When I told a Canadian colleague that Big Smoke Burger was opening in Manhattan, she grew both excited and wistful. I asked her about the burgers.
“Beefy ... like from real beef,” she said. “Not chemical tasting like ... ” Evidently it had been so long since she'd visited the Golden Arches she couldn’t remember the name.
The burgers at Big Smoke, grilled to order, have a nice satisfying char on the outside, and indeed that deep, beefy taste.
A group consensus established the signature Big Smoke Burger, with its melt-in-your-mouth caramelized onions and smoked cheddar, as a definite winner.
There are some flavor combinations to complement the burger: fresh avocado and gorgonzola, horseradish mayo, spicy chipotle mayo.
Also more rarely seen: lamb burger, with a cilantro-feta spread—a great combination. And like the beef, you could say, lamb that tastes like lamb.
Big Smoke Burger also brings a Canadian comfort staple to the Big Apple: the poutine, good and authentic, with gravy and squeaky-good cheese curds. I looked away for what seemed to be a moment, and a dining companion had in the meantime picked the bowl of poutine clean.
Big Smoke Burger should do quite well on this side of the border we reckon. The only kink being worked out, we were told, is that the buns aren’t the actual ones that will be used.
Big Smoke Burger
70 Seventh Ave. (between 14th and 15th streets)
bigsmokeburger.com
