Saturday Night Cheeseburger
Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! Starring Donovan’s Pub and featuring the Ready for Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, please welcome your host, all the way from Woodside, NY...Donovan’s Pub!
I've decided with this blog and since I've got some more time on my hands since I'm not working at the moment, that I'd start venturing out of my Manhattan comfort zone more often and check out things in the outer boroughs. So today we're going to a classic bar in Queens, which has been around since 1966 and the name of the place is Donovan's Pub. They're supposed to have one of the best cheeseburgers in the Tri-State area, so I have to try it. But before we begin the journey, I need to stop in here.
The Powerball is over 300 million bucks, so I needed to play a few numbers. If one of these cashes in, we'll really be tripping here!
Okay, we're Queens-bound and it's down into the subway we go!
Here's my GPS guide to get us there. Do you think that maybe I need to upgrade it?
And through the magic of the internet, you missed out on waiting over a half an hour for the F train, then having to transfer to the 7 train and getting on the wrong train heading in the opposite direction, getting out, getting on another 7 train that got delayed during service for twenty minutes and over an hour and a half later, here we are in Queens. I may never leave Manhattan again. I hope this cheeseburger is worth the rotten trip I took to get here.
Okay, things are looking better. Here's Donovan's Pub and it looks like a great old school bar.
We'll see if that sign lives up to its boast!
It's a great looking bar. Nice and dark, lots of wood and plenty of seats at the bar. Let's settle in!
And here's bartender Jess. A great bartender and a friendly fellow! Jess has been bartending here since Donovan's opened in 1966! He's served politicians from Mayor Koch, to Gary Hart, to Mayor Bloomturd Bloomberg. He told me the most infamous former regular was Bernie Goetz, the man who became known as the "Subway Vigilante" in 1984.
Pat and Danny were seated at the end of the bar. Friendly guys and regulars who welcome newbies like myself at the bar as if you had been coming here your whole life. It's a real friendly neighborhood atmosphere in here.
A shot of the long wooden bar from the back end. Note the colorful stained glass window at the front.
Candle-lit dining tables line the wall opposite the bar.
Here's the dining area in the back of the bar.
It's a comfortable atmosphere in here complete with a working fireplace. Fire!
Oh, deer!
And behind these doors...
Is yet another dining area. Jess said they open this up if it gets crowded and you can also rent it out for private parties. I love the bookcases in here!
And when I return to the bar, a place setting has been put down. Looks like we'll find out if they live up to their boast soon!
And here we go! The burger is huge and so are the steak fries that come with it.
Okay, I've assembled the burger and now it's time to try and take a bite out of this monster!
It's juicy, filled with flavor, the bacon is crispy and delicious and the bun is bakery fresh. Definitely one of the best burgers I've ever had and it was well worth the trip. Not only for the cheeseburger but to experience Donovan's Pub, a true old-school joint.
Okay, the plate is clean and yeah, I eat ketchup but I don't like tomatoes, so sue me!
And it's out the stained glass wooden doors we go...
As the sun sets on Queens.
And by the time I get back to Manhattan, night has fallen. Goodnight everybody, thanks for tripping out with me and we'll see you tomorrow.
My Meal
I had the bacon cheeseburger and it was one of the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. It was a half pound burger with American cheese and a generous amount of bacon on a toasted bun. And the bun was bakery fresh and delicious. The sign outside of the pub reads, "#1 Rated Hamburger in New York" and they certainly live up to it.
Donovan’s Pub has been on the block since 1966 and it’s a classic Woodside joint in Queens, New York. In addition to the bacon cheeseburger, Donovan’s menu also features: Shepherd's Pie, Crab Cakes, Chicken Pot Pie and a Hot Open Turkey Breast served over homemade stuffing with gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day. You can eat at the front bar or at one of the dining rooms in the back. Some things in Queens have changed, luckily Donovan’s remains the same.
Cheeseburger Rating:
Four Wimpy's, one of the best in all the boroughs!
