Monday, October 3, 2011

Harlem Restaurant Review - Jimbo's Hamburger Palace

So, I moved to central Harlem last week and from time to time will post about some of the things I experience here.

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Jimbo's Hamburger Palace


Various Locations in Harlem - I visited the one at 535 Lenox Avenue (Lenox Avenue between 136th Street and 137th Street)




It was a rainy afternoon and I was in the mood for a good burger.  Jimbo's got decent reviews on Google and is located close to the apartment, so I decided to try it out.


Hmmm, the sign outside the door lists a lot more food options than burgers, which conspicuously shows up after eggs and omelets - not exactly a good sign for what is supposed to be a burger place.


Here's Jimbo's from the inside.  Jimbo's had an old diner feel to it, with a long bar table wrapping around the kitchen, which primarily consisted of a large griddle and a couple of fryers.  Opposite the bar table were a bunch of small dining tables and chairs.  A Latina waitress loitered near the end of the bar, and 3 Latino cooks were busy behind it.

The menu was lit up in white lettering on a red background with photos of some of the food showing.  It looks like they serve the full gamut of diner food that can be prepared with help of a griddle, from breakfast sandwiches (eggs), to omelets, to tossed salads, to hot and cold sandwiches (including a cold (not grilled) cheese sandwich), AND fried fish (I'll have to try that sometime).  And, of course, burgers.

The burger choices included the basics - hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, and the like - and came in a 1/4 lb patty size.  For 60 cents more, you could get the 7 oz size.  You could also order the burgers "deluxe" (i.e., as a meal, with fries - drinks were extra).

I ordered a cheeseburger deluxe with the works, cooked medium, with a medium 7-Up (or in Jordanian Arabic, "Seven").  It cost $8.25.

The burger was cooked on the griddle and the bun (packaged) was toasted on same.  The cook did press down on the patty a few times (boo!).  The works included shredded lettuce, a few slices of tomato, ketchup, and mayo.  The fries were of the frozen variety, but straight out of the fryer and in a large quantity.


The burger was slightly overcooked, as the patty was rather thin, but it still tasted pretty good.  The only issue for me was that the bun top disintegrated some during eating.

The verdict?  Not In-n-Out or Burger Joint quality, but still pretty decent.  It did cost $8.25, which is a lot, but you get a lot of food.  I may try the grilled cheese sometime.

6.5 or 7 out of 10.