Bacon Royale (Bacon Cheeseburger)

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
October 7, 2006

ROYALE
157 Ave C
(9th & 10th Sts)
New York, NY 10009
212-254-6600

After reading Peter Meehan’s review on “the city’s best new hamburger” in The Times, I couldn’t get to Royale fast enough. I planned to try it that very evening but didn’t make it. Still, there was little else I dreamt of for the next three days.

Burgers are a hard one. Any time someone recommends a burger as the City’s best, it’s almost a sure setup for disillusionment. How can a single burger live up to that kind of expectation and pressure?

When it comes to burgers, I always go in hopeful because I LOVE burgers and am constantly looking for good ones. I’ve relinquished the search for the “best” burger because I’m not sure such a thing exists. Not that there aren’t amazing ones, but there’s always (hopefully) something better. That’s what makes the quest fun.

Well, there are many positive things to say about Royale’s burger. The meat is juicy and the buns are amazing, with both top and bottom fully encrusted in sesame. (If you’ve read my Grilled interview on A Hamburger Today you’ll recall that I love sesame buns.) Each burger is made with care and attention to detail. Medium rare comes out medium rare — hooray! But… ultimately, the burger is tasteless. :(

I ordered the bacon Royale, the bacon cheeseburger, because I can’t resist bacon (despite the fact that Peter’s review warns that the bacon there is “wafer-crisp diner-style”). My advice: Heed the warning. After I finished my burger I realized that I didn’t even taste the bacon, although I had seen the slices on the burger when it was first served to me. An ingredient that doesn’t add anything to a dish is a waste.

As for the rest of the burger, it was one of those cases where, because you don’t taste anything, you think that if you keep eating you’ll find the flavor. It did not occur to me until the very last bite that it just wasn’t going to happen. Flavor wasn’t miraculously going to grace my burger unless a burger fairy exists. I could have added more ketchup, but I didn’t want to just drown my burger in condiments.

I enjoyed the steak-cut fries, especially after sprinkling pepper and dipping them in mayo. My friend, Adria, and I shared one order but piggy me liked them so much we got another.

The bar itself has a strange feel. It’s new and clean but lacks any sense of personality. However, the open terrace in the back is truly charming! Unfortunately, it’s getting too cold to hang out in the back, but during the summertime, this joint is going to be bustling like you wouldn’t believe.

Royale is the new sister restaurant to the neighboring Cafecito, another fun hangout in Alphabet City with relatively good Cuban fare, though service is consistently slow. I’m a fan of Cafecito’s mini-burgers with chorizo, although those sliders also rely on a condiment for taste, the accompanying garlic sauce.

For the time being, given the choice, I would choose the sliders at Cafecito over the Royale if I wanted a burger in the vicinity. But I will give Royale another chance. There seems to be so much potential. With a little more time, since the restaurant only opened last month, perhaps it’ll find some personality, and maybe its burger will find some flavor, too.

Also in Alphabet City, American, Burgers