I've only been to the Spotted Pig once, but that was one time too many. From start to finish, every dish was too salty. By the time we left, we couldn't taste anything - our mouths were just coated with a layer of sodium. A thoroughly unpleasant experience.
3
No offence - but the possibility of that happening to every dish is zero. Restaurant food is usually cooked by several different people at several different times.
Well-seasoned cast iron skillet; one-half pound of fresh-ground, grass-fed, well-marbled chuck; a pat of butter tucked into the patty; salt and pepper; searing heat; patience; a GOOD bun, pan-toasted; my patented (no fooling) baked potato fries: É voila, the recipe for a beef-juiced, mouth-feel experience equal to any, for one-fifth the price, max, of those described in this review.
4
I think PT Barnum nailed this years ago.
2
I understand the many comments that focus on the high cost of a quintessentially American meal like a hamburger, but for me, a guy who spent 15 years as a server, cook and chef, my devotion to any particular restaurant is based on a synergy between front of the house and the kitchen.
If the quality of the food being served fails on multiple levels, it doesn't matter how fantastic the service is - few people will become steady customers. Even when the food itself is delightful, if the service consistently offends customers, eventually they will go elsewhere to avoid the frustration.
While I don't object to a $30 burger & fries combo in principle, if the rest of the experience isn't impeccable (service, wait times, atmosphere) I guarantee you I won't be back a second time.
If the quality of the food being served fails on multiple levels, it doesn't matter how fantastic the service is - few people will become steady customers. Even when the food itself is delightful, if the service consistently offends customers, eventually they will go elsewhere to avoid the frustration.
While I don't object to a $30 burger & fries combo in principle, if the rest of the experience isn't impeccable (service, wait times, atmosphere) I guarantee you I won't be back a second time.
6
$32 for a burger and fries? Do they at least wrap the burger in gold leaf? NO?
"A fool and his money are soon parted." - Benjamin Franklin
"A fool and his money are soon parted." - Benjamin Franklin
8
What's really annoying is that the reviewer makes no attempt at all to tell the reader whether a couple would find it worthwhile to pay something like $100 for a couple of flame-broiled burgers with fries, a couple of hot apple pies and a couple of glasses of wine. Really, the only purpose of a review is to provide readers with information like this. So I actually would consider the review more outrageous than the prices.
11
$14 for a hot dog. $25 for a burger plus $7 for fries. I guess in some universe this counts as a "moderate" price -- but not in mine. You should come to Val's -- down the road from me in Hayward, California. Less than half the price. Same location, menu and decor for 60 years. Beef freshly ground on site every day. Friendly, efficient service. Lively, cheerful atmosphere. Clientele of all ages, all races. I would be astonished if Salvation Burger's burgers are as good as Val's.
9
sounds delicious! but the price of my plane ticket and hotel stay might put your burger into the $1,000 or so price tag ;)
6
@ Christie -- Lantzman! I was born and raised in Flatbush -- a long, long time ago -- a graduate of the rightly esteemed Erasmus Hall High School. Next time you're in this part of the world, give me a ring and I'll take you to Val's.
2
You pay at least $50 for a burger/fries/beer.
You wait over 2 hours for a dinner that will cost $100 each without wine.
Seems like a nasty waiter is just part of the experience you're looking for!
You wait over 2 hours for a dinner that will cost $100 each without wine.
Seems like a nasty waiter is just part of the experience you're looking for!
14
Unfortunately, this review refuses to clarify the meat. There is no reason to eat corn fed ground beef. Grass fed pure beef can be laden with any amount of clean beef fat and the flavor is superior beyond words. Although we believe the charred flavor of fire is synonymous with burgers from our childhood; it is in fact a properly seared cast iron burger that is preferred among connoisseurs of great beef burgers. There is nothing worse than the over powering flavor of smoke. Again, it's about the meat. Not the silly over done toppings. Years ago I had the pleasure of eating a Tillamook 2 year old cheddar burger. It was divine.
