Village Burger Bar, VBB, in trendy West Village, lives up to its chic location. The joint is sleek and hip with a variety of import beers, flat screens and mod furnishings.
VBB’s chalkboard menu is a bit unclear-it doesn’t list all the ingredients, so first-timers or picky eaters should order the build-to-suit burgers.
They take orders at the counter and patrons can choose where to sit, either bar-seating, inside or outside tables. Customers grab their silverware, ketchup and fill their own drinks. Refills are free.
Their price range is manageable with small sides starting at $3 and larger entrees at $12. Many of the cocktails are the most costly items on the menu, like the watermelon mojitos and pomegranate cosmopolitans.
The Village Dip, a bowl of melted Swiss cheese and chives with tortilla chips arranged around the plate is heavenly. The dollop of salsa is a nice pairing too, although we were still picking cilantro out of our teeth hours later.
The Spinach Artichoke dip is also divine, though a bit greasy.
The Grilled Buffalo Chicken Strips were a nice light option. The strips packed a mean kick of spice. I ordered the strips and was impressed with VBB nailing my somewhat-complicated order: “ranch dressing instead of bleu cheese and double carrots instead of celery.”
Salads also fared well with lots of interesting combinations like cranberries and fried eggs or goat cheese and almonds. Pairing it with wine by the glass seemed a popular option.
One thing was noticeably missing from the menu: vegetarian options. So maybe a Boca burger isn’t interesting enough for VBB, but ideally the restaurant might add some items for veggie-eaters.
Looking around, I noticed many people hadn’t even ordered burgers, but lots of appetizers, turkey and chicken. What was wrong with their burgers? After all, it’s in their name.
After a bite into a Cheddar Burger with barbecue sauce, it became clear what was missing: seasoning. Although cooked to perfection, medium-rare-which is what I ordered, the patty was bland and lifeless.
The soft buttery bun wasn’t enough to mask the plainness of the meat. Despite VBB’s expansive and creative list of toppings like artichoke aioli, grilled pickled jalapeño slices, and champagne mustard, in a burger, flavor is big and fancy toppings aren’t enough to salvage the taste.
They should take a note from their Turkey Burger, as it packed more flavor than their beef. While most turkey can be called bland or boring, VBB serves up a succulent roasted turkey with a spicy-sweet glaze that makes you think you are at a Thanksgiving feast.
Their sweet potato fries are a nice twist on the vegetable and are crisper than the shoestring fries. The sweet-salty combo is hard to beat. The Combo Basket for $3 gets you a sampler of both, if you are a French fry connoisseur.
And what burger joint is complete without a milkshake? VBB offers milkshakes in three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The vanilla tasted a bit like cough syrup and like the ice cream had a bad case of freezer burn. The chocolate milkshake is the top choice-it was frothy, thick and not too rich despite the glass being drizzled with chocolate syrup.
VBB’s menu may not have Jake’s tater tots or Who’s Who Burger’s Kobe beef, but it definitely serves up much more than just the average burger joint.
