Comment Card: Corner Bistro

Hamburger Diary: I've been coming to this place ever since I moved to New York. Back in the day, after making several booze-addled rounds at the piano bars and West Village dives, a juicy hamburger at Corner Bistro was the most sublime late night treat, sure to kick off my Pavlovian instincts into high gear. Although my blood alcohol content levels have waned upon each visit over the years, my enjoyment and appreciation for the food at this place never has...

Last night, I met my two friends, Ben and Ravi, and we all ordered a hamburger each, 2 sides of fries to share, and a few pints of the McSorley's Ale. The hamburger was big and a bit of a mouthful, but juicy and cooked perfectly (I've heard that Corner Bistro has a consistency issue with cooking to order ...). If you are like me and tend to load on the fixings (ketchup, mayo, tomatoes, onions and extra pickles), the buns WILL soak up moisture and fall apart on you. If they had grilled or toasted the bun a bit longer, it would have prevented the soggy bun predicament. I was left with somewhat of a mutilated mess for dinner, and needed a fork to finish; nevertheless, it still tasted great. The boys gobbled up their food a lot faster than me, so weren't plagued with a condiment-logged bun.

The Corner Bistro hamburger is simple with no frills. There is also nothing pretentious about the bar: wood-panelled interior, juke-box tunes, and a few flat screens scattered around with the game on.

Warning: It does get extraordinarily crowded, so try to score a spot at the bar and order your food through the bartender. I wouldn't bother waiting more than 30 minutes for a table, you'll just get frustrated and turned off by the place.

What we ordered:

3 Hamburgers with Lettuce, Onion and Tomato
Ketchup and Mayo on Side
2 Orders of Fries
Several Pints of Mc Sorley's Ale ($2)
The cost for everything was $46. Not bad.

Food: Simple but tasty
Service: Brisk
Ambiance: Convivial and Divey
Price: Cheap
Verdict: Check it out, but don't wait in line for a table.


Corner Bistro

331 W 4th St New York, NY 10014 Mon-Sat 11:30am- 4:00am Sun 12:00pm- 4:00am Tel: (212) 242-9502