Burger Bar

Burger Bar Restaurant Review:

Hubert Keller’s high-end burger and milkshake enclave (with additional locations in Las Vegas and Beijing, China) has made the sixth floor of Macy’s Union Square a popular destination for the well-heeled as well as shoppers and tourists. Keller can sometimes be spotted in the dining room, moving from booth to table with his usual infectious showman charm, making the restaurant’s prices almost worth it. Unfortunately, though the pleasantly retro space is grand, and the wide-open views over Union Square even grander, both product and service need fine-tuning, especially for those who opt against the $60 Rossini burger (Kobe beef, truffles and Madeira sauce on an onion bun). Pricey sliders are tiny and bland; if meat isn't your thing, the veggie burger comes barely cooked, mushy and nearly inedible. Though pleasant, overly casual servers seem scattered and overwhelmed, and empty condiment bottles sit unrefreshed on tables. Enormous, custom milkshakes from their own bar, though, are sumptuous treats --- including boozy adult versions. And speaking of bars, the long, full bar at the front of the house might be the best place to score a seat.