Bareburger: For All Those Times You Crave Ostrich or Elk

Bareburger

153 8th Ave [8th btw 17th & 18th]

Multiple locations throughout the city

New York, NY

http://www.bareburger.com/

Should you try? A little iffy on this one.  The burgers don’t have the most flavor, but you do get the chance to eat different meats.

Wild Boar Burger

Barebugers have been multiplying like rabbits, sprouting up in more and more locations throughout the city.  The organic burger joint offers a bunch of different choices, from pre-set toppings to the bread to (most importantly) the meat.  Of course they have your standard organic beef and veggie burgers, but they also offer Organic Bison, Wild Boar, Ostrich, and Elk. With limited opportunities to try these gamey meats, I jumped on my chance and got the Original Wild Boar burger (Colby jack, lettuce, tomato, raw red onion and bareburger special sauce; $11.87 after tax).

Wild Boar Burger

Unfamiliar with how to cook wild boar, I ordered mine well done, thinking since it’s pork it should be cooked all the way.  A friend ordered the same burger medium well, and it came well done so that might be the only way to serve it.

The meat itself turned out to be a lot leaner than I expected. And with very lean meats, they overcook easily and tend to turn out dry, as was the case with this burger.  Dryness aside, I think they could have added a bit more seasoning to the meat itself.

The toppings were decent, and although I thought it was going to be a slice of lettuce, I actually preferred the more lettuce slaw they gave instead.  The special sauce was pretty good, but I think it’s become the standard protocol to call every mayo-ketchup-based sauce “special sauce”.

I also tried the Fried Bread & Butter Pickle Chips (made with Bubbies bread and butter pickle chips, served with horseradish mayo; $6.95), which were really tasty.  The breading was incredibly crunchy and the sweetness from the bread and butter pickles were a nice touch.  Definitely get these if you go.  I may or may not have taken a bite already.

Fried Pickles

Now if you’re the type of person who prefers juicy burgers (ie enough fat in the meat) like me, this may not be the best option. These burgers tend to lean towards the healthier side, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt since they offer a wide range of meats.  I’d consider going back to try me some ostrich or bison.