Montague Diner
are burgers brat? is [bank] a queer ally? is the diner my friend?
If it is so cold that a fifteen minute walk has me near tears, I do not want lettuce anywhere near my dinner plate. Yes, that includes on my burger.
When I went to Montague Diner for my friend’s birthday, I had the choice between the American Burger (LT and raw O with burger sauce) and the Montague Burger (caramelized onion, bacon and smokey mayo). With the snow banks still piled high outside, the choice was a no brainer. Yeah it was four dollars more ($21 vs. $25, both with fries) but my wintertime strength has no price.
Side note, this was my first time at Montague Diner and I loved it! Each table had bud vases and tea lights, everything coming out of the kitchen looked fantastic and that red partially enclosed booth up front just begs for an impromptu photo. I got a perfect cup of diner coffee to start things off and it was refilled before it was even halfway gone.
If the summer is made for sesame buns then brioche buns are winter’s domain. The burgers were all tavern style and since over half the table went Burger Mode, our spread was sizable, as it should be at a diner!
From the first bite, I knew I made the right call. The bacon was my ideal thickness - enough for a bit of a chew but not so hefty that I felt like I was fighting against it. I adored this smokey mayo. It had a slight kick but more than anything it lent a creaminess that bound everything together. The caramelized onions here were a step up from the ones that topped last week’s diner burger, diced finer so you got some in each bite instead of long strings that kept jumping ship.
My only notes - the tavern style patty was a bit too loosely packed and fractured about halfway through and I found myself wishing this had pickles on it instead of a side spear that I nibbled on to inject some acid into the mix. But these were minor issues that didn’t detract from the flavor and experience.
Once we were all adequately fed, including a some pie, cake, and singing happy birthday, we were on our way to see The Moment at the Angelika. It was funny, it was a little self-serious at times and a fight broke out that was so goofy I thought it was part of the movie. It was perfect.
I’m ranking the Montague Burger at Montague Diner at number 14 between Virginia’s and Margot - a great antidote to wintry woes.
my local spot!!! Love it
Would like to point out that the most charming part of Montague diner is that you can get an account with a monthly bill/tab for 5% off and you just show your MD keychain when you order/pay
(I assume you still tip on the spot though?)
Haven’t gotten an account yet but so tempted
Excellent take on picking comfort over freshness when the temp drops. The way smokey mayo binds everything together really does sound ideal for a winter burger, especially with that finer dice on the onions so you get consistent bites. I've noticed teh same issue with tavern patties falling apart midway through tho, probably because they smash em so thin that structural integirty just disappears. Still sounds like a solid diner experience.