Service Level: 1.5/5
Attire: Wear What You Want.
Cuisine: American - Mom Pop Burger Bar Joint
Review: Based on Dinner Menu.
Cash you will blow out: $$
Location: Upper East Side
Given that burgers are omnipresent in New York City, you will see several posts of different burger joints on this page of ‘Flavors of NYC’, but let me start by telling you the story of J.G. Melon- my absolute favorite burger joint in the city and also a favorite of Bobby Flay and Ex- Mayor Bloomberg.
I Love History: J.G. Melon stands on the corner of 74th and 3rd avenue since 1972. Before J.G., the place was an Irish Bar known as the Central Tavern run by 2 Italians. The building itself is from 1920’s. Research tells me that Central Tavern was transformed to J.G. Melon by original owners Jack O’ Neill and George Mourges. Hence the name J.G., but mind you- Melon in fact is no real person.
In the 70’s it quickly became a local favorite amongst the politicians, the artsy folks, and the rich, famous & unknown alike. Quite in an unplanned manner, it became a classic of the neighborhood.
The restaurant as it stands now, is owned by Shaun Young who was initially a bartender and manager of the restaurant in the 80’s, and still holds the warm old New York aura.
Old Charm of NY: The entrance of the restaurant has typical double doors that you will find in many NYC restaurants to avoid direct wind/snow/rain from hitting in. The front room is crowded, very crowded. It houses a dark bar and a kitchen and leads to a rear dining room that is far darker.
The kitchen requires a special mention because it is quite literally placed in the middle of the restaurant and reminds me of a Dhaba/ Shack and despite its tiny proportions, multiple cooks work feverishly inside it, cranking out the most delicious burgers in New York.
Art pieces depicting watermelons appear to be the theme on the walls of the restaurant and the pictures hang in no particular order behind the bar.
In a corner of the front room is a jukebox to choose your own music. I have not had a chance to use this ever during all my visits to JG but I would love to, some day.
The tin ceiling, the wooden bar area and the blue & white checkered table cloth gives this place a rustic classic feeling.
The air inside smells of old school charm. You cannot help but imagine Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman sitting together pondering over their marriage troubles. (Yes, Kramer vs Kramer was shot here).
Who Else Loves J.G: Michel Bloomberg once said on a TV show that he loves "Simple Food" and if there was one thing he had to eat for all 3 meals - it would be a burger. JG Melon is his favorite.
On the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” , the famous chef Bobby Flay admitted to being a burger guy. He grew up a few blocks away from J.G. and was a regular patron throughout his childhood and adolescence years. The master chef himself claims that hands-down J.G. is the best burger in NY and I kind of have to agree with that.
The Menu: Mostly Burgers and Sandwiches. Cheese Burger, Bacon Burger, Bacon Cheese Burger, Turkey Burger, Hamburger and similar American comfort food.
I Recommend: Get a Hamburger, Cheese Burger or a Bacon Cheese Burger. I am also told the Chili Bowl is great here but I have not tried it. I am just so stuck up with ordering my favorite burger that I have still not convinced myself to try anything else on the menu.
Also, try the Cottage Fried Potatoes on the side and try them with Dijon mustard.
The Greatness: The burgers are fantastic here. The seasoning in them is a mystery to many and it’s a secret that the folks at JG claim either not to know or they do not want to share with their customers, of course. The meat is flavorful and moist. Texturaly it is loosely packed- i.e. unlike the regular burgers where meat is very finely minced and never grainy, the patty at JG has more a feel of chopped meat than minced meat and therefore the patties more loose, grainy, but also more flavorful. It’s either the way the patties are pulled together or it is the use of the flat iron griddle which I am told is also a reason the patties retain so much juice and flavor in them. I warn you that you will need a bundle of tissues while eating these burgers.
The American cheese on top of the patty is melted enough to drip to the corners of the lower soft bun. Ah, and the bun itself is a soft one without seeds on it, and is well toasted not to let the juicy patty seep through it. Did I mention you can also order a double cheese burger if you want it cheesier. :) By default the burgers are done “Medium Rare” unless you tell your server otherwise.
The Extras: The burgers come with sliced pickles that almost imitate the shape and size of the Cottage Fried Potatoes and you must must order those on the side. The pickles are crunchy and heavenly and the cottage fried potatoes are half crunchy, half not so crunchy- just perfectly done.
Mind it that they don't give you tomatoes and lettuce like in regular burger joints, till you ask for it separately.
The Long Wait: The line outside the restaurant will surprise you anytime of the day and I assure you that on weekends it is absolutely worse :). Apparently the craze for eating at JG has not abated since the dawn of the themed single bars in the early 70’s. So be prepared to wait outside coz you have get lucky to get a place at the bar.
The wait can be anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour or more, but the good news is, that once you are seated on the very tight table almost nudging the person on the next table while figuring out which directions your knees and legs should be pointed towards, the food will make it’s way in a super-fast fashion to your plate.
While you can expect to experience slightly gruff service at JG , I promise you that you will most certainly experience the finest burgers of NYC here.
And Finally: Don’t bother calling them up, coz they don’t take reservations. Also don’t forget to stop at an ATM before heading to JG’s. It's Cash only.
Enjoy.
(Dear Readers: Please don't forget to leave a comment if you visit this page. Not only is it nice to hear what you think about the review but it's also encouraging for me to know that you are reading it. Leaving without a comment for me is always like walking into the open door of my house, and leaving without saying hello to me. I look forward to hearing what you think.)