9
I'm sure there are those who enjoy the trendy burger experience, but for me the most enjoyable hamburger experiences I have are in your typical diner. There is rarely a wait for a table, service is usually blindingly fast and Midwestern-style friendly, the price for the cheeseburger deluxe platter is cheap, and the burger is exactly what you expect: grilled beef flavor, juicy with animal fat, and a generous pile of fries. Usually the only disappointment with a diner burger platter is the pale flavorless tomato that comes on the plate.
6
When we were in Paris a couple of years ago the burger craze was ascendant. We stayed in an apartment just west of the Luxembourg Gardens, and research had turned up a small bistro down the street that was getting good reviews. It was very good, and for our second dinner at Les Bistronautes I ordered their burger. I just checked it out again; 19 euros gets you a big and wonderfully cooked burger (never overdone in France), a salad and a large order or fresh-cut fries. For a couple of euros more, you can add very nice cheeses or bacon. So, all for under $25, tax and very agreeable service included. Even that seems extravagant, but it's way more reasonable than in NYC, apparently.
8
Some people call NYC a destination. I consider it a place to avoid at any cost. $25 for a burger? I'd call an Uber and get out of town.
7
Thank you for this lovely article! I'm visiting NYC in a few weeks and there is literally nothing better than a delicious burger!
2
Curiously, most of us east of the Mississippi would love to taste an Inn and Out Burger to see if it lives up to its reputation. Too bad they don't travel well.
5
Stick with In-N-Out. Better taste, better value.
8
Go to Shake Shack instead.
Am I the only one who thinks that there is something indecent and wrong about spending too much on restaurant dining for the sake of being trendy and cool? I make a great burger, stuffed with frest herbs and lots of options for toppings. I use organic, grass fed, free range beef. I'd rather eat home and donate $50 to charities that feed poeple who cannot afford decent food for their families.
17
Let me guess. Spotted PIg servers probably want at least 20% tip with that "serving" right? This one shows again what tipping culture in this country is so messed up. Sometimes it really doesn't matter whether or not you are a pleasant, good server. You just have to be lucky to be hired by a "hot" restaurant. Then you'll probably earn much more than a really hard working, but unlucky server in a less popular spot.
Oh wow, this reminds me of the current American economy.
Oh wow, this reminds me of the current American economy.
12
I look at this picture and am totally grossed out. So go ahead, pay $30 for lousy service, mediocre food that has your arteries screaming for mercy
4
I doubt the owners will respond in any way. Having their egos elevated by a single Michelin star (or perhaps the James B honor), from their heights the NYT review is too far removed, too dim, to see and react. And the mobs will come regardless. I am far less interested in this place than what the heck is going on at Michelin that their reviewer (or reviewers) seem to have either found the ideal food and service each time they visited over 7 years (7 single stars) or April Bloomfield has found a special biased place in that organization's heart.
5
This is so unfortunate to hear, especially since I have never experienced the poor service you're all describing here. My family of 4 and I chose to spend our Christmas Eve last year at the Spotted Pig and were fortunate to get a table upstairs. SP feels festive year round and it seemed to the the appropriate backdrop for our holiday. Side note, we are native New Yorkers, not tourists, and a family with not only discerning taste but with varied food restrictions. Not only did Spotted Pig fit the bill for atmosphere and expansive menu to suit everyone's needs but the service was absolutely stellar. Kind and patient with our party on such a busy evening. Granted we are very polite folks to begin with so perhaps when you speak to your waitstaff as a person and not your server, you get treated kindly. And the place was packed. Since it was Christmas Eve and our family follows the Feast Of Seven Fishes tradition (I know, of all places to do seafood on a holiday, why the SP?! it just happened that way) we told our server we wanted to try to sample 7 types of fishes to share, along with other non fish items on the menu which included the burger. Our server played along with us and navigated us around the menu so we could have our little tradition realized. So in this sea of complainers here on the NYTimes comment section, half of whom perhaps have never eaten here, thank you for your service and thank you for the delicious and memorable holiday! We will be back!
10
I can't say I've ever encountered bad service anywhere dining out on Christmas Eve, though. Even those of us who aren't religious tend to be pretty merry around the holidays.
Wait for two hours so you can pay $25 for a hamburger? What am I missing?
23
I cannot imagine eating in a place with service like that, no matter how good the food is......which is apparently what SP is striving for.
Success!
Success!
