Between the buns: a burger review

If you’ve ever wondered what the West looks like, go to Jackson Hole, WY. But if you just want to see a New Yorker’s vision of what the West looks like, then go to Jackson Hole the restaurant, which has locations tucked away across the city, including one 35 3rd Ave.

Yes, it is cheeky, and unoriginally so. I’m not sure when someone decided that everything out West looked like a log cabin decorated by Pee-Wee Herman and Mr. Rogers, but they were wrong. However, for the patrons of this particular chain, the decorations are not the main attraction.

The burgers are what keep them coming, and they like them big at Jackson Hole. Size may not be everything, but it is important. Nobody wants to pay for a meal that doesn’t sate their hunger.

That certainly is not an issue here. The burger alone is huge, but if you get the platter, which includes some vegetables and fries, you sure won’t be looking for any additional snacks after leaving here.

Immense size can come with complications, though. It takes much more skill on the cook’s part to get it cooked to the proper temperature evenly throughout the entire patty. Ordered rare, the bulk of the meat was excellently prepared; that is, gently cooked and not just browned on the outside.

There was an odd occurrence, however, where a lone clump of meat near the edge of the patty was completely raw on the inside. To some extent, that is significantly less troubling than it may sound — some eat their burgers rare anyway, but it does raise an eyebrow. How does raw meat get on the outside of the burger when the middle is perfectly cooked?

The choice of toppings is extensive. Cheddar cheese is available for those who would rather not eat Kraft singles. The bacon is also great, adding a smoky, salty flavor and perfectly crispy texture to the whole deal. Other options include ham, eggs, barbecue sauce and onions..

There is almost no need to spring for the platter, seeing as only the most insatiable appetites would still be hungry after the burger. But if you feel like eating two meals in one, it is definitely worth the extra dollar or so to swap the fries out for onion rings.

The fries are about as exciting as raw potatoes, except they don’t have the same crunch. They’re bland and mushy; even adding ketchup to them wasn’t enough to make them worth the money or the belt expansion. Maybe the fry-cook had a bad day.

The onion rings are significantly better. Though certainly not the best this city has to offer, it makes the added price of a platter a reasonable deal even if you don’t think you can eat the whole thing.

The burgers and platters are quite reasonable, especially considering how much food you receive. The average platter costs around $12 and the burgers a-la-carte are generally around $9, not including a tip or a drink of course.

There are some restaurants out west that have the same kitschy decor. It is an authentic, faux-western feel, perpetuated so much that it has become real. Let’s just hope they serve burgers as good or better than these ones, because it is easy to ignore the surroundings when all you can stare at is your plate.

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1 comments

pjnoir

Wed Nov 18 2009 10:36

nice burger but repeated visits never lived up to the first time- always the 3rd ave location. My son and I are now on the great NYC hamburger hunt- should keep us busy for a while

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