So it's never really a good sign when you have to be reminded by a friend to write a review of a place from 2 weeks ago...it's not that my experience at Minetta Tavern was awful but it just completely slipped my mind to put it on my blog. That never happens to me! In any case, I'm embarrassed to say that as a long time resident of NYC, food lover and burger lover that I had never been to Minetta Tavern before. How could that be?! Dinner reservations are still pretty hard to come by but brunch ones easier. Lav and I were meeting for brunch on Mother's Day so I was sure that we would never be able to get a table but sure enough they had a bunch of openings right when they opened at 11AM.
Minetta Tavern is famous not just for their burger but for being a classic old school NYC establishment. Indeed when you walk in, it's covered in wood paneling and has this old timey feel to it (not to mention most people who eat there are also just plain old in general). I didn't really need to look at the menu because even though I am so against paying a lot of money for a good burger, there was no question that I was getting the Black Label Burger ($26 - yes, that's right it was an almost $30 burger). Lav got the latkes ($22) but instead of salmon she was able to get it with spinach. Yes - as you can see the prices here are most definitely outrageous but still manageable if you don't come here that often. The burger was served with tons of caramelized onions and fries. Alright - yes it's a good burger...it's moist, juicy and pretty damn delicious. But is it worth $30? The answer no. It's worth having at least once in your life but I'm not sure it's really all that better than the burger at Corner Bistro or even Shack Shake. I do want to call out the fries as well - they were quite addictive, salty and they were the perfect compliment to the burger (it's the least they can offer with a $26 burger). If the price point was around the $15-20 mark, I could see myself coming back again but at $26, it's just a bit too rich for my blood. I didn't get to try the Latkes but it looked like your usual satisfying brunch latkes with 2 nicely poached eggs and dill hollandaise sauce.
I'm glad that I can cross Minetta Taver off my NYC restaurant bucket list and while I would never discourage people from going there, as it is a good burger, it's definitely not a place that I would see myself returning to frequently - especially given the price point. Total bill: $43/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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