6
I'm curious if any of the detractors have even tried the Spotted Pig burger. Yes, it's $25. No, an In-N-Out is not an acceptable substitute. It is a very specific dish that is not attainable anywhere else. For those of us who like it, there's nothing odd about going out and paying for it.
I appreciate the criticism of the service. It's no secret that the staff is salty and aloof. My hunch is that they hire very much based on look; there are very few (any?) "ordinary" folks there. Perhaps it's that paired with the grit to cope with the typically undesirable crowd that tends to convene there at peak times that comprises the criteria. That said, it has become one of those places where one goes specifically for the food, not the hospitality. To me, it feels like dining in a lowbrow European bistro.
I appreciate the criticism of the service. It's no secret that the staff is salty and aloof. My hunch is that they hire very much based on look; there are very few (any?) "ordinary" folks there. Perhaps it's that paired with the grit to cope with the typically undesirable crowd that tends to convene there at peak times that comprises the criteria. That said, it has become one of those places where one goes specifically for the food, not the hospitality. To me, it feels like dining in a lowbrow European bistro.
9
Went a few weeks ago. Had the standard classic burger, fries and the s'mores pie. Burger was okay, nothing to rant and rave over. Fries were good, again, nothing special. S'mores pie was missing something, couldn't put my finger on it. $36 is abhorrent for mediocrity. No reason to go back. My bodega makes an incredibly juicy burger with great curly fries and a soda for $7.50.
13
Please provide the address of said bodega.
10
There is absolutely no reason to put up with service staff at a restaurant being rude. Even if you want to try the food at a restaurant because you've heard that it is really good or even if you want to be able to say that you have eaten at the latest 'hot spot', you do not have to be subjected to the kind of rudeness Mr Wells described was doled out by the staff at the Spotted Pig. The owners really need to sit down with the staff and discuss this. I will not be eating there perhaps until word gets around to me that the Spotted Pig group (owners/staff) have acknowledged this and remedied. I am a native NYer and I love this town dearly. It pains me when I learn about an instance like this. I do think that it takes younger adults a little bit longer than older adults (those over 40) to understand the power of their dollars and to fortify themselves against trendiness. Trendiness is a little bit out of control in NYC at the moment. It results in the Spotted Pig staff believing they can be disrespectful to paying customers. Very bad form.
20
And going strong 10+ years later, so...
5
My husband and I bit on the $25 Salvation Burger and were sorely disappointed. It was surprisingly bland and lacking in juices, despite being cooked to medium rare. The fixings were tasty but did not compensate for the lack of beefy flavor.
5
Did I misread this, or is this really a $31 hamburger and fries? Add a beer at Manhattan prices, and tax and tip, and you're approaching 50 bucks. A burger date is $100.
You poor (non-billionaire) Manhattanites need to give it up and come to Philadelphia. A high-end burger and fries runs $15, and the beer selection runs rings around the typical New York pub.
You poor (non-billionaire) Manhattanites need to give it up and come to Philadelphia. A high-end burger and fries runs $15, and the beer selection runs rings around the typical New York pub.
18
Wow Am I one of the few non-masochistic New Yorkers when it comes to restaurants? Any restaurant where the servers behave as described is both bizarre and certainly one I would never patronize. The food , to me, is secondary .I lost my appetite just reading about it.
17
This woman is a genius. Getting people to,wait in line to pay $25 for a Big Mac.
She should go into politics.
She should go into politics.
35
Could it be that the long wait for a table at SP raises the rating of average food out of sheer hunger?
Oh, for a local In N Out....
Oh, for a local In N Out....
9
Not just the long wait but the fact that many, if not all of those waiting, will have spent the time drinking!
On those expensive burgers - don't knock 'em until you try 'em. It's not irresponsible or reprehensible to charge a premium when you're baking buns and butchering whole steers in house. If you don't think those things justify the markup, don't go. Personally, I think both the Salvation Burger and the Classic are extremely tasty. The fries weren't worth $7, but I didn't feel ripped off when I saw the check.
2
I guess they don't grow the potatoes in the back yard
5
Why bother with burgers here at this price, that only a tourist would put up with? This is obviously a restaurant run by non-food experienced owner-investors capitalizing on the location. Another drink, Ms?
