Leroy's

we (were) outside!!!!

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of shopping, eating, and drinking seasonally. Waiting eagerly for tomato season to kick off so I can have the perfect BLT, scoping out spots that serve hot toddies in the dead of winter and patiomaxxing the second I can transition to a light jacket. Truly the second it pops above 70º I become the embodiment of Girl_whos_going_to_be_ok.jpg.

When I saw how the temperatures were climbing (and subsequently declined, writing this from the other side of fake spring number 2), I reached out to fellow Outside Girlie Arianna to eat a burger como se dice, outside. To me, seasonality extends to the kind of burger I crave. As we shed our layers, hike up our hemlines and feel the sun on our faces (and buns), brioche turns to sesame, tavern turns to smash, and lettuce is a welcome topping.

Montague Diner

Arianna often told me about the burger at Leroy’s, a laidback spot perched on a corner near the Greenpoint ferry terminal. We walked up with our fingers crossed, hoping to get an outside table to people watch, but it seems like everyone in the neighborhood was similarly excited to dine al fresco. We pivoted to sitting at the beautiful circular bar inside. It was airy, flush with pale wood and rattan and natural light and all the doors open so it still felt like we can soak in the abnormally warm evening air.

like i was on vacay

We both ordered burgers alongside a ginger tarragon smash to continue the fresh energy. The Leroy’s burger comes with healthy helping of fries for $23 and were topped with caramelized onion, little gem lettuce, dill pickle chips, and special sauce. The double smash patties (not too thin!) are served on a heavily sesame seeded bun.

This was the perfect burger for some perfect weather. The patties, like the ones at a.kitchen, were thin enough to be a lighter bite while still getting cooked properly to temp and feeling substantial. I think this could be the first burger I’ve had with little gem lettuce and I’m surprised more places don’t take advantage of this Pre-Smalled veggie. I loved that this fresh pop shared bottom bun real estate with the generously cut pickles.

burger, diva, burger

My biggest wish for this burger was for more of the caramelized onions on top; they seemed to be concentrated in one spot, albeit a delicious spot, but I found myself missing them otherwise.

I’m ranking this burger at 24, between The Seneca and Diner. If it was at a lower price point it’d be a spot I’d return to frequently but for now I’m happy to have it serve its role as a spring celebration destination.