Schnipper's Quality Kitchen
Contact Info:
Address: 620 Eighth Ave (41st St)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10018
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 921-2400
Website: http://schnippers.com
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
American
2nd Cuisine:
Diners
Cititour Review:
I wanted so much to love Schnipper's Quality Kitchen, the new burger joint located in the New York Times building.
It's big and bright with with an open kitchen, butcher block-style tables and chrome rimmed chairs. It definitely has a nice vibe, although it may be a touch too bright. You kind of feel like you're on display for the crowds walking by.
The menu is very reminiscent of the Shake Shack. It's heavy on burgers, hot dogs, fries and milkshakes. Run by the founders, and former owners, of Hale and Hearty Soups, Schnipper's also delves into other comfort foods like Sloppy Joes, mac and cheese, grilled mahi fish tacos and a nice assortment of salads.
We stopped by to give the burgers a try and see how the Schnipper's Classic stacks up to the ShackBurger. Unfortunately, Schnipper's isn't offering much in the way of competition, at least not yet. The patty was nice and juicy, but lacked any burger flavor. It was dull and undercooked. The mystery cheese on top remains a mystery. We couldn't make out what it was except for bland. Crisp strips of bacon were a saving grace, along with the fresh arugula. But the special sauce on top wasn't special at all. It tasted like plain ole mayo to me. So, while I'd give the ShackBurger a ten, I'd say Schnipper's Classic is a six (and that's pushing it). And at $8.99 you're better off running to the Shake Shack where the ShackBurger is almost half the price. While the burger has some promise, the cheese fries do not. They appear to be the soggy frozen variety. Or, it may have been the puddle of cheese sauce they were submerged in. Really. You needed a spoon to eat them. And the cheese sauce looked like it had separated. Come on guys.
Hopefully, Schnipper's will get its act together SOON. Afterall, we'd like to return for their version of the "Kitchen Sink", named after a sundae made famous by Jahn's. It's actually a spoon shake made with vanilla or chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, walnuts, toasted coconut, brownies and chocolate chunks. Sweet.
Review By: Thomas Rafael
Location: