe, and it kind of ruined (rather than improved) the burger.
I also had the mac and cheese with bacon. While the bacon was delicious, the mac-​and-​cheese itself tasted like Kraft… but the nice deluxe version of their mac-​and-​cheese. (You know the one!)

Superlative ambiance first and foremost. Really nice décor – a very comfortable, kinda upscale, sports bar setting. Nice deep woods, shiny brass accents. The burgers are stellar – tasty, meaty, not even close to the greasy mess so many places can make of their burgers. I highly recommend throwing down the extra $ 3 for an 8-​ounce burger. I try to limit my red meat intake to a few times a year, so I need it to be really special, and this place delivers the goods. A little expensive for «just a burger», but for this quality… more than a no-​brainer. The fries could be a little less salty, but they are delicious nonetheless.
BONUS! They also serve a killer BRUNCH. Lots of great, off-​center, choices, at a fair price.
Added (sort of) bonus… they rarely seem crowded, or busy. This means zero rush, lots of time to savor your meal, maybe have a second beer and watch the football game on their nice, crystal-​clear TVs.

I am giving it 3, but the out-​of-​towners i was with probably would have given it a 2 since out of the 9 people that ate, they messed up 4 of the orders and the 5^th order did not get their burger until after everyone ate.
I thought the fries and the 6 oz burger was good. This is coming from someone who eats red meat maybe 3 – 5 times a year.
FWIW, my ‘coming out’ to carnivorism began with a Spotted Pig burger and I thought it was better than P&B.
If they pick-​up their service level and organization in the kitchen, it would be a good place for a group since they have a full-​bar and prices are relatively moderate… for nyc.

Had a fantastic burger here that really hit the spot. We were hungry and some other popular West Village dinner spots had too long of a wait. Found Patty & Bun while wandering around and decided to give it a try.
I had the Patty & Bun burger, your standard 8oz beef burger with fries. My wife had the turkey burger. We both enjoyed our burger and fries thoroughly. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked, the bun was delicious, the fries were hot and tasty. They got it right.
Drink prices were a little steep. but hey, this review is about the food… and the food was reasonably priced.

Patty cake, Patty Bun, hamburgers layered out like a cake.
Even your bathroom is so neat with the lemon scent and your Upper East Side Toto-​looking toilet and sink. I must have spent more than 10 in there, thinking I was on an island and smelling the scent that covered up the last person’s dump.
And so on to the food. very decent if you like burgers. I know I like ‘em meaty. The «plate» the meal came in looked like a frying pan, and a little bucket of fries, which I called «spider legs» just because they resemble legs sticking out. I really hated the bun though. I usually like my bun-​buns thin and they were very thick. Really tasty burgers, though and a little overpriced, but what do you expect from a restaurant that looks upscale (especially the bathroom)?
As for the ladies, they were hanging in the bar gossiping… and wheres my «thank you»?!

This place is a few doors down from my job so I pass this place everyday. I do notice that they do have lunch specials, but I normally don’t eat during lunch time. Which means I miss the deals, but the bar and interior of the place is awesome. Beer ranges from $ 5+, but on Sundays they have specials posted for $ 3 a beer… So I do recommend if your in the area to stop in. I will be doing another review when I do try the food. Cheers!

I’m obsessed with burgers and I love the location. If you get there early they have happy hour specials which is awesome– cheap beers and wines!
I started off with the mac and cheese as an app since I’m clearly a mac and cheese whore. It came topped with bacon and was pretty creamy. Not the best mac but pretty solid. For my burger– I decided to get the sliders with cheese and fries. The sliders were pretty good and actually cooked as close to medium rare as a mini burger can be cooked. The fries are very seasoned. I definitely would come back here during happy hour!

The waitress from Greece was really cool! She put up with 9 drunk a-​holes and smiled the whole time. It doesn’t matter what the food was like, it was the service.
Here’s a cheer just for her!

