Pic courtesy of Burger Joint
Cheap, low-maintenance places to meet near Columbus Circle are virtually nonexistent. So is Burger Joint: It’s small, and it barely takes up any space in the vast lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel, where it’s hidden behind a curtain. The trappings are a bit gimmicky, true, but the gimmick works, in that it consists mainly of no-fuss burgers, perfectly cooked and served on a basic white bun with the usual fixings if you want them (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles)—and with pretty much nothing else on the menu beyond fries and pitchers of beer. It’s easy to keep the tab in the single-digits here. And although you have to keep a sharp eye out for an emptying booth or a smattering of free stools to sit on, this is a reliably headache-free, likable place to meet friends for a bite and a beer.
Burger Joint. Le Parker Meridien Hotel, 118 W. 57th St. between Sixth and Seventh Aves.; (212) 245-5000.
Prices/Features: CHP (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)