We’d been trying to find a date for months. I suggested one mid-week summer day, and everyone could come to our friend’s Gotham Burger Social Club! If you’re not familiar, it’s the pop-up turned successful burger joint, currently on the Lower East Side and in Greenpoint, with one scheduled for the new Terminal 5 at JFK airport, with more to come.

We squeezed into a booth, added extra chairs and got started on the delicious food. First, the draft beer (16 oz IPA, Pilsner,  KCBC or Grimm $11) and wine ($11) followed by Frickles ($8, fried pickles), loaded tots ($16, potato tots covered with chopped cheese, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, Cotija cheese and a spicy crema) and a couple of each of the offered sauces ($1, each: Club, the signature sweet, smokey and tangy house; Home on the Ranch, traditional Ranch with an extra dill kick; Buffalo Blue Cheese, buffalo wing with blue cheese; and Ghost pepper ranch, Ranch with a hot kick ).


More yummy fried food hit the table before the burgers, including the Chopped Cheese Taco, a toasted flour tortilla with
jalapeños, crema, shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes and Cotija cheese ($6.50). Don’t miss their fries ($4.25) or beer-battered onion rings that come with club sauce ($6.50).

Then, of course, the main event: burgers. Most ordered the new California Dreamin one (choice of one for $12, two for $15, or three for $18 patties!) with American cheese, diced caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed bun. I went traditional with a single Gotham smash burger with grilled onions, American cheese, pickles, jalapeños and club sauce ($9). Our youngin’, who joined us, indulged in the fabulously moist and crispy Love Me Tender chicken tenders ($10).

We ended oh, so nicely satiated and shared a couple of banana puddings!

I highly recommend a visit to Gotham Burger Social Club. Be sure to go hungry!

Gotham Burger Social Club
Lower East Side
131 Essex St,
New York, NY 10002
gbsc.nyc