Donovan's Pub
57-24 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside, NY
718-429-9339
Further Reading: The Fat Chick Diaries, The Burger Beast and Queen’s Buzz.
Then the liquid passing all into all,
Love is hot truth is molten.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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Bonus Gumby Video!
TWM reader Matt sent in this video he shot of he and his roomate, Brandon, decked out in a Gumby outfit on a subway ride bound for Times Square. Check it out, it's a classic! Thanks for sending it in, Matt!
Cheeseburger, Donovan, Donovan's Pub, Gumby, Queens Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 9:47AM
Reader Comments (37)
I see on their menu they serve Shepherd's Pie, I'm having that this afternoon, as soon as my sister gets here but wish I had your burger and fries instead, sure looked tasty, yum yum ;)
Woodside? More like Funside!
At Donovan's it's the season of the cheese-burger.
Your GPS bears a striking resemblance to the palm pilot you use to have,
Gumby is a fantastic pole-dancer.
I stole the low hanging fruit. Nice to see you in Queens.
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: It was a fantastic burger and fries! Enjoy your Shepherd's Pie and have a great afternoon with your sister!
@csp: Ha ha ha! I remember that palm pilot, the warranty finally ran out on it! It was great to be in Queens and I shall return!
Jesus-pleasus that burger looks HUGE! Gumby and his buddy look like they're drunk on their asses...what would Pokey say!?!
This place kind of reminds me of The Hofbrau.
Marty, Traveling to Queens can be a real pain in the Ass. My girlfriend used to live in Masbeth, that was a Subway ride & then wait for a friggin bus full of 200 people. I'm so happy she's with me here in Weehawken.
Looks like you got the Powerball number 11. What are you gonna do with your $4 bucks?
@Jaws: It might've been the biggest burger I've ever eaten. Luckily I didn't have anything to eat all day, so I was starving and could finish the whole thing. The Gumby clip is hilarious, what you don't see is Pokey is passed out underneath the seats.
@DeWayne: You're right, I thought it had a familiar feel to it. It's kind of like and Irish Hofbrau Haus!
@Danny the Freelancer: I didn't know you were in Weehawken. I need to come out there for a cheeseburger some week! Thanks for letting me know about the Powerball, I always forget to check them for weeks. I'm going to roll it over and do it again!
Awesome post. As former resident of Queens it thrilled me to see you go to Donovans's. You must venture to Queens more often. It is a treasure of delicious eats.
@MAD: Your new handheld device is much slimmer although it no longer has a place to store a stylus.
Mental note: Spell-check won't save me from a bear.
Burger looks wonderful. I also love the bookshelves in the dining room. Would love to wander along and see what books they have in there.
@Jason: Next time we meet up, you'll have to give me some names of spots to go to, I don't know Queens that well.
@csp: Stylus storer's are so last year! Nice linkage!
@kari: I wanted to look closer at them, but I could tell Jess was wanting shut it back up and get back to the bar.
Great to see you out & about. Subway travel to Queens & Brooklyn is especially hellish on weekends, but worth it if you want to try an amazing variety of less expensive food, & some good old bars. Queens in particular is great for food. Will send you a few favorites. That burger does look heftily delicious!
@onemorefoldedsunset: It was worth the trip indeed! Great spot and a great night! Looking forward to seeing your suggestions!
UFB with those directions ! .... our last time in NYC we got on a wrong direction "1" train - due to some douchebag transit worker at the 34th St. station -- we were on our way to Wall Street -- I was reading and not paying attention to the stops -- as we went through Columbus Circle ... I knew something had gone horribly wrong ! We then corrected it at the next stop. Then I had that one bad ride when I was up there by myself -- and was coincidentally on the "1" train -- meant to get off at 103rd St. - and wound up in the Bronx at 242nd St ! UFB to me !
PS .... Dominie's Hoek in Queens is a place I think you'd like - and it may be a little easier for you to get to.
McGuinness's Saloon & Gaslight Bar are other good Queens places that have the BBC approved label ....
