5 Napkin Burger — Restaurant in New York

My boyfriend and I visited this location after a long night of partying . we are regulars at another. We stopped by for a quick meal and were greeted by the host, who provided exceptional kindness. He accommodated our seating request and maintained a pleasant demeanor throughout. A busboy briefly stopped by to bring us water and then left. However, we noticed a significant lapse in service, as we didn't have a dedicated waiter. After waiting, I waved the host down, as we were seated next to him, and inquired about the whereabouts of our waiter. We waited for an additional two minutes, and then the host surprisingly informed us that he would take our order. This was unusual, given that the establishment was not particularly busy, and I had observed two other waiters on duty.

My boyfriend joked that it seemed like they didn't prioritize our service, and even made a comment about maybe it being because of our race, that "they gave us the bare minimum." Although it was said in jest, I couldn't help but wonder if biases played a role in our experience. Notably, other patrons were frequently checked on by their servers, whereas we weren't offered refills even if they aren’t free we will pay. However, the host did check in on us once to ask how our food was.

This experience left us feeling uncomfortable, and we couldn't help but notice the inconsistencies in service. However, the host's kindness and warmth brought a much-needed light to our day. Despite his taking our order and seemingly being out of his element, his smile and courtesy made a significant difference.

Despite the service issues, the food was satisfactory. We ordered the bacon egg and cheese burgers with maple bacon, a special request, which turned out well. The total came out to be $72, which we paid in cash. I chose to tip the host $40 in cash, given his exceptional hospitality earlier on, which contrasted with the rest of our experience. Due to the inconsistencies in service, we do not plan to return. As a former waitress, I understand the significance of tipping and its impact on service staff. Unfortunately, I've observed that some establishments may not prioritize exceptional service for Blacks and Latinos, perpetuating a stereotype that we don't tip well. It appears that in this instance, the staff may have avoided our table or provided subpar service because they assumed we wouldn't tip, which is a troubling bias. This assumption is not only inaccurate but also unfair. Despite experiencing subpar service, I continue to tip generously to challenge these biases and demonstrate that we value good service. The experience at this establishment was unprofessional, and it's disheartening to see such...

This restaurant is an absolute disgrace, and I hope that this is not how Five Napkin Burger operates because I went to another location a few years ago, and the experience was better. Locations have previously shut down, and it makes sense. Although the ambiance is nice at this location, I don’t know where to start with the quality food. Prices are literally the way they are because of the area the restaurant is in, nothing else. However, you could literally go to 7th Street Burger, a few minutes walk away, and have a much better experience for a fraction of what you would pay here. Compared to here, the food there would actually be flavorful and edible.

Please see the pictures of the pancakes on the Chicken and Pancakes platter below. I would not be surprised if they were actually Eggo pancakes because they were incredibly small and low-quality. The pancakes themselves had reminiscing tastes of eggs because they were not thoroughly cooked. Moreover, the fried chicken was just overly breaded; you could knock it on the table and see it contained no meat inside. The “sushi” (if you want to call it that) was of poor quality – the salmon did not taste fresh, and I would not be surprised if it had not been processed correctly before being served.

You also know they are not making money because they are falsely advertising the “house” tequila shots, which are supposed to be the most affordable liquor in a restaurant; however, they are served at $14.00 a piece at this establishment. I can’t even imagine how other people would react if they ordered more than what my party did. Absolutely shocked. I’ve never been to a restaurant where the house tequila was more than $10.00 and was served as a reposado instead of Blanco. The service staff had an attitude when questioned about this when receiving the bill. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe they thought because we were young that, we were naïve. For the chicken sandwich, sauces are obviously kept for more than a week because they taste very sour. They were also upset that no tip was left; however, this is earned, and the level of customer service and professionalism shows this is a job for everyone and not anything more.

This review will also be published on Yelp, and I will file a complaint with the NYC Health Department. 0/5 and...

So I walked into the bar alone at 9:28pm. I hurried to get there before 930 because I was afraid the kitchen would close on me but the bartender did that thing that bartenders do when they ignore you and walk past you a bunch of times without making eye contact. When he finally did I immediately asked if I could still order food, he very casually and without responding walked over and got me multiple menus. Upon returning to me I asked again so I can order food? He nodded and I ordered a 5 napkin burger medium well. I actually said well to him again as he was putting it in the machine right in front of me and asked me again seeming to have not payed any attention to me the first time. Look I get it, I used to serve and bartend, it was the end of his shift. Fyi here the burgers come with Nothing on the side so I had to order fries, crinkle fries as he said they didn’t have waffle fries which I had remembered. I was in a rush to catch a movie in 20 min so I didn’t want to stop progress. They were also out of half their draft beers, the one I would have ordered so I stuck it out with water. $25 burger and fries, flagship, ordered twice medium well came out bloody. I didn’t complain. I shoveled down half and got to my movie on time. I probably...