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New York City Out to Lunch - Cheap Eats

Island Burgers and Shakes

A West Coast-style, French-fryless burger shack that attracts a deservedly cultish following.

Food

(6)

Ambience

(5)

Service

(5)

Value

(7)

The Scene

Island Burgers feels like it could have been imported from a Malibu roadside. The colorful interior features bright orange and red tables, along with paintings and mirrors rendered in the shape of surfboards. Waiters typically trot around in tropical print shirts and sandals, going about their work with all the lackadaisical flourish that such an outfit might suggest.

The Food

Both the burgers and grilled chicken breast sandwiches rank squarely among the best in New York. The menu touts a dizzying 63 varieties of each, with everything from basic cheeseburgers to more elaborate contraptions like the Slick Willie (with ham, relish, American cheese, bacon, sour cream, barbecue sauce and onions). Much has been made of Island's lack of French fries--space and cost are cited on the menu--but the burgers are simply so good you won't mind the absence.

766 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 307-7934
Fax: (212) 307-7934