***2 1/2 stars***…read more
Maybe I'm just not into the concept of smash burgers, but I really didn't get the hype with this one. This was a special request from my top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex, who'd been eyeing up this place for months and petitioned to come here after our NJ Bookstore Crawl adventures last weekend (I wanted to go to the only guaranteed high quality eating establishment in the Kingdom, Farmer's Daughter in Newton but was overruled by the home crowd). I'd heard some decent buzz about it myself and am always up for trying something that looks edgier than the average bear in Sussex, so off we went (even though I had a BBQ later in the day that basically had all of the food that was provided at this establishment - that's on me for sure).
The entrance was a little hard to figure out; initially we went to the front of the building but there wasn't an obvious entryway and we belatedly figured out it was on the side. Some extra signage in that regard could go a long way, but not the biggest deal. We got inside, and that's what matters. Very clean and spacious, with some Western/patriotic themes; I can always get down with some longhorn displays and whatnot.
The business model/ordering system is a little odd in that it almost offers too many methods, if that makes sense. It seemed like you could get normal table service, but there was also a counter where I think you could place a normal order, or a kiosk at the front to do so, OR a QR code at the table. Lot going on, and ambivalent on what to make of it overall - I guess it's better to have more options in theory, but I thought it was unnecessarily chaotic/confusing. We opted for the scanning of the QR code at the table, which was fine. My chum didn't realize you could tilt the QR display to get a better angle for your phone, but I'm certainly not going to blame Burger and Butcher for that 10 seconds of chaos.
By far our biggest issue was the price point. Neither one of us is averse to spending money when the situation arises, but this was pretty egregious to the point where it really tainted the whole experience. We both got a burger and split an order of fries. That was the meal. Now, full disclosure, we got the "better" burger, the Waygu, which was 4 ounces and $15. Not worth it. I think part of is the smash burger of it all, but I definitely didn't notice the allegedly higher quality cattle involved, and I got it plain so no condiments to distract the palate from the essence of the bovine. I would 100% just go for the cheaper burger here, which is $10. The accompanying fries were fine (some were squishier than others, and those found their way closer to my chum for her consumption) but cost a separate $8. It reminded me of Zinburger, which probably isn't around anymore because they constantly gauged you with additional costs for sides like this. And THIS was wild - if you wanted ketchup? No problem. If you wanted literally any other sauce featured on the menu, just a little container of it? At least an extra $2. At a certain point, it's less about the price and more about the principle. And again - nothing we had was significantly better than what you'd get at Five Guys or Smashburger and for the price it should be.
The staff was perfectly nice and since this is basically higher-end fast food, our meals came within five or 10 minutes. Fine on that front. But if I want to spend $30 for a burger and side (which is what this came down to, including tip)? I'm just going to go to a nicer, sit-down restaurant with more options and better food. Disappointing and I hope they really reconsider the pricing structure because in this inflationary environment, you're alienating potential customers before they even get to sample the animals.
