Liberty Burger - November 7, 2011

This week's burger quest took our group to the Northeast corner of Forest and Inwood to try the burger offering at Liberty Burgers. Liberty Burgers is the creation of Mariel Street and its menu features a dozen burgers, salads, grilled cheese sandwich and a grilled chicken breast sandwich. Their beef patty is a blend of chuck, brisket and tenderloin but they also have a turkey, bison or vegetarian option for the patty. Entering the restaurant, I was impressed with the change from Roma's Italian to Liberty Burger. The space is very open with menus on the wall by the entrance, a bar featuring beer, wine and alcohol and an open kitchen behind the registers where you can see your burgers being cooked on the flattop. While the specialty burgers intrigued me, I ordered The Liberty Burger with bacon, grilled onions and cheddar cheese with a side of skinny fries and an iced tea which cost $11.91. I was handed a number for my order and a cup for my drink and after getting my iced tea, I waited about ten minutes and the following burger was brought to my table:




All of the burgers are served with a knife stuck in the middle so that you can slice it in half yourself. I was glad to see that they gave the diners the option instead of slicing in half and having all of the juices run out on the plate. While I didn't order any vegetables on my burger, the lettuce, tomato and pickles were very fresh and made for a nice side salad especially paired with Liberty's homemade mustard which tasted like a blend of mustard, mayonnaise and dill. The homemade bun was toasted crispy and then topped with a hand formed patty. A thick slice of cheddar cheese covered the patty and was topped with several rings of grilled purple onion, three slices of crispy bacon and the top bun which had a light amount of mayonnaise. Taking a bite of the burger, the flavor of the lightly seasoned patty was very evident. The meat was fresh and juicy and the texture of the beef worked well with the crispiness of the bacon and light flavor of the bun. The cheddar cheese had a light flavor and was slightly overpowered by the beef and bacon. The grilled onions were cooked to a point where they were slightly crispy but there weren't enough of them to really add flavor to every bite. Next the bun was the perfect bun for this burger. It was light and fluffy but didn't fall apart while eating the burger. The bun soaked up the juices from the patty but kept its shape and texture. Finally the fries were very thin extra crispy matchstick style fries. They were very good in the first few bites while hot from cooking but quickly grew lukewarm on the plate.


Overall, I enjoyed my burger at Liberty Burger. The dedication to featuring a high quality blend of beef for the burgers and trying to be as Eco-friendly as possible is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I thought the burger was very tasty and really enjoyed the homemade bun. I enjoyed the sides but wish they could have stayed hotter longer. I look forward to visiting Liberty Burger again in the future and trying the other burger options such as the Napa Burger with Gorgonzola, wild arugula and olives or the Amore which features Parmesan cheese crisp, ham, cantaloupe and spinach.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 21, fresh homemade bun, toasted well and could handle the very juicy burger


Meat - 21, fresh meat, lightly seasoned, good blend of brisket, chuck and tenderloin


Appearance - 20, very pretty burger, fresh ingredients which were layered nicely


Taste - 20, good tasting burger, dedication to quality ingredients


Overall - 82


Bonus Pictures of Napa Burger, Nooner Burger and Onion Rings: