Curious what the best burger on Nassau is? I went on a mission to find out

Every food has a purpose. The purpose of any good burger is to quell the primal craving that awakens within us at our times of most desperate hunger. While it may not be the most elegant or sophisticated choice, the right burger at the right time is a remedy like no other. Overburdened by the choices on Nassau? Here’s an overview to help you decide.

7th Street Burger

Inhabiting the same corner spot as one of Nassau’s former burger joints, Diesel & Duke, 7th Street maintains a similar vibe to its predecessor. The restaurant doubles down on its ’50s diner aesthetic with red booths, tiles, barstools, and a simplified menu.

Like its seating area, 7th Street’s menu is compact, taking difficult dining choices out of the equation. You can choose either a standardized single or double patty cheeseburger, though there are also vegan Impossible Burger versions of each, as well as options for a side of fries — cajun or loaded — and a drink.

While some might find the menu restrictive, the $9.50 double burger offered by 7th Street leaves very little to be desired. Albeit fairly