1
$25 for a half-pound burger? No thanks.
I'll take an In-N-Out 4x4 for $5.50 instead.
No tip required.
Take *that* New York!
I'll take an In-N-Out 4x4 for $5.50 instead.
No tip required.
Take *that* New York!
5
Definitely spot on with the Spotted Pig review.
I am in the restaurant business myself and I try not to complain, but.....
A late-night visit last Fall left me a little perplexed. No wait time due to eating at 11pm. After selecting wine, we got to pour it ourselves, despite having our water glasses refilled repeatedly. Being French I taught our server how to say Bourgogne Aligoté (he called it Aligot which is potatoes - cute, unless you are a Michelin Star restaurant and his attempt at say on it was not modest, but matter-of-factory).
Service was pretty confusing with several staff stepping in at different times, and a woman who likely manages eyeing us from the bar repeatedly, for no apparent reason. The best part of the night was when I ordered my burger without blue cheese (strong dislike). I asked for mayo and was stiffly denied, so I went on to eat a dry but tasty burger after my waiter had a laundry list of reasons why there is nothing that I could say to get mayonnaise on my burger (even though there was mayo in my devilled eggs sitting in front of me). I didn't make an issue of it at the time because, despite my snooty recounting on how to say Aligoté, I don't make waves when dining out. I take the experience for what it is. I may still, one day, return with my own mayo. I plan to become an Instagram star #hellmans.
I am in the restaurant business myself and I try not to complain, but.....
A late-night visit last Fall left me a little perplexed. No wait time due to eating at 11pm. After selecting wine, we got to pour it ourselves, despite having our water glasses refilled repeatedly. Being French I taught our server how to say Bourgogne Aligoté (he called it Aligot which is potatoes - cute, unless you are a Michelin Star restaurant and his attempt at say on it was not modest, but matter-of-factory).
Service was pretty confusing with several staff stepping in at different times, and a woman who likely manages eyeing us from the bar repeatedly, for no apparent reason. The best part of the night was when I ordered my burger without blue cheese (strong dislike). I asked for mayo and was stiffly denied, so I went on to eat a dry but tasty burger after my waiter had a laundry list of reasons why there is nothing that I could say to get mayonnaise on my burger (even though there was mayo in my devilled eggs sitting in front of me). I didn't make an issue of it at the time because, despite my snooty recounting on how to say Aligoté, I don't make waves when dining out. I take the experience for what it is. I may still, one day, return with my own mayo. I plan to become an Instagram star #hellmans.
24
Funny you mention that about mayo. I also received a speech about mayonnaise when requesting it for my burger! Mayo is a condiment and their disdain for it is bizarre. They claimed it is because they make everything in-house and mayo is actually easy to make. If you're too fancy for serving mayo then you should also be too fancy for serving a burger and fries.
15
I'm curious if you're French, or Francophone? Your location says Montreal, a city I loved living in, but (not for the food).
I ask because most French people, (from France) think of mayonnaise on a hamburger as very wrong. Not morally, of course, you can do what you like. But it's a sauce which really doesn't go with hot foods, or with beef.
The Belgian mania for Frites with mayonnaise demonstrate why fried foods should not have congealed fat on them.
I think it would be strange for a restaurant to refuse you a sauce if they had it, but not to serve mayonnaise with a hamburger shows merely that they understand mayonnaise, and many people might take this as a lesson, rather than take offense.
Otherwise, what's the difference between a good restaurant and an In-and-Out, or Burger King?
I ask because most French people, (from France) think of mayonnaise on a hamburger as very wrong. Not morally, of course, you can do what you like. But it's a sauce which really doesn't go with hot foods, or with beef.
The Belgian mania for Frites with mayonnaise demonstrate why fried foods should not have congealed fat on them.
I think it would be strange for a restaurant to refuse you a sauce if they had it, but not to serve mayonnaise with a hamburger shows merely that they understand mayonnaise, and many people might take this as a lesson, rather than take offense.
Otherwise, what's the difference between a good restaurant and an In-and-Out, or Burger King?
1
Yes I am French from Montreal.
