Saturday Night Cheeseburger At The Cardinal
Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! Starring The Cardinal and featuring the Ready for Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now please welcome tonight’s host, The Cardinal!
Night is falling on Manhattan as we head down Broadway to east 4th street.
I'm drinking a beer on the way hidden inside my patented Vitamin Water bottle beer disguise. You'll never get me, coppers!
There's a lot of people out tonight, I hope I can score a seat at the bar at The Cardinal.
Okay, here we are, let's go see if we can score a seat at the bar.
Wow, it's a small bar and it's all filled up.
The tables are all filled up too. I'm starvin' like Marvin over here and don't feel like searching for somewhere else to get a cheeseburger.
Wait a second, there's outside seating, maybe I can get a table out there.
There's one lone table and I was told I could take it, so that's what I did.
And before you know it, pretty and friendly waitress Alex serves up a beer. I got a bottle of Left Hand Milk Stout, that's right, they don't serve Budweiser here.
Here's a shot of my table complete with a bottle of water and beer, who could ask for anything more...well a cheeseburger would complete the picture, but we must have patience.
A view of the other outside diners from my vantage point.
Okay, I've placed my dinner order and now...
Sit back, relax and watch the world go by. I don't eat at outside tables much, but I have to admit, it's kind of nice sitting out here tonight.
And before you know it, the first course has arrived! Deviled eggs. They look great!
They're creamy and topped with a hunk of bacon, a wonderful appetizer!
And here's the main course, the cheeseburger! It comes with a pickle and homemade potato chips.
A very delicious burger! And the chips and pickle were good too.
And now it's history.
I paid Alex at the bar and she gives a wave and a gorgeous smile goodbye. It was a great meal and evening at The Cardinal!
My Meal
There’s only one burger on the menu at Cardinal, but it’s a winner. It’s a skillet cooked burger topped with grilled onions, bibb lettuce and a dabble of homemade barbecue sauce. The burger is housed in a bakery fresh potato roll. It recently made Time Out New York’s best burger list and I can see why. It comes with a pickle and homemade potato chips. For an appetizer I got the deviled eggs and they come three to a serving topped with a bit of bacon and slightly seasoned. A tasty treat indeed.
Other entrees on the menu include: Smothered and Fried Pork Chops with Red Eye Gravy; Fried Chicken, Catfish and the BBQ Plate which is a combination plate featuring: ribs, pulled pork, brisket and hot links. All the entrees come with your choice of two sides including: a Pickle Plate; Fried Green Tomatoes; Deviled Eggs and Fried Okra. You can get wine by the glass and they have eight beers to choose from including: Left Hand Milk Stout, Narragansett, Full Sail IPA and Ommegang Witt. And all these years I thought Ommegang Witt was an Boswesnian comedy troupe, oh well, you learn something new every day!
Cheeseburger Rating
Three and a half Wimpy’s, easy to see why it’s at the top of the Time Out New York best burger list!
The Cardinal
234 E. 4th St. (Near Ave. B)
212-995-8600
Further Reading: EV Grieve, Paper & String and East Village Eats.
Cheeseburger, East Village, The Cardinal Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 10:29AM
Reader Comments (27)
That cheeseburger looks like a heart attack on a bun, but my...what a tasty way to go! Never had homemade potato chips before, wish there were a place around here where I could try some...
For sure that's the best burger I've seen you eat here, going by the picture, a winner all the way. And deviled eggs,,,,fabulous! First time I ever seen you eat outside a bar,,,,,it was nice, right? Your second picture of the NY street is excellent, though I wish that McDonald's wasn't in view. How was that Milk stout? Also,,,RIP to Donald Duck Dunn,,,a great bass player, was with Booker T and also played with Neil Young, Clapton,, he was amazing.
Everything you eat looks so delicious, my mouth waters every time I see the pic and 'heart attack on a bun' is just the way to describe the food but descriptions be damned, I'd love a second order if you please.
the only thing that looks better than the burger and deviled eggs is alex your pretty waitress! what a great smile, looks like you had one nice night out on the town!
@Jaws: "That cheeseburger looks like a heart attack on a bun" Ha ha ha! Great description and the chips were indeed tasty!
