$7.50 Bacon Cheeseburger, Griddled then Broiled, at Arthur’s Tavern in Hoboken, NJ

Date March 15, 2010

With the exception of a few deli recommendations friends have passed along, Hoboken, New Jersey is uncharted territory for NYC Food Guy.  But when searching for Hoboken’s best burgers on my own, Arthur’s Tavern repeatedly appeared.  This massive, neon-signed bar, grill and steakhouse made my decision even easier when I saw the $7.50 price tag for a bacon cheeseburger.  Read on to find out if the burger lived up to NYC Food Guy’s “delicious and affordable” M.O. …

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

Arthur’s is old school. Red-and-white checkered table cloths, wood paneling, fluorescent lighting, and pickles, cole slaw and incendiary cherry peppers served gratis upon seating.

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

The open kitchen really caught my eye when we arrived, particularly the massive pile of “Arthur’s famous potatoes” ($2.95 for a side order) overtaking the griddle. I assumed these potatoes must be transcendent for Arthur’s to not even offer French fries on the menu, but unfortunately they were soft (despite my request for well done) and coated in a cloying, slightly spicy sauce that put it’s “famous” namesake into question.

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

The burger arrived open face on a griddled Kaiser roll. Toasted inside, soft and chewy on the outside, it’s a fittingly sturdy support system for the massive, nearly plate-sized burger. Cooked to order to a pink medium rare, the outer char from the broiler and the smokey, par-cooked bacon made up for the beef’s lack of flavor. The griddled then broiled cooking process yields a juicy-inside, charred-outside burger but under-seasoning undermined.

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

The sauteed onions (below, $1.50 for a side order) you see above the burger patty helped assuage the flavor issue but their complete lack of caramelization prevented them from elevating the burger.

Arthur's Tavern - NYCFoodGuy.com

Despite my less than enthusiastic review, the burger was more “tasty and affordable” than “delicious and affordable.” Arthur’s provided a good starting point for NYC Food Guy’s burger exploration of Hoboken but I’m looking for more recommendations for the next trip. If you have some, send them my way in the comments section.

Arthur’s Tavern

237 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-656-5009
http://arthurstavern.com/

12 Responses to “$7.50 Bacon Cheeseburger, Griddled then Broiled, at Arthur’s Tavern in Hoboken, NJ”

  1. Dougie boy said:

    This looks a lot prettier when I load the website compared to the burger king thats been there the last few days.

  2. wriskit said:

    Even if it were delicious and affordable, it would not induce a trip across the Hudson into unexplored pioneer territory for a city dweller who could spend a lifetime just searching for the best burger in NYC. BTW, I was in Hoboken once. I had lunch at Sinatra’s favorite “red sauce” dining place. As i recall, it also has the red and white checkered tablecloths. The food was underwhelming.

  3. stevenp said:

    My god, wriskit, just hop on the PATH train and pretend you’re on the subway going to the UES or some similar godforsaken place. You don’t need a passport or have to go thru Customs. Sheesh. I thought the “Manhattan lifelong city dweller” was just a joke when I saw it on Sex and the City.

  4. Ben said:

    Whoa! Come to Jersey City if you want good food, I can’t remember the last time I had a good meal in Hoboken.

    A good burger place would probably be Skinner’s Loft. They have filet mignon sliders that are really excellent. Their burger is good, too, but nothing jaw-dropping.

    Jersey City deserves some love, food guy! Look up Nha Trang for some awesome Vietnamese.

  5. Ben said:

    Also, @wriskit, the trip to Hoboken from Manhattan takes about as long as it takes to get to Park Slope in Brooklyn, not to mention half the places the food guy has gone to.

    And AGAIN, Hoboken blows. Jersey City’s where it’s at.

  6. marty said:

    i agree with dougie boy — those bk burgers look disgusting….this burger looks all right, bacon looks good but the onions definitely dont look appetizing. hoboken is cool 1 day of the year, and thats on st pattys…other than that, the only reason to go to hobo is to hang out with Joba chamberlain and get drunk.

  7. keely said:

    The reason to go to Aurthur’s in Hoboken is for their steak. It is a 24oz. RibEye that costs $24 and comes with potatoes. Is it aged meat? Not that I can tell. Did rare order come out MR? Yes. Was it the best steak for the money in the tri-state area? Yes.

  8. BurgerMan said:

    Arthur’s is a decnt spot for burgers. I like their Blue cheese burger best. But the best burger in Hoboken is Zak’s on 3rd & Willow – less than a 10 minute walk from the PATH (probably 2 minutes away from Arthurs). Juicy, flavorful, and much better fried onions or sauted mushrooms on top if you like those options. Their rolls hold up well, too. Buskers also makes a decent burger.

  9. Jordan said:

    As good as that looks, I must say you messed up. THis is the ONLY reason to go to NJ if your a NYer, and that reason is FOR THE STEAK!! it is amazing, outstanding you pay 24 bucks for what you would pay $150 in the city for. They cook it right, the seasoning is perfect and the potatoes are unlike any other place in the WORLD I have eaten them. Only thing is to watch out for that Pepper, it looks like a Tomato…ITS A HOT PEPPER!. Ahh I love this place.

  10. Laura said:

    I’ve lived in Hoboken for 3 years and there are definitely some great places to eat.
    Check out Park and Sixth for one of their awesome sandwiches…I dream about the Eli Manning (roast beef, caramelized onions, roasted garlic and creamy horseradish).

    Cucharamama, Zafra’s, and The Dining Room at Anthony David’s are all great choices for dinner!

  11. Mark said:

    I’ve been to Arthur’s tavern about 30 times over the last 15 years and must say that the 24oz steak(I think it was $10.95 on my first visit) is to die for. I always order the steak cooked medium and have gotten it medium every single time. Not one screw-up..It is seasoned great. I really love the flavor. I don’t usually eat the potatoes because I usually order a liter of beer and have no room left for anything but the steak. I’ve never even tried anything else on the menu..

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