The Burger Bash at Rub BBQ

“Gluttony is a lust of the mind.”  Thomas Hobbes

Eatery:  Rub BBQ, 208 W. 23^rd Street, New York, NY

BY: MJ Byers

Rub is a BBQ establishment that does not ordinarily serve burgers.  There appear to be two exceptions, however:  (1) Monday nights, when they offer a one-off, regionally themed or inspired burger and (2) when they do events such as the Burger Bash.  A few months back (remember my previous admission of procrastination), they had such an event.  There was a deal offered through Thrillist, and the offer was pure pigginess:  5 (that’s right – 5!) burgers, 2 drinks (I had the Beer Milkshake), 2 sides – all for  $35.  Now, it must be said that the normal burger on a Monday night weighs in at 5 oz – the Burger Bash offerings were in the range of 2-3 oz.  Having absolved myself of gluttony, let’s count them down:

#1:  Deep Fried Mac-N-Cheese Burger:  Super tasty and oh-so-shameful.  The burger was cooked medium (the best choice unless one wants to live dangerously and have a rare burger).  The fried mac-n-cheese added a, well, cheesy quality – I didn’t really get a greasy fried note, much to my pleasant surprise.  The garlic aioli, applied to the top and bottom buns, added a perfect moderately garlicky complement.  The bun was a plain traditional burger bun – soft and unimposing.  I tried to stop at half the burger – after all, there were 4 (!) more coming.  Not successful…..trouble is brewing.

Deep Fried Mac-N-Cheese Burger (photo by MJ Byers)

#2:  Butter Burger from the Wheel Inn of Wisconsin (or maybe it was Missouri).  The burger and bun elements were the same as in number one.  At first bite, I didn’t pick up the butter – what I first experienced (and liked) was the fresh meaty flavor of the burger. But, after a beat or two, the butter taste kicked and, oooohh…….amazing.  Uh oh – starting to feel full……..

Butter Burger (photo by MJ Byers)

#3:  Pimento Cheese Burger.  The topping was a blend of cheddar cheese, pimento and mayonnaise.  This was my least favorite burger of the evening.  I found the dairy to be excessive, leaving an unwelcome creamy coat on the tongue – kind of like a spread from a can.  Perhaps it needed more pimento for balance (I counted only three small pimento pieces on my burger).

Pimento Cheese Burger (photo by MJ Byers)

#4:  Jersey Sliders.  This was a slider-scale burger (thankfully, as my feet were now feeling swollen with salt and fat, and Husband was experiencing overeater’s agony), topped with steamed onions.  More accurately, the onions were pureed and there was a tiny bit of cheese.  This burger was very tasty, with the steamed onions on the bottom a la White Castle (and, for me, that is a compliment).   Though the bun was oddly oversized….

Jersey Slider (photo by MJ Byers)

#5:  Goober Burger.  At last – the end! This was, literally, a burger topped with peanut butter and the one I had been dreading – the concept sounded revolting.  Surprisingly, it actually was not bad even though it tasted exactly like peanut butter on a burger.  Despite is better-than-expected taste, I still see no raison d’être for this flavor combination.

Goober Burger (photo by MJ Byers)

Overall ratings:

Destination Burger:  Yes, but my guess is that they won’t necessarily be repeating any of these burgers.  That said, I do believe it’s worth a trip to Rub on Mondays to taste what’s on offer.

Onion Strings

Optional French Fry Rating: We actually had fries AND onion strings.  The fries were tasty – medium cut, sprinkled with a seasoned blend which, I’m guessing, is something like salt, paprika and Lawry’s seasoned salt.  The onion strings were just like the name implies – very thin rings of onions, fried and lightly salted.  Mmmm….fried stuff……

Fat and Calorie Worthy:  Without a doubt.

Today’s Weigh In:  No change in poundage. I am a loser (but not in the useful sense).