Owner Christopher Almazan

I admit, I was a little wary walking into Muscle Maker Grill. The name on its own certainly stakes out its market, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I found, though, was a very friendly, casual place. Walking in, we were immediately greeted warmly, and offered paper menus. The room is definitely casual, with a brick wall on one side reminiscent of a pizza parlor, as well as tables and booths—it’s somewhere in between a casual restaurant and a nice fast food place.

As you can imagine by the name, Muscle Maker Grill prides itself on healthy food that’s good for your body, and on being a restaurant and a resource that helps people manage their health. In fact, Christopher Almazan, owner/operator of the Chelsea location, was a personal trainer for several years. He emphasized the importance of having employees that were knowledgeable about the body and health as well as friendly and welcoming. They consider themselves warmer and more hands-on than a chain restaurant (although Muscle Maker Grill is technically a franchise).

The Arizona, their most popular entree

What Muscle Maker Grill does well, though, is to make sure their meals are healthy without sacrificing taste. The menu offers several different options, from “Power pastas” to “Guiltless entrees,” and even low carb options and salads. I went with my mother and sister, and we ordered the Arizona, the Cajun Chicken and Penne, and the Mardi Gras Cajun Grilled Chicken Salad, respectively. The Arizona is their most popular entrée, consisting of grilled chicken and turkey bacon over brown rice with their signature sauce. The flavors of the sauce and chicken went together remarkably well, and the sauce was even zero-carb! The Cajun chicken and penne was seasoned with a red wine and brown sauce that was also flavorful and filling; even the salad on its own was filling enough to satisfy hunger! This is no skimpy dieting salad. On top of the grilled chicken, it came with turkey bacon, tomatoes, and onions.

Afterwards, we were offered dessert—which might seem contradictory to the whole health-food theme. However, the cheesecake was sugar-less, and there were protein cookies as well. We tried the protein cookies, and they didn’t taste at all like a health food substitute for dessert– they were tasty and just moist enough. The peanut butter cookie was my favorite.

Muscle Maker Grill is certainly something of a niche restaurant. It’s one hundred percent focused on health (the TV in the corner was even playing exercise videos the day I went), so it’s definitely the place for any health enthusiasts. It’s also a great healthy option for college students, though, particularly those tired of instant ramen who want food that’s good for them. Everything at Muscle Maker Grill can be eaten without worrying about carb intake, and the menu even has nutrition information for each of the dishes. Muscle Maker Grill even offers takeout, making it a great option anytime!

Anais DiCroce (American University)

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Over the last few years, one of the biggest trends in New York City eating has been the proliferation of restaurants that specialize in providing you with very tasty hamburgers. From Shake Shack (the way uptown one on 86^th St.) to Goodburger (the way downtown one by Wall St.) to countless smaller places, burgers have come to mean far more than just a Big Mac or a soggy diner burger. The proprietors of this new generation of burger places don’t just want to feed you, or even just to feed you well––they want to show you that a hamburger can be a delicacy, even if it only costs seven (or ten or twelve) dollars and takes five minutes to prepare. To the many devotees of these tasty burgers, I’d like to introduce a new contender: Burger House, on Broadway between 11^th St. and 12^th St. 

Burger House opened its doors earlier this summer, and has been gaining in popularity among locals and the summertime students of nearby NYU and the New School ever since. It offers a unique take on the gourmet-yet-inexpensive burger craze, billing itself as a “zen grill.” But don’t worry: there are no gimmicks or overdone ambiance, just a wide selection of burgers and sandwiches and some crispy french fries. When it comes to decoration, Burger House keeps it simple, but the food shows no lack of imagination. As you can quickly tell from one of their sidewalk demonstrations, the chefs at Burger House take their work very, very seriously, and their creations are more than just another tasty burger or sandwich.

There is a breadth to the menu at Burger House that is almost startling, with a half dozen kinds of meat (or veggie) available on a burger. While many burger places might offer ten different burgers in the menu, usually the only thing separating the choices is toppings. But at Burger House, you can get bulgogi beef or shrimp meat on your bun, making their menu many times more complex and intriguing than that of the typical burger joint. There are also eleven sandwiches on offer, with just as many choices of filling as the burgers.

the savory, melty, tasty Kalbi Cheese Burger

But it’s not just the abundance of choice that makes Burger House special; the care and attention to detail paid on each dish is exceptional, and the burgers are also exceptionally tasty. The Kalbi Cheese Burger is especially delicious––its rib meat is sweet and savory and will melt in your mouth. The bulgogi beef is juicy and nicely textured, and not to be found at just any burger joint. And of course, for a burger place to be any good, the fries have got to be enjoyable, and I’m happy to report that those at Burger House make the grade: they’re freshly crispy, with a little crunch on the outside, and have some seasoning that gives them a nice flavor without overpowering the extra flavorful burgers.

Out of dozens of downtown burger places, there may be a new favorite to be found on Broadway behind an unassuming storefront and a simple name. Time will tell whether Burger House can build a big, dedicated fan base and prove itself to be the equal of the other popular burger joints in the area, but whether it becomes a landmark like Shake Shack or not, it has already contributed to the burger culture with a unique menu and some high quality food. If you’re interested in a burger unlike any you’ve ever had, I suggest you check it out.

[For the menu and more, visit the official website at http://www.burgerhousenyc.com/]

—Aaron Brown

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