Classic Burger Joint

Ok, now we’re treading on some very holy soil here. It’s no surprise to my close circle of friends, just how passionate I am about all things burger. That’s why when a few new players showed up on my block, claiming to serve “NY Style” burgers, my world had to stop, at least for a few hours.

One of these restaurants was Classic Burger Joint, run by Donald, which is always a plus in my book. I made my way with T. to Sodeco, and saw something truly unfathomable, in Lebanon at least. There was queue outside of CBJ, the first queue I’ve ever seen here. The pleasant Fadi took our names, and said we had a 15-20 minute wait. Still under the shock, I spent the time rudely looking through the front façade of the place, eager to catch a glimpse of these elusive morsels.

All seemed quite normal. The interior sure looked the part, Brooklyn meets Beirut. But what about those burgers. We were finally seated, and by now I was basically salivating on our waiter’s arm. Ordered for the both of us, the Classic Cheese is always a great way to gauge a new burger joint. Took the time to look around and check out the faces, and saw a bit of everything. From teens in skanky-skinnies to suits in for a power lunch. Who knew this town was so burger mad. And then my babies arrived.

The first thing that struck me was the bun. Big, spongy, shiny and speckled with seeds, it provided a wonderful base for what was to come. I’m not a fan of toppings, but they were fresh and plentiful. The fries were crunchy and flavorsome. The patty was fat and substantial, but was not “meaty” enough for me. I’m a meat guy, so it’s got to taste like meat. Don’t get me wrong, they have all the right to claim to have some of the best burgers in town hands down, but it’s a little too civilized for me, a little to watered-down. Overall, it’s a personal joy for me to see these kinds of joints pop up around town. Well done boys on the venture, and I’ll be visiting you again real soon.

(Photos courtesy of CBJ)