Don't forget that French fries are from Belgium. And any restaurant touting a "special sauce" on a burger would usually start with mayonnaise as a base.
Grease-on-grease is what a burger with fries is. And any burger worth eating should be downright sloppy and not belonging in a Smithsonian.
I have not eaten at McDonalds or Burger King in so long (15 years). From what I know it doesn't qualify as food in my books, so there's no comparison to in-house ground beef, bread delivered from Balthazar Bakery (I saw the truck arriving when I left the Spotted Pig that night).
I spend my time wrestling with chefs to "give the people what they want" and not just what they think they want. Unfortunately superstardom makes chefs forget who is actually paying our salaries ;-).
In N Out is fantastic and I try to get there whenever I'm in a city that has it.
Don't forget that French fries are from Belgium. And any restaurant touting a "special sauce" on a burger would usually start with mayonnaise as a base.
Grease-on-grease is what a burger with fries is. And any burger worth eating should be downright sloppy and not belonging in a Smithsonian.
I have not eaten at McDonalds or Burger King in so long (15 years). From what I know it doesn't qualify as food in my books, so there's no comparison to in-house ground beef, bread delivered from Balthazar Bakery (I saw the truck arriving when I left the Spotted Pig that night).
I spend my time wrestling with chefs to "give the people what they want" and not just what they think they want. Unfortunately superstardom makes chefs forget who is actually paying our salaries ;-).
In N Out is fantastic and I try to get there whenever I'm in a city that has it.
Out west, in Reno,NV, Beefy's has the best burgers and half the price of the spotted pig and twice the quality and service. Granted, a tiny place but great service, at least 30 craft beers available and an awesome burger!
1
I suppose their rent and labor costs are a bit cheaper out there, no?
If a restaurant with service like what's described here for the Spotted Pig is to be reviewed at all--a question worth considering--it should certainly not get a star.
12
Thanks for calling out the service at the Pig. Used to live up the street and it was totally charming. Now I only go mid day, mid week and take my chances. Never on weekends. Never in the evening. Given over to the frat guys. Better places to spend big bucks on a burger like Minetta Tavern.
6
There seems to be a rallying motto amongst chefs and their investors: when in doubt about what kind of restaurants to open and when you're done with the Peruvian-Alaskan trend, the neo-Parisian chic or the chichi Brooklyn fare, open a burger place (or a steakhouse if rent requires it). I'm not even sure these talented chefs as here are really happy to have their souschefs and team flip burgers all evening, but success breeds more expenses, investments and personal indulgence and there you have it: two more 'great' burger places! Yeah! Obviously these places are not exactly for everyday visits and it must be fun to join the fun and messy experiences as described here: we're all in it together, we're same demographics, we order, eat and drink the same things, we spend, we splurge, just because we can and what's not to like about a great burger? Passing a McDonalds yesterday on Chambers and Greenwich and looking at the lines of BMCC students made me wonder how and why those Sanders-voting, vegan practitioners, Big Food opponents could patronize the most vilified burger maker in the world. Don't they read MIchael Pollan? Granted, looking around, it was quasi-impossible to find anything 'healthy' for these kids to grab and eat on their way to the subway, (oh yes, plenty of pizza places around there too.) There's a continuous line of aspiration here: the Burger seems to be the Holy Grail of American 'cuisine'. Highbrow or lowbrow, a burger is a burger: most potent symbol of US.
5
Treat people like you'd like to be treated. Hope their money and perceived status makes em happy. Sounds like s bunch of self indulgent self deluding teenagers.
4
A great hamburger is about the texture and "beefiness" of the beef contrasting with the texture and blandness of the bun. Overly thick burgers like the one pictured upset that balance. (Similarly, one sees pizzas with too thin a crust and too much cheese. The idea of these sorts of foods is the balance rather than the extremes of mouth sensations.)
7
I have to strongly disagree with these reviews. I get it, no one likes the wait and it is true the service can be hit or miss. You know this going in. Go with someone you actually want to spend time talking to. Get a drink--there are always seats at the bar. Relax.