PS .... I fell asleep .... otherwise I would have noticed I went 139 blocks out of my way :(
@GENE: I've had the same shit happen to me on the subway, it sucks big time! Thanks for the suggestions, will check them out in future posts!
Most excellent! I'm happy the amazing burger was totally worth the nightmare trip to get there!
a saliva generatin' post...damn said it before and will probably say it again..."365", "MAD", and now TWM appears to eat a lot better than me (well at least a couple times a week)...see that the burger beast did not share TWM's enthusiasm about Donovan's...
“I said to the wife, "Guess what I heard in the pub? They reckon the milkman has made love to every woman in this road except one." And she said, "I'll bet it's that stuck-up Phyllis at number 23."”
~ Max Kauffmann
rr
@meleah: It was definitely worth the trip! A great burger and a great place!
@rr: You need to get out here and share a burger with me! And that quote is too funny! Nice choice!
Gem of a pub, gem of a post. You ARE the ambassador of Bar Life.
The difference between the GPS and the Palm, was that is what it was written on.
Over half an hour? There's a reason they call it 'The F Train'.
Well worth the trip.
A classic old school place.
Great interior shots and one Hell of a tasty looking burger.
It was good catching up with you on Sunday.
@scribbler50: A gem of a pub indeed, and thank you for that title, I'll wear it with honor!
@"Boris:" Yeah, The "F" is for Fucking slow as a geriatric sloth! But it was worth it once I got there! Great yakking with you last night, Daddio!
That burger looks great!!and so does the bun!!I dated someone in the 80's who lived in Queens. He had a car and we would pass this establishment often. I never went in. Glad you did because it looks great!!Glad a great time was had by all.
@Melanie: It is a great place, and the cheeseburger was excellent!
Man, that burger looked really tasty. Cool place too. Sorry you didn't win the lotto, but at least you got the Powerball. That's four dollars, Marty! Ka-ching!
@Biff: I'm rolling that Powerball over for tomorrow night, hopefully it'll win and you can join the trips after I fly you out here!
Sweet! I won four dollars as well. Perhaps it's a sign.
The main problem with your GPS is that it wasn't the best route. Under normal circumstances (e.g. when the MTA isn't fucking with the 7 train on weekends) you'd take the F to 42nd, walk the very cool concourse with the tiles and poetry to transfer to the 7, and just take the 7 to 61st.
Next time you need subway directions to Queens (I work in Queens) or Brooklyn (I live in Brooklyn) contact me first, or any of your faithful readers who live outside of Manhattan. The last thing you should do is trust the MTA's directions. They truly suck; only the savvy "outer borough" denizen can tell you the best way to get around outside of Manhattan.
BTW I feasted on a Donovan's burger prior to a Mutts game a few years ago and it was great. Next time, venture into Sunnyside (40th Street stop on the 7) and check out PJ Hogans on Queens Blvd. between 42nd & 43rd.
@Katrink: Thanks, I will start consulting with you, I appreciate it! I'll check out PJ Hogans soon, thanks for the tip!
The 7 train is always screwed up on the weekends. So it's the N or Q to Queensboro Plaza to join the rest of the herd on the platform to 61st and Woodside. When I feel like splurging, sometimes I cheat and catch the LIRR at Penn station. Penn and 34th to 61st and Woodside in one stop! But there's a whole strategy to that as well. Kudos to surviving the hellish commute! Your Tripping challenges do not go unappreciated. I felt the pain of that commute, but agree with others that there's plenty of good food and people to be found in the other boroughs. Great post. Thanks Marty!
@Claribel: I thought about taking that LIRR train, but decided on the subway instead. Maybe I'll try it next time. Glad you liked the post!
This place looks AWESOME! It actually is a little similar in feel (sort of warm wood and cool windows) to the place I had a great chicken burger Saturday. I gotta take the camera out more often!
@Isabella: Send me a photo of the chicken burger place if you can and I'll post it as a bonus photo, I'd love to see it!
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