@Al: It was a really good burger and I'm always thrilled to see deviled eggs on the menu! A great meal and this was my first time seated outside and it was nice and relaxing out there! I didn't know about Donald Duck Dunn, a big loss for sure, one of the greats, thanks for letting us know.
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: I agree! If I could've fit a second order in my stomach I'd have had one!
@Bobby D: Alex was not only pretty, but very nice and a great waitress! It was one nice night out, for sure!
I wonder what would happen, if I was walking by a place like that, picked up your pickle (or somebody else's pickle) - and ate it as I walked away .... ?
Good god now that's a burger! Looks like you could break your wrist trying to hold it with one hand. Dagwood Bumstead would be proud.
Very funny surprise link.
I'm breaking out my copy of the original Blues Brothers movie in honor of Donald Duck Dunn...
@GENE: If you tried to poach my pickle, I'd call the Pickle Police and they'd haul you into the Pickle Pokey...or something like that!
@Jason: It was a huge burger and I'm proud I finished it and so far, my ticker is still ticking! Glad you liked the link, I got a larf out of it too!
@Jaws: To Duck Dunn!
That looked like 'one tasty burger!'
Glad you got to sit outside on a nice Spring night.
Wish your Mom, a Happy Mother's Day from me.
This looks like a winner evening all around...
Alex is a total hottie!
wowsers
I want deviled eggs now.. even if i do get hives!
Yum, I Like Everything on The Menu. That Burger Look Sooooooooo Goooooooood.
Beers sound Great Too. Seems Like Great a Weather in New York, It's been Great Here Too.
Cheers
Happy Mothers Day Marty, You are the Mother of Invention when it comes to this Blog. How heavy was that dam burger anyway 1/2 lb? Theirs nothing like a pretty waitress to make the food go down easy & Alex was very easy on the eyes.
@"Boris:" Tasty indeed! Thanks and please send my Happy Mother's Day wishes to your mom!
@Gidger the half bee: It was a great meal and sorry to hear that deviled eggs give you the hives. Happy Mothers Day to you!
@JHwang: Truly one of the best burgers I've had, delicious! And it was a nice night out, perfect weather to sit outside!
@Danny the freelancer: Ha ha ha! Happy Mother's Day to you too! I'm guessing that burger about a half pound, I was stuffed all night! And yes, Alex is definitely easy on the eyes! I knew she'd be a hit at today's post!
I just ate a deviled egg about an hour ago and it was delicious, but I wish it'd had a hunk of bacon on top. Yummmm! That burger looked great, too. Although I probably would've had to order the fried okra. Not many places do it right, but I'll bet The Cardinal does.
Wonder what the significance of the snake is? That cheeseburger looked very good.
Ronnie Wood - very good choice. On a Stones related note, Mick Jagger will be the host/musical guest on this week's SNL.
@Dave W. I've been wondering the same thing about the snake. It's 10 segments,not 13. So I dunno.
Here's a consolation prize. Cardinal vs. Snake
@Biff: The bacon was the crowning touch on the deviled eggs, never had that before. Maybe when you're here we should make a fried okra pitstop.
@DaveW: I wondered about the snake as well, but was too caught up in the food to ask. I'm wondering if the Stones will make a surprise appearance on SNL next Saturday. I won't be around to watch, I'm going to Joey Ramone's Birthday Bash that night
@csp: Thanks for the consolation prize, it's a doozy!
That's one helluva burger.
The snake reminds me of an old revolutionary war poster that said "Join, or Die" on it. Each snake part represented a colony if memory serves me right.
Narragansett would have been a good choice in lieu of Bud. Pretty similar in style.
Oh...And "Duck" Dunn...RIP, man.
@Randall: Thanks for the snake information and you're right, it was one hell of a burger! I'll try the Narragansett next time, thanks for the tip and R.I.P. to "Duck" Dunn, a great musician!
That Vitamin Water trick is great. You have inspired me.
@Uncle Waltie: I'm honored to have inspired you! Sip ahoy!
Oh man! Now I'm STARVING!
@meleah: I'd say it's time for you to have a cheeseburger then!
@Marty: Sounds great! Also, "Fried Okra Pitstop" was the name of my first band. We only played in dumps.
@Biff: Ha ha ha! You still gots it, Bifferoonie!