And then, you eat. That pea soup is transforming. It is absolutely fantastic with a lemon cream and smoke hog hock. The ramps with the duck egg that are in right now are worth a trip just to experience. the gnudi (NOT GNOCCHI) are a pretty spectacular celebration of salt, butter and cheese with a little sheeps milk funk. The burger is still probably the best in the city when ordered rare. Recently there was a polenta with nettles that was also amazing. The fish including the skate wing is always a treat. Order most everything, especially the vegetables and you will be sure to have a great weeknight meal. This is food you want to eat, you love to eat and you wish you could cook.
And then, you eat. That pea soup is transforming. It is absolutely fantastic with a lemon cream and smoke hog hock. The ramps with the duck egg that are in right now are worth a trip just to experience. the gnudi (NOT GNOCCHI) are a pretty spectacular celebration of salt, butter and cheese with a little sheeps milk funk. The burger is still probably the best in the city when ordered rare. Recently there was a polenta with nettles that was also amazing. The fish including the skate wing is always a treat. Order most everything, especially the vegetables and you will be sure to have a great weeknight meal. This is food you want to eat, you love to eat and you wish you could cook.
4
Now I can more fully understand the symbolism of the installation of the solid gold toilet at the Guggenheim.
I can't fathom how so many people would be clamoring to pay these kinds of prices, for burgers and fries. If I were to go with my partner, and we each had a burger, and an order of fries, and one beer and one cocktail each(which, reading about the wait times, might be a low estimate), the tab would be $116 with tax, and about $140 with tip. That's insane for a burger, fries, a cocktail, and a beer. For that price, these burgers better be made from free-range, organic unicorn, sourced from farms where they only nibble the most tender shoots of heirloom variety clover, pollinated by Tibetan bees blessed by the Dalai Llama.
Why does everything have to be so precious these days?
I can't fathom how so many people would be clamoring to pay these kinds of prices, for burgers and fries. If I were to go with my partner, and we each had a burger, and an order of fries, and one beer and one cocktail each(which, reading about the wait times, might be a low estimate), the tab would be $116 with tax, and about $140 with tip. That's insane for a burger, fries, a cocktail, and a beer. For that price, these burgers better be made from free-range, organic unicorn, sourced from farms where they only nibble the most tender shoots of heirloom variety clover, pollinated by Tibetan bees blessed by the Dalai Llama.
Why does everything have to be so precious these days?
73
There's a funny story about the Spotted Pig burger.
To try to wean people off the burger and on to more 'serious' eats, after which they could quietly drop the burger off the menu altogether, they kept upping the price to a point that is now absurd. But they underestimated 21st century New Yorkers' desire to pay the most for the least, and the tactic backfired, spectacularly. They would dearly love to be rid of the burger. Instead, it has turned the Spotted Pig is an upscale version of Shake Shack.
To try to wean people off the burger and on to more 'serious' eats, after which they could quietly drop the burger off the menu altogether, they kept upping the price to a point that is now absurd. But they underestimated 21st century New Yorkers' desire to pay the most for the least, and the tactic backfired, spectacularly. They would dearly love to be rid of the burger. Instead, it has turned the Spotted Pig is an upscale version of Shake Shack.
7
Sean, the tactic you describe is a way to maximize profit, but if they really wanted to make the burger do a Jimmy Hoffa, all they would need to do would be to remove it from the menu, resist all entreaties to bring it back, and to NEVER sneak one out of the kitchen, even to a favored regular.
4
After reading Ms Bloomfield's book 'A Girl and Her Pig' which I love and have cooked from several times now, I can attest that it's actually the gnudi that she would take off the menu way before the burger. After being made properly (no easy task and one easy to screw up) they need a few DAYS to sit before they're ready for the pot. I went for lunch last year and they were out of them. We shared the smoked haddock chowder instead. The burger was great but the chowder, a revelation. I'd eat anything she put in front of me.
4
The Spotted Pig is a truly awful restaurant in every way and any sad championing of its dreadful product is proof that nyc does not know what's good and is ignorant of the much better restaurants that have popped up in many cities around the US in the last couple of decades. Good for the rest of us; sad for those who'll insist that nyc is still a vibrant food destination despite zero sampling of what's to be had elsewhere.
