Recently voted #20 out of Grub Street’s 50 Most Important Burgers in New York, we had the fabulous opportunity to visit Church Street Tavern, a classic Tribeca pub with a chic, opulent flair to sample the famous meat snack.
Dark and cozy but simultaneously welcoming, Church Street is the kind of place we can see ourselves running to in the event of extreme weather conditions. On an oppressively humid summer day, the rich black leather banquets become a cool anchor where you can decompress. In the winter, the two tier bronze chandelier with exposed light bulbs and the exposed copper piping denote an old English feel to a restaurant that boasts a rich, polished vibe.
According to Grub Street, the “wild-card addition of beef heart makes this house-ground dry-aged blend as rich and funky as any out there, Minetta included.” We couldn’t agree more. The funkiness of the burger was cut with a bacon-onion relish that was out of this world, and the brioche bun was not as sturdy as they tend to be, which was rewarding. Over all – definitely add this to your list of New York burgers to try.
We also got to sample some lighter fare, as well as Church Street’s magnificent cocktail list, each drink better than the next and all of it delicious. The house bar toast, an avocado spread over a crunchy baguette and garnished with delicate pieces of grapefruit and cilantro, was bright, crisp, and refreshing, a wonderful antithesis of their meaty, decadent burger. The wild mushroom spaetzle was another vegetarian treat that shocked and awed, topped with fresh herbs and parmesan, and made you feel better about the fact that you were on your third specialty cocktail in forty minutes.
So go, drink, eat burgers, and be merry – we wouldn’t steer you wrong.
Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite burger in the city? Have you dined at Church Street Tavern? Discuss below!
