DMANBURGER “Joy Burger Bar”

Perched in this restaurant vacant neighborhood, a burger meets Tiki bar promises grand delights, though its deliverance is marred by simple- yet fixable dilemmas. The atmosphere is pleasant and vocational, white-washed stressed windows slung open over simple retro-style seating, giving the feeling that you’re lounging hammock-wrapped in Jamaica or some other exotic locale-while listening to the likes of Norah Jones and Dean Martin. Memorabilia of a food culture past shines, old Heinz ketchup signs, Coca Cola trinkets and a ham-fisted name play sign “EnJoy”- sparingly highlight the walls. The style is bright and fun, unlike the Joy Burger team, who are clad in saggy, uncomfortable blue overalls while donning belittling red conductor style hats – unfortunately their moods match the color of their garb: Blue.

        

Lazily a staffer gives me a playing card, symbolizing the marker for my order-and grunts, “We’ll call ya.” I admired the images on the wall as I was shunned away to my table.Israeli born owner, Roy Ben-Jacob, shows his painstaking chore- transforming his vision from a bodega/grocery store into a hopeful burger emporium. I can’t help but feel that the Joy that is sold through the name, just doesn’t shine through in the people that work there. Despite my differences with the help, the menu is full of spice and variety. Burgers come in Munch 3oz [$3.50]; Midi 5oz. [$4.75] and Maxi 8oz. [$5.95] and can be slathered with an available bounty of condiments such as, garlic mayo, chimichurri and spicy mango.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Munch I ordered was the pick of the litter. Dolloped with an earthy chimichurri and ribbons of onions- it was juicy and delightful to the end. On contrast, the Midi and Maxi’s were dull and chewy. The Midi I chose with a spicy mayo, was light and zesty, but the meat was gnaw-worthy and grisly. The Maxi reminded me of a suped up Whopper, and was too big for the bun. It was toasted perfectly, but it wasn’t enough to save the over-sized meaty matter-it was unsuccessfully housing. When visiting Joy Burger Bar, stick with the Munch and couple it with the chimichurri and a helping of over-sized crispy onion rings- which one of the despondent Joy burger assembly line obviously found a little Joy in preparing.

 

Joy Burger Downtown opens in August on 6th Ave. and Washington Pl. http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/07/joy_burger_brings_the_privileg.html</a