28
Why do Americans insist on killing the taste of properly prepared sirloin by having cheese dumped on it (let alone "special" sauce)? Cheese makes lots of things taste better. Burgers aren't one of them.
13
There's a very mysterious, almost neurotic, need in America today to complicate foods.
You clearly understand something about taste, and I couldn't agree more, (particularly about special sauce).
Many condiments and prepared sauces originated as camouflage for mediocre and even spoiled foods. That's famously the case with Worcestershire sauce, and it's also the origin of the cocktail, (depression era booze being the culprit there).
People also use compulsive complexity to hide their lack of confidence both in preparing foods, and in eating them.
If it's any comfort, you're not alone.
Try this: www.simplovore.com
You clearly understand something about taste, and I couldn't agree more, (particularly about special sauce).
Many condiments and prepared sauces originated as camouflage for mediocre and even spoiled foods. That's famously the case with Worcestershire sauce, and it's also the origin of the cocktail, (depression era booze being the culprit there).
People also use compulsive complexity to hide their lack of confidence both in preparing foods, and in eating them.
If it's any comfort, you're not alone.
Try this: www.simplovore.com
12
Having been in a rugby scrum of ex-employees upstairs at the Spotted Pig, the lack of focus on the customer is pretty jarring at all of Ms. Bloomfield's places these days. The food is still often good, but popularity has not been kind to her empire, and simple hospitality is getting rare.
Maybe she needs to spend some time with Danny Meyer, and teaching her staff some kindness.
Maybe she needs to spend some time with Danny Meyer, and teaching her staff some kindness.
48
Oh so they smile at you when you are waiting in line for 2 hours? Gee, I feel blessed
1
Having brunched this past Sunday at the Spotted Pig .....I feel I must contribute to these comments. The wait was close to 2 hours. The hamburger was $25.00...and overcooked and dry. The French toast was also very dry. The mimosa was $10.00 They ran out of the specials mid brunch. If you feel like visiting this restaurant....have time and money along with you. Such a disappointment!
40
Why in the world would anyone wait two hours for a hamburger. And $25, really. If you've got that much for a burger you've $25 for a burger it's proof that taxes on upper incomes aren't nearly high enough.
10
Reading these kind of comments make me glad that I have a partner who is a gourmet cook well versed in several different types of cuisines. I think something like 99% of everything I eat in the US comes out of my kitchen. I save my restaurant outing for Spain.
Here in Texas when dealing with a snotty waiter/waitress we do one of 3 things .
Either don't tip, call a manager over and request a replacement server, or get up and leave.
If foodies in New York did the same they'd wash out the bad onions in the hospitality industry real quick.
BB
Either don't tip, call a manager over and request a replacement server, or get up and leave.
If foodies in New York did the same they'd wash out the bad onions in the hospitality industry real quick.
BB
60
Always call the manager. Let them know they messed up badly. Give them the chance to redeem themselves. This was a cornerstone of what makes Danny Meyer's understanding of hospitality great (I saw it numerous times when I worked in the kitchen at Union Square Cafe from 1989 to the end of 1992). You might find the whole meal comped. But if the manager is unhelpful, then, as Brillat-Savarin is said to have advised on another topic, "there is no hope but to flee."
7
The Spotted Pig was a fantastic place for the first two years after it opened. As a local you got to know the front of house staff (who were pretty steady in those early times), and they'd always let us reserve ahead of time and/or seat us next upon entering. All unofficially of course. Even less official was the 3rd floor, the sanctum sanctorum that could only be entered through the fire stair. April and Ken would often preside there during the 2am - 6am shift, dispensing amazing drinks and small bites from the catering kitchen up there. Better, the food *was* consistent. The gnudi was ridiculous every single time, as was the burger.
Ahhh, those were the days.
Ahhh, those were the days.
6
Spotted Pig has always given bad service laden with attitude. It's the kind of place that just isn't worth it unless for a daytime drive by, midweek.
It's obvious the owners are in to food, but they don't give a care about service or the customer. It's a cattle call for tourists and the 21-30 crowd. Every place they've done is inconsistent.
Salvation burger is too. The classic was really good, but the namesake burger was not good and the service was dire.
It's obvious the owners are in to food, but they don't give a care about service or the customer. It's a cattle call for tourists and the 21-30 crowd. Every place they've done is inconsistent.
Salvation burger is too. The classic was really good, but the namesake burger was not good and the service was dire.
20
Emon Hassan's photos of both the Double Decker and the Salvation Burger = my "raw, thumping want."
4
I can cook two mean burgers in my kitchen with all quality ingredients for $10 or so. The service is always excellent and the sound level just right. Neither Salvation Burger or Spotted Pig can beat that. Sorry I do not take reservations.
75
You can watch a ballgame on television but going to the park to see the game in person will cost more too. What's your gripe?
5
One has to be out of one's mind to spend that on a hamburger!
I get a splendid, freshly ground and freshly made, 1/2 pound pure beef hamburger on a bun of my choice with everything I want piled high, along with home made fries, for $10.00. And a Belgian beer is only $8.00.
New York food snobs are nuts.
I get a splendid, freshly ground and freshly made, 1/2 pound pure beef hamburger on a bun of my choice with everything I want piled high, along with home made fries, for $10.00. And a Belgian beer is only $8.00.
New York food snobs are nuts.
38
Trust me, New Yorkers think those prices are nuts too. We just happen to live in a town where there is an incredible amount of people for whom thirty-two bucks for a burger and fries is a drop in the bucket. We're more a Shake Shack town with far more reasonable prices (but unreasonable lines).
8
April is getting whole animals in a doing all the butchering with minimal waste. Grinding the meat to the perfect burger blend. She has a few serious butchers on staff, is making everything (buns, cheese, etc). Consider all this plus the cost of opperating in Midtown. There is your $25 burger.
12
NY food snobs also enjoy waiting an hour plus to be seated
11
The Salvation Burger burger is a bundle of deliciousness, perhaps a fraction of a notch above the lamb burger at The Breslin. Yes, there is chaos at prime time when it comes to service and reservations. But I'm sure they'll work out the kinks. I say, just go early or later after 9pm if you want to feel like you're in a pub. I see they took the delish white negroni in a bottle off the cocktail menu. Memo to April B: please bring it back, please.
7
I am awaiting to see what tangible changes The Spotted Pig will make to their service design in response to this review. Their current reservation system encourages hosts and servers to deliver lackluster service. Though the food may be worth waiting for, Pete rightfully argues that inattentive and impersonal front of house service can spoil what could have been a special meal.
42
I also hope they make some sort of a hospitality enhancement at the Pig. My party went there for dinner one night and stayed at the bar while waiting after being quoted 90 minutes. I checked back after about an hour and 15 and was met with "I told you it would be 90 minutes." Wish he wouldn't have remembered me if he was going to talk to me like that. That experience may have ruined the place for me. I used to go very often, almost once per week and ate at the bar, but there are a bunch of interesting places throughout NYC now who offer more hospitality and interesting food. A shame cause it can be one of the most fun places in the city to eat. And when you are lucky enough to grab the seats by the window and can look out on 11th it's truly one of the best places I can think of to spend a night.
9
in my humble opinion, the spotted pig burger is over-rated. Admittedly, this may be a result of my particular preferences for burgers. I prefer a soft bun that is a pleasing cloud of yeasty goodness as one bites through it on their way to a moist medium-rare burger (such as a potato (potatoe if you are Dan Quayle) bun or a brioche bun. For the burger itself, I prefer moist beef that is accentuated by salt, and not much else.
The bun at spotted pig is stiff and is a mouthful in and of itself. The blue cheese dominates the taste of the beef. And the beef is itself fine, but no better than 5-guys, so why are we paying so much more for it?
The bun at spotted pig is stiff and is a mouthful in and of itself. The blue cheese dominates the taste of the beef. And the beef is itself fine, but no better than 5-guys, so why are we paying so much more for it?
16
I have to agree on the Spotted Pig burger - I was disappointed with it, did not get much beefiness from it. Fries were good though. However, I have been to Salvation Burger twice now, trying both the Salvation Burger and the Classic Burger, and I have found both to be excellent, with great flavors (and yes the bun definitely adds to it), can't go wrong with either. I found the fries very good too, and not oversalted.
5
I say go somewhere else where people are nicer!
47