Slap Burger Paterson — Restaurant in Paterson

3 1/2 stars

The name definitely grabs your attention. I stumbled across a recent positive review of this establishment on Friday morning, and since it's less than 10 minutes from my home, decided to give it a shot for lunch. I'm not THAT familiar with this area but knew that this might as well have been Clifton; the border with Paterson is literally yards away, and this area in my experience is a little rundown but pretty safe compared to other neighborhoods. It's also fairly easy to get to off 46, though there are a few busy intersections that require some patience. I parked in the CVS parking lot across the street; the crosswalk nearby IS a little rough - it hasn't been painted in ages and the walk/don't walk signal is impossible to see when it's sunny so I just crossed my fingers and relied on the actual traffic lights instead. I'm still here to write this review, so my strategy was successful but I'd be hyper vigilant crossing the street.

It's a pretty small interior; I'm sure they rely heavily on take-out orders, but there were a few tables and also a countertop running along the wall to the left with stool seating. It's pretty much the same color/decorating scheme as a lot of burger-centric fast-food establishments, with a reliance on white/red (similar to Checkers). I was greeted warmly by the guy at the counter (everyone was very hospitable and pleasant to me throughout the experience) and only had to wait maybe 20 seconds to give my order.

I went with a double plain burger, a side of fries and banana pudding. The burger is very solid for the genre - it's similar to a Smashburger product though not QUITE as good as that. I thought the edges were a little dry/charred, but I could see that being a positive for some people. Most of the burger was juicy and flavorful. I don't have a lot of experience with halal burgers so I don't know the appropriate comps for that but it was decent for fast-food, and maybe even slightly above average. The fries had some nice seasoning to them (the guy brought ketchup over but it wasn't needed) but some of them were too soggy for me - I'm more of a crispy fry connoisseur.

The banana pudding was interesting - it's NOT a standard dessert option really anywhere, and the only place I've had a significant sample size of it is a literal banana pudding establishment in Jersey City (Baonanas, which is the gold standard for me). It was good, but had some areas for improvement. It was a little too light/mousse-y for me, if that makes sense - I personally prefer a banana pudding that's a bit denser. The taste of the actual pudding was excellent, and I really enjoyed the soft nilla wafer inclusion, which was interspersed throughout the cup. That's an area where I think they're superior to Baonanas, which uses crunchy nilla wafers, and only one small one on top, if memory serves. The actual bananas were the weak link. They were super tasteless and seemed to be in a specific, lower layer of the cup. I would have mixed them in more because I didn't even realize they were there at first. To their credit, the staff went out of their way to confirm that I wanted the pudding served with the rest of my meal, instead of being kept refrigerated for a few extra minutes - nice touch.

The prices are fantastic too, which I rarely get to say in this day and age. The whole meal cost less than $20 and included a side and dessert. I was particularly blown away by the side of fries being $2 or $3 - and it was a decent portion to boot.

I'm in Little Falls, so it's tough to justify a trip all the way over here when I have a slightly better product at Smashburger, but this IS definitely cheaper than that. It's still a recommend, and I would have zero issue stopping by again if I were in the neighborhood - the big selling point to me was the service, the...

Well, here is the review to beat all reviews and to make or brake this place. I'm an expert not only on food but also on service since I worked many years at 5 star restaurants and in my later years worked as an inspector for the NJ State Health Dept. Finally I made it , I live 2 minutes from Slap Burger. I'm going to start with the Double Slap Burger and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The Burger was juicy and not overcooked, is hard to impress me when it comes to burgers once I've tasted the best in the world and that goes to a place in Bogota, Colombia, that's if you can get one because the lines are long but worth the Waite. OK, back to this place, it tasted delicious and the brioche bun was an absolute winner as well as the thin slice pickles which I really enjoyed, don't like thick slices but is a matter of taste. Now, the fries were good and really like that they have the thin skin which adds to the taste, they didn't travel so well but that's on me, so they also get a 10 out of 10. Now, the service, while not a really bad service, the guy that took my order was not too friendly, didn't go out of his way to make feel welcomed and had a rather mean demeanor, I don't want to put the blame on him because I don't know how long he had been at the register and the heat in the kitchen doesn't help, also I noticed about 7 or 8 guys in a kitchen made for about 4 people or even less. I was more than happily surprised as to how fast my order was ready, I mean it was so quick I had to check to make sure it was what I had ordered. And finally the only problem that I had and it was a big one but the same way I gave credit where it was deserved I have to also report this, when I was about to order one of the servers sneezed really hard and while he put his elbow to cover his nose and mouth he had plenty of time to have ran outside trough the rear door and he didn't even attempted, then the second hard sneezed came right into the burgers that were being cooked, I made a comment to the guy taking my order and for a moment I thought he was going to ask him to at the least go wash up but he didn't and the server didn't go to the restroom to clean up, so with the same gloves he kept handling the food. I don't want to get anyone in trouble but this is on the manager and how he trained his people. Luckily I'm no longer with the HD or I would have issued a citation but other than that, I really recommend this place and if something bothers you,...

Slap Burger – Paterson, NJ If you haven’t been to Slap Burger on Crooks Ave in Paterson, you’re seriously missing out! This place is a hidden gem that lives up to the hype and then some. From the moment you walk in, the staff treats you like family. Fast, friendly, and genuinely passionate about what they do – the customer service here is top-tier. Now let’s talk about the food: absolutely fire. The burgers are juicy and full of flavor, but don’t sleep on the chicken – it’s crispy, tender, and perfectly seasoned. The mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy, and soul-satisfying – comfort food done right. And to top it off, they have a variety of lemonade flavors that are insanely refreshing. You can tell everything is made with care. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or just craving something seriously good, Slap Burger is THAT spot. Highly recommend. Can’t wait to go back! Tamer and Diab keep me coming back as a walk in they greet me like it’s a VIP walking in the atmosphere is not the only thing that’s peaceful and welcoming is the men and women that work there they make it so contagious to be there because they exude happiness their energies are very beautiful. I’m very happy to come here everytime laughters even though it’s a burger joint they treat it like a fancy...