Bistrouge

Last night, I met my old roommate at Bistrouge, a restaurant located on 13th street between 1st and A.  I had heard from a few different sources that this restaurant had a $10 burger and beer deal.  The deal used to be on Tuesdays, and then when Bistrouge opened for dinner on Mondays for the first time in July, the $10 burger and beer deal moved to Mondays.  

When I arrived, I easily spotted my roommate.  No, I did not easily spot her because she is 6'1.  I spotted her because there were only 2 people in the restaurant - her, and the waitress.  There were NO OTHER DINERS!  It was 7:45, so it was not a particularly lame time to eat.  Over the course of our meal, which ended at 9:00, only one other table of 2 arrived.

This lack of people issue made me kind of skeptical.  However, the restaurant was formerly not open on Mondays, so perhaps none of the regulars come in on Mondays.  I read some reviews online that people did not like Bistrouge because the food was cooked to order, so it took a long time to get dishes.  Whatever the reason, this place was deserted.

The menu consists of entrees in the mid-high teens.  It also consists of $10 sandwiches, and "small plates" which it make seem like the small plates are tapas, but they are really just appetizers.  The cocktail list was enormous and we flipped through it for fun.

We wanted the $10 burger and beer deal though, so we stuck to beer.  The beer ranges from $6-$8, and you get to choose any of the beers for your $10 deal.  Sometimes restaurants make you get a certain beer, on the lower end of the price range, so that the deal works out better for them.  I got the $7 Hoegaarden.  The burger is normally $10, so this deal works out to a free beer.  And it is a nice deal because on a Monday night, I may not want to shell out cash for booze, but if the beer is included, it is a nice treat with a burger.

The burgers arrived probably 20 minutes later.  It took awhile.  This is not one of those deal restaurants where they know everyone coming in is for the deal so they crank out food in record time.  And considering there was no one else at the restaurant, I am sure they were not cranking out anything. 

The burger was really tasty.  The bun was lightly toasted, and the burger was really big.  It was one of those burgers that you had to open wide for before chowing down.  My favorite dish though was probably the potato wedges on the side.  They were a lot crunchier than they look in the picture.  They are basically french fries, but the way they were cut made the bottom edges really crispy, which I enjoyed.  My roommate's favorite part seemed to be the tomato, which was delicious.

We had a fun night catching up, talking loudly, and cursing at will seeing as there was no one else in the restaurant to offend.  If you want a burger and beer on a Monday night, this really is a great deal, and so I would recommend it.  And before word gets out, bring a large group, because I am sure they can accommodate you.

Two things to note:

1. I did not see the deal posted on the menu or on the wall anywhere, but I did call to confirm that the deal was going on, and they said it was.  So, if you ever read about a deal online, and you do not see it in the restaurant, ASK!  

2.  Bistrouge also has a prix-fixe menu on Tuesday-Sunday from 5-7:30.  You can order three courses for $21.  Not bad.  

What are your first thoughts when you walk into an empty restaurant?  Excited that you have the place to yourself?  Nervous that the food is terrible?  Or just, hey this is NYC and there are tons of places to eat so some places are bound to get the short end of the stick.

I am curious to hear your thoughts.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl