Saturday Night Cheeseburger at the Pom Pom Diner

Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! Starring the Pom Pom Diner, a special guest appearance by Paul and featuring the Ready For Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our host, the Pom Pom Diner!

Here we are in the madness of Times Square on a Saturday night. Amazing how an eight block walk to Hell's Kitchen can change the environment.

And eight blocks later here we are on the relatively calm corner of 45th and 11th Avenue in front of the Pom Pom Diner. Let's go check it out.

What a classic diner and we've got the whole joint to ourselves on a Saturday night, unbelievable!

Let's grab a menu and get a seat in the back booth.

Biff flew back to Ohio, but Paul stayed an extra night and here he is perusing the gigantic menu.

And here's our friendly waiter, Jimmy, pouring me a beer. Let's take a little tour of the place.

The back wall is decorated with a giant print of the Manhaatan skyline.

There's a take out counter on the other side of the diner.

Some of the pastries and rolls are housed in glass containers on the counter and look delicious.

Here's the specials of the evening.

An original piece of art done specifically for the diner by artist, Will RAFUSE hangs on the wall.

And here's another painting by RAFUSE. Very cool.

They don't have a full bar in here, but there is wine and a decent little selection of bottled beer.

Gumballs!

After I said hi to the cooks in the back, I realized that dinner should be served by now, so I went back and joined Paul at the booth.

And I was right. Here's Paul's burger, he got the Greek burger with Feta cheese.

And I got something different, they had a crab burger on the menu which I've never had or heard of. I got grilled onions with it and it's topped off with a spicy chipotle sauce.

The bun was toasted and bakery fresh and it was really a unique and delicious burger.

Okay, a quick obligatory bathroom shot...

And we're out the door. Goodnight and see you all tomorrow.

My Meal
While Googling around looking for a joint to get a cheeseburger on Saturday, I found the Pom Pom diner, a diner that’s been alive and kicking since 1969 in Hell’s Kitchen. I love old-school diners and had to check this place out on Saturday Night Cheeseburger, and so that’s exactly what I did. I was also thrilled to see a type of burger on the extensive menu that I had never tried before, a Crab Burger. The burger was a nice change of pace, juicy crab meat with grilled onions and topped with a spicy chipotle sauce. Very tasty and a fun way to change things up on Saturday Night Cheeseburger. Paul got the Greek Burger with Feta cheese and gave it high ratings as well.

Sadly, the Pom Pom is part of a dying breed, the family owned diner. It opened up in 1969 and happily it’s still thriving (Jimmy our waiter said it’s only been open ten years, but everything I’ve read about the place said it’s been open since 1969, and I’m hoping that’s the truth, so that’s what I’m going to believe). The Pom Pom is a low key, no frills, New York diner, with a friendly staff and a relaxing vibe. The menu is massive and in addition to the Crab Burger there are eight other styles of burgers on the menu including: a Greek Burger with feta cheese; the Italian Burger with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce and a classic eight ounce Cheeseburger on a toasted bun with your choice of American, Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone or Mozzarella cheese. Some of the Chef’s Specialties offered on the menu are: Tommy's Famous Meatloaf; Shrimp Teriyaki; Fish and Chips and Hot Open Sandwiches with your choice of turkey or roast beef with mashed potato, gravy and vegetables. There’s also pasta, deli sandwiches and a full breakfast menu available 24 hours a day (except on Sundays, when it’s closed. How old-school is that?)

Cheeseburger Rating
Three Wimpys, a delicious and unique burger.
Pom Pom Diner
610 Eleventh Ave. (Near 45th St.)
212-397-8395

Further Reading: Trip Advisor, Menu Pages and facecrack.

Oh, I know that it?s getting late,
But I don?t wanna go home.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!

Saturday Night Cheeseburger At Little Town NYC

Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! Starring Little Town NYC and featuring the Ready For Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, please welcome tonight’s host, Little Town NYC!

As much as I like spring and summer, the one thing I hate is how late it stays light out. It's after seven o'clock in the evening and it looks like the afternoon out here.

At least it's darker down in the subway, the downside to that is that the piss smell gets worse in the warm weather. Oh well, you can't have everything!

You are here...

And through the magic of the internet you are now here at tonight's destination: Little Town NYC on 46th street.

Lots of specials going on here, let's go check it out.

The front area is crowded.

But I spy some stools at the bar, perfect!

And friendly bartender, Siris not only serves up a bottle of Coney Island Lager, he flashes the TWM card as well!

Here's the view from my perch at the bar.

They have a large selection of beers in here, check out all the different styles on tap.

And here's some more selections on the chalk board behind the bar.

There's wooden tables and railings next to the brick wall opposite the bar.

And there's more tables to eat and drink at in the back room.

And there's even more tables upstairs on the second floor.

Here's an aerial shot of Siris and the bar from upstairs.

And when I return the pretzel I ordered as an appetizer has arrived. It was warm, crunchy on the outside and soft in the center. A great pretzel and it comes with cheese and spicy mustard dipping sauces.

After washing the pretzel down with another beer, the condiments arrive, looks like the main course will be here at any moment!

And here it is, Siris suggested the sliders and I think he made the right decision. They come with warm, home made potato chips. Looks fantastic!

Wow, very tasty and the potato roll is bakery fresh. The chips are great too, a delicious meal tonight!

Burp!

And we'll end the evening with a somewhat fuzzy obligatory bathroom mirror shot. See you all tomorrow!

My Meal
I checked out the menu online and was all set to order the Little Town Burger, which is a cheeseburger topped with a poached egg, bacon and Bechamel sauce, but bartender Siris strongly suggested the Angus Sliders and I think he made the right choice for me. You get two medium sized sliders made with angus beef and topped with melted American cheese, carmelized onions and a dollop of Cognac sauce. The burger was very tasty and what topped it off for me was the warm potato roll that encases it. For me, the bun, roll or bread that the burger is served on can make or break the burger and this roll was as fresh as any I’ve ever had, it was warm and had a bit of a sweet taste to it. I think these were the best sliders I’ve ever had. Thanks for the recommendation, Siris!

The menu at Little Town is pretty eclectic, some of the other selections include: Big City Pastrami Sandwich, Sloppy Joe, BBQ Grilled Chicken and a dish called a Garbage Plate for two that is a dish consisting of Tater Tots, macaroni salad, baked beans, two cheeseburgers, onions, mustard horseradish and the entire plate is covered with spicy chili. If you order this I suggest you BYOR (bring your own Rolaids.) There’s also pizza, four styles of chicken wings and soups and salads.

Cheeseburger Rating
Four Wimpys—The best sliders I’ve ever had!

Little Town NYC
366 W 46th St. (between 8th and 9th Ave.)
(212) 677-6300

Further Reading: Grub Street, Eater NY and Midtown Lunch.

The cosmic sea,
Was like a bumblebee,
And when I'm sad,
I slide.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!

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Bonus Photo From Peter Chu!

Last week's Saturday Night Cheeseburger guest star Peter Chu found a photo of Mars Bar he had taken a while back in his files. I told him that Mars Bar was my favorite stop on my 365 Bar Crawl and so he sent this in for a bonus photo on TWM. Great shot of a wonderful bar, it brings back lots of memories. Thanks Peter and hope to see you soon!

Saturday Night Cheeseburger at Arthur's Tavern

Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! This week’s host is Arthur’s Tavern and a guest appearance by TWM reader, Peter Chu and featuring The Ready For Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher! And now, please welcome this week’s host, all the way from Hoboken, New Jersey, Arthur’s Tavern!

I've exchanged several emails with Peter Chu, who's been reading my blogs way back from the 365 Bars days and he suggested that I should come out to Hoboken, New Jersey and check out Arthur's Tavern sometime. I actually tried to go to Arthur's last year when I was doing MAD, but the trains were screwed up and I ended up going to the Hollywood Diner instead. I had good luck with the Path trains last week, so I told Peter I'd meet him at Arthur's tonight, so it's down into the subway we go.

There's a familiar sign, didn't we just do this a week ago?

Just three quick train stops and baboom, here we are in Hoboken. It's a nice day and there's a lot of people out and about here!

I've got my old school gps guide programmed to get us to Arthur's from here, hopefully I won't get lost too many times before I find it.

Amazingly I found Arthur's in about ten minutes without getting lost at all. Hoboken's pretty easy to get around. There's just one problem though...

I told Peter I'd meet him in front of Arthur's at 6:30 and of course I'm crazy early and it's just 5:30, so I've got an hour to kill. What should I do...

Hey, this looks like a good place not only to kill an hour, but to kill a few pre-dinner beers as well.

It's nice inside.

And it's even nicer after I meet pretty and friendly bartender Lauren, who happily serves up a beer.

Okay, fast-forward an hour and a few beers later and here we are back at Arthur's and there's Peter! Time to begin Saturday Night Cheeseburger!

Arthur's is a real old-school steakhouse, love the checkered floor and table cloths.

The walls are covered with vintage mirrors and pictures.

Ceiling fans with lamps in them hang overhead and illuminate the restaurant.

And of course the ceiling is tin. The mark of a classic place.

Here's a couple of chefs back in the kitchen area.

And here's a couple of plates of Arthur's signature dinner's, steak and their famous homemade potatoes.

Arthur's is a lot bigger than I thought, there's several dining rooms to eat in. As you can see, it's a popular spot on a Saturday night.

And here's the table Peter and I settled into.

Our friendly waitress Claudia brings the first course of the dinner.

And shortly after the main course arrives! I got a cheddar cheese burger with carmelized onions and bacon and a serving of Arthur's home made potatoes.

Peter opted for a little simpler burger and got one topped with American cheese and an order of fries.

The burger was delicious, but just like last week, it was so big I had to put it down and eat it with a fork and knife.

I want to thank Peter, he generously picked up the tab for dinner, so I told him I'd buy us a nightcap somewhere. As we left Arthur's nighttime had fallen on Hoboken.

Peter guided us to this bar a few  blocks away, Louise and Jerry's.

It's a nice dark bar and not too crazy on a Saturday night, which I appreciate.

And Pat the bartender serves up dessert!

And a glance out the window and it's time to head back home. Thanks again to Peter for meeting me and for picking up the dinner check, the next one's on me!

Cheeseburger Rating
Three Wimpy’s, a delicious cheeseburger in Hoboken, New Jersey!

Arthur’s Tavern
237 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ
201-656-5009

Further Reading: Burger Conquest, hobokeni.com and Gear Patrol.

Now my advice for those who die,
Declare the pennies on your eyes,
‘Cause I’m the Taxman!

Surprise link, click on it, I dare you!

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Bonus Photo By Gene Rubbico!

Gene sent in this photo from DePaola's Pub, in Arbutus, MD. It looks like something straight out of 1977! Thanks for the photo Gene and good luck with your Reserves duty the next couple of days!

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Bonus Photo From Duncester!

After seeing this Hoboken post, TWM reader and frequent guest star, The Duncester sent in this photo he took from Hoboken last Thursday. Here's what he has to say about the shot: "Last Thursday evening, on my way out to Jersey via the Path Train and NJ Transit, I took this shot of the Freedom Tower from Hoboken, now at 100 plus stories (total will be 104 stories). Thought it might be a nice fit for your Hoboken burger post, especially for your out of state audience." Great photo, Duncester, thanks for sending it in and hope to see you soon!