FOODIE

Who’s Got The Best Burger In Town?
By DineHuntington.com / foodie@longislandernews.com

The burger wars are on.

It started when the Foodies asked the question, “Who makes the best burger in the Town of Huntington?” Fans of our DineHuntington page on Facebook were quick to respond, naming their favorites as Huntington’s best burger. Of course, there were as many opinions as there are burger joints out there, and like everything food related, it’s all a matter of taste.

The burger scene in the Town of Huntington covers the full spectrum of tastes. Whatever your preference, it’s out there. There are $3 burgers, there are $25 burgers, and there’s a world of burgers in between. From one-handed sliders to two-fisted meals, they range from the simple classic burger on a bun to complex creations that can’t be contained on any size roll.

And everyone has their favorite.

What follows is a glimpse into Huntington’s burger world. The Foodies want you to take up the burger wars challenge: get out there and try them, and let us know what you think at our DineHuntington fan page on Facebook. If you’re already a fan, you know what to do. If you’re not, become one. Go to www.DineHuntington.com and click on the “Become a Fan” button. Then tell everyone who makes the best burger in the Town of Huntington.

To get you started, here’s an overview of some of the town’s top burgers.

34 New Street
34 New St., Huntington
631-427-3434 34newstreet.com

Whether he’s working on pizza dough or a white plate, 34 New Street chef/owner Steve Camas is an artist who loves innovative and surprising food combinations. His burger, however, sticks to the classic combination. It’s built around a half-pound of Angus beef, grilled to order and served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, American or cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, or bacon, and served with french fries. $12. Mention the Burger Wars challenge and Steve will throw in a free glass of beer with your burger.

Canterbury Ales
314 New York Ave., Huntington
631-549-4404 centerburyales.com

If Canterbury Ales owner Billy Hoest had one of those signs like McDonald’s – “Billions Served” – we wonder what the number would be. In 33 years, Billy’s served a lot of burgers. Canterburger fans swear by them. The original Canterburger – 8-oz. patty on a Kaiser roll with the usual trimmings ($12.99); the California Canterburger, with sliced mushrooms, avocado, sprouts, slaw and mozzarella ($13.99); Cajun Bleu Burger, with melted bleu cheese and buffalo wing sauce; and the Buffalo Canterburger - Prime bison with the usual trimmings ($12.99) are just a few.

Christopher’s Courtyard Cafe
8 Wall St., Huntington 631-271-0111

Huntington village favorite Christo-pher’s Courtyard Café brings some exotic offerings to the burger table. In addition to the basic favorite, Chef Frank has created some specialty burgers for the adventuresome foodie. Jack’s Wild West Burger with bleu cheese and hot sauce ($12); the Fiesta Burger with salsa, guacamole and cheddar jack ($11); and Bruno’s BBQ Steak Burger, with Christopher’s famous barbecue sauce, sautéed mushrooms and onions ($12). Not exotic enough? Give the ostrich or bison burgers try.

La Bottega
9 Wall St., Huntington 631-271-3540 LaBottegaHuntington.com

A surprise contender in the Burger Wars challenge, newly opened La Bottega serves up the colossal “Norbie Monster,” named for its creator who on most days can be found at the cash register. The Norbie starts with two ground beef patties with bacon, pepperoncino cheese, hot peppers, red onions, tomato and mixed greens with spicy mayo, garlic and oil on a grilled panino roll. If you can finish that monster, dessert’s on Norbie. $14.

Jonathan’s Ristorante
15 Wall St., Huntington
631-549-0055 jonathansristorante.com

One of the Foodies’ favorites, Jonathan’s burger is a simple classic. Available at lunchtime or from the bar menu only, it’s a generous sirloin burger topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices on Jonathan’s signature rustic bread with skinny fries and a small arugula salad. It’s not the northern Italian cuisine for which Jonanthan’s is famous, but it’s nonetheless a classic, and best eaten at the bar. $14.
Porto Vivo

7 Gerard St., Huntington
631-385-8486 port-vivo.com

Another new kid on the block, Porto Vivo is known for high-end cuisine in a elegant setting, but its lively bar scene just got better with the addition of a burger to the bar menu. It’s a wood-grilled Angus Prime burger with crispy pancetta, Fontina cheese and caramelized balsamic onions, served with Vivo’s herbed French fries. The sexiest burger from the brunch menu just became the sexiest thing at the bar.

Rookies Sports Club
70 Gerard St., Huntington
631-923-0424 rookiesny.com

One of Huntington’s burger capitals, Rookies’ “Hall of Fame Steak Burgers” are two-fisted creations that require you bring an appetite. The Old Timer: applewood smoked bacon, American Cheese and Rookies secret sauce ($11.99); A-1 Peppercorn Burger: peppercorn with A-1 steak sauce, bacon, pepper jack and crispy onion straws ($11.99); Rookies Burger: cheddar, bacon, and slow-cooked pulled pork ($12.99); Louisiana Lightning: blackened, spiced and topped with bleu cheese, sauteed peppers, caramelized onion and chipotle pepper dressing ($11.99); The Bronx Bomber: 1/2-pound dry-aged sirloin with caramelized onions, Applewood bacon bits and bleu cheese ($18.99). Or build your own. A mention of the Burger Wars Challenge will get you 20 percent off your entire check.

Smok A Burger’s
380 Larkfield Road, East Northport
631-226-2600 smokaburger.com

At this no-frills eatery, single burgers ($3.69 to $4.69) and double burgers ($5.42 to $6.19) come with your choice of free toppings, including lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions, jalapenos, sautéed onions, mayonnaise, Chipotle sauce, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms and grilled peppers. Home of the $5 combo (cheeseburger, French fries and soda. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.), newly opened Smok A Burger’s cranks out burgers all day long… they gotta do it well. Mention the DineHuntington Burger Challenge for a free small ice cream along with your combo.
Take the Burger Wars Challenge. Try ’em, log on to DineHuntington.com and let the Foodies know what you think.

Main Menu