Delicious! We went here last night and were considering going back today for lunch! My friend even claimed it was hard to restrain himself from ordering a second burger– not that they weren’t big enough –they were just that good!
I got a turkey burger which is stuffed with grilled shallots and mushrooms and topped with cheddar cheese. I’m not sure what the sauce is, but it’s green and creamy. It reminded me of guacamole, but it wasn’t as thick. The bun is pretty good, though it got soggy pretty easily. You can just get a burger, or you can make it a «deluxe» meal and add a little tray of fries. That’s what I did! They were pretty good, too. They give you enough, but almost not enough for sharing. If you are really hungry, get your own deluxe meal.
My friend got the havoc burger, which was just as delicious as the turkey burger. It’s a mix of beef, lamb, and pork! And it’s topped with havoc sauce (cheesy Thousand Island), pickled red cabbage (nice and crisp!), and chimichurri sauce. Really original and tasty!
Next time, I’m going to get the lamb burger with jalapeño goat cheese spread. Sounds sooo good!
They also have a happy hour– 4?-7pm gets you either a beer for $ 3 or a burger and beer for $ 9. They have other cocktails (full bar) that are also on special for $ 6. I had a special cocktail that was delicious– ask for that menu.
They also have steaks, sliders, and veggie burgers, so this place is ideal for all eaters… it’s just a little pricey. $ 10 – 14 /​burger is a lot. Definitely worth checking out though!

Great burgers, great fries, great brews on tap; nice interior, great Tuesday night live music trio from Brazil. The Havoc was my favorite — grass fed rocks!

Saturday evening, meeting up with friends after dinner. This place is next to a friend’s house and we thought it’d be a good place to start the night.
Upon arrival we sat at the bar; there was a very large group sitting at tables across from the bar but I noticed more tables in the back, too. It was surprisingly uncrowded for a Saturday night (though people may have seen the size of that group and been scared off by what looked like a private party?).
I asked the bartender for a recommendation from her specialty cocktails and she recommended a pernelle: elder flower-​flavored vodka concoction that was absolutely refreshing and lovely. It wasn’t particularly strong, but I’m lightweight so it suited me fine.
We ended up being there for awhile as we waited for everyone to assemble, and eventually ordered a side of fries and also the roast
ed beet salad. Fries were acceptable but unimpressive. The beets were beautifully presented (low expectation perhaps?) which was a nice touch for a classic combination of ingredients. The taste was fine, again nothing noteworthy but certianly no complaints.
Eventually we decided we wanted to sit at a table and the waitstaff was amenable and pleasant. We did have to close out our bill with the bar, which I realize is common but not reflective of particularly good service.
Overall, this is about as solid a ‘3 stairs’ as it gets. The waitstaff was pleasant, the food decent but forgettable, the décor genericly modern and «cool».

Disappointed with the burger, but I think it was just the bun that ruins the whole thing. Had the havoc, which is an excellent blend of meat. The burger itself was delicious, and the red cabbage with chimchurri on it was great. The bun was hard and took away from the rest of the burger. If they changed the bun, they could become one of the top burger places! Fries were kind of bland though.

In the interest of full disclosure… I didn’t eat any beef here. However, P&B has a lot of other interesting items on the menu, so at least know you will have options.
When I first walked into this small resto on 8^th Street (near the now deceased Elettaria :(I was pleasantly surprised by the décor — much nicer and upscale than I imagined it would be.
For apps I tried the mac and cheese with bacon. Wow. The M&C was super cheese and creamy… mostly creamy and the bacon was really flavorful. I just wish there was some more of it… just little bits sprinkled on top. My friend got the scallops which were really amazing (surprisingly for a burger place). They were served with chorizo over some mushrooms with a really flavorful sauce. Get them!
Unfortunately the most disappointing part of the meal were the burgers. I had the veggie burger… which was fried. That wasn’t mentioned in the menu. It should really be renamed the falafel burger so people know what they’re getting. Tasty, but not what I thought I ordered. My bf got the lamb burger. It was ok… there just wasn’t much to it. They need to get more creative with the seasonings and sauce for it. It was just kind of bland and dry. On the upside though, the fries were awesome and the waiter even brought over an extra, free order from the kitchen.
Also, there were a good selection wines, which was another nice surprise. One final suggestion… they really need to get one of those enclosed doorways to put outside the restaurant. Our table was right by the front door and every time it opened, the FREEZING air gushed in. Burrr.
Moral of the story — come here for some drinks and non-​burger food at the bar for happy hour but not a great spot for dinner.

