Bareburger Ditmars – Same Great Burgers, New Inviting Space

Yesterday, Mackenzi and I were able to meet up for lunch at the new Ditmars location of Bareburger. We are both big fans of their food, and we were curious about the new location. It’s in the old Anna’s Corner spot, a very popular Greek restaurant that closed a few years ago. It then was the home of a couple of short-lived restaurants (one high-end, one not), but mostly the corner languished and collected detritus. Well, that’s not the case anymore, to the delight of burger-loving Astorians.

The dining room is perhaps a little smaller than the space at the 31st Ave location, but it’s nicely laid out, with colorful chairs and a variety of seating configurations (two-tops, four-tops, booths).

I also noticed a lot of moms there at lunch time, so it seems like a very popular place for parents to come with their babies. The staff seems very accommodating of them, too.

We got a chance to talk to Jimmy, the owner. He’s pretty happy to have a Ditmars location of Bareburger, and it was nice to talk to him. He revealed to us that he’s a long time Astorian and has seen a lot of changes over the past 30 years. It was really interesting hearing some of his memories of times past in the greater Astoria/LIC area.

We ordered milkshakes first, which were delicious. They are made with organic milk and ice cream and come in 12 or 16 oz sizes. I personally find that 12 oz is enough, but 16 oz is a special treat. My understanding is that the peanut butter shake is quite good, and I can testify that the chocolate-peanut butter shake is also terrific; I’m also a fan of the vanilla shakes there. Mackenzi’s chocolate shake was also very good.

Naturally, we got some fries. WHA sort of secret: Meg loves fries more than almost any savory snack around.

These crispy fries (were they twice fried? very possibly) were served with three dipping sauces, the Bareburger special sauce, curry ketchup, and chipotle mayo. I liked them all, so I really can’t say one was better than another. I think it’s up to personal preference. I will say, though, that the Bareburger special sauce was pretty much gone by the time we finished our fries. Also, this order of fries is plenty for 2-3 people.

We snacked on those, and then the burgers came. We ordered an Original Bareburger with beef on a brioche bun, a veggie burger on a multigrain roll, and a veggie burger wrapped in iceberg lettuce. I’ve recently learned that the veggie burger is vegan, so vegans can go to town on that. I also hear it’s delicious. I’m a big fan of grass-fed beef – it’s more nourishing and nutritious than conventional beef, and in my opinion it’s tastier – so that’s my favorite there.

We were pleasantly full by the end of our meal – everything was really good. The Ditmars section of Astoria is really fortunate to have this Bareburger location – I know a lot of people that are pretty happy to have such good food in their part of the neighborhood. I’ve walked by in the evenings and the place is just packed. It’s definitely a popular spot already.

They’re not yet set up with online ordering but delivery is up and running. Their menu is pretty much identical to the 31st Ave location menu.

Have you eaten at the new Ditmars Bareburger location? If so, how did you like it?

Bareburger
2301 31st St, Astoria, NY 11102
718-204-7167
http://www.bareburger.com/

Disclaimer: this meal was comped by the management, though we’ve all loved the food for a long time.

Photo credit: © Meg Cotner