Mac and cheese was meh. The menu online says there is a cheddar, goat, and sheeps cream cheese mac. but that is a lie. it’s just mac with bacon. It’s aiiiight.
I split a lamb burger and a havoc burger. Both were cooked really well but I’ve got to say all the burgers lacked salt. When you go to a burger place, I feel like you should not need ketchup. But these definitely needed ketchup, even with all the fancy toppings.
The buns are SO good. But other than that. Meh. But it was alright. Fries were good. I tasted a little bit of truffle oil.

This place just opened 2 and ½ weeks ago and it didn’t feel like it. It already felt like this place has been there for a really long time on what has been a restaurant barren block in Manhattan for ever.
Went with a buddy prior to going away for Thanksgiving. The burgers were cooked perfectly. The «tequila drop» buns were the best bun I have had that is not your typical bun (white or potato). We both enjoyed our cheeseburgers, fries and beers.
The owner Paige was super sweet and struck up conversation with us while we sat at the bar. Looking forward to more trips to P&B when down in the west village with a burger craving!

I like, REALLY like, going to new restaurants. Sometimes however I go a bit too early. I love burgers and the second I heard about this place I wanted to go, the chance to try the next awesome burger always sucks me in. Sadly they were not ready for me. Nothing here was bad, and yet nothing was outstanding. The waitress had little idea about any of the menu and had to keep on running to the back and would tell us one thing one second and then change the story later.
We both got burgers. We also got mac and cheese and a beet salad. They were all OK, nothing i can think of that was noteworthy.
The atmosphere was fantastic, great lighting and a nice bar. We sat at a booth and for some reason there was a HUGE metal «thing» for lack of better description under it. I know what they were going for but there are some old things that were not meant to be converted into tables. I want to go back here in a few months and see if anything has gotten better, i have a feeling it will have.

I didn’t like this place as much as the people before me but I’m not going to knock it too much cause it was enjoyable.
As mentioned the burgers here are cooked to temp, maybe a little under even. My medium was red and a couple others at our table were like that too. I didn’t particularly mind too much though I’m not picky about that.
I got the havoc burger I kind of expected it to be spicy with a name like that… it wasn’t. But it was nice with the pickled cabbage and the «havoc» sauce which I found out later is supposed to be a chipotle mayo, although the only signs of chipotle was a slight pink/​orange cast to it. Everyone else I went with got the regular burger and they all seemed to really like theirs as well although one had to be sent back for some extra time on the grill. Also the fries are pretty good here salty but not overly so.
Last notes on décor and service. The place is nice lookin’ dark wood comfy seats the food is brought out in metal pans that are reminiscent of army trays but cooler and the fries come in little baskets. Service for the night sucked but I’m chalking that up to a new waitress as the girl didn’t really know much about the menu and constantly forgot things.
Overall a little pricey for what you’re getting but not so much that if I’m nearby and I want a good burger I wouldn’t go back. That said I’m not going out of my way to go back either.

This place just opened up and for my money, immediately enters «The Best Burger» conversation. There are a few different varieties on the menu, but since it’s jsut starting out I decided to play it safe and go with the standard cheeseburger. Besides, if a place claims to be a burger joint, it’s not to be judged based on its King Salmon patty or token chicken entrée.
If overcooked or dry burgers are a pet peeve of yours, P&B is the place for you. The meat is cooked on a true steakhouse temperature scale, so if you order medium rare, that thing is coming out red, not pink. I’ll note here that all burgers are cooked medium unless otherwise specified, and «how would you like that cooked?» is not a question anyone is going to ask you there. If I got another burger there, I would go with the standard medium, but I really did enjoy my medium-​rare.
I thought it was great, right up there with Corner Bistro or PJ Clarke’s. It was juicy, flavorful, not too lean, and the perfect size. The bun was crusty but soft, and of exact equal circumference to the patty. Also, it was liberally cheesed, but not stacked with too many slices. Everyone has different taste in burgers, but if you like yours juicy, with about 80% or 85% lean beef, unseasoned, and medium thickness, you should try out this spot.
Incedentals: the fries were thick, handcut, and sprinkled with something green, possibly cilantro. They tasted a little undercooked, with about the consistency of a baked potato. As for pricing, that’s the hangup. $ 14 for a deluxe burger is a little rich, especially when a $ 7 treasure from Corner B awaits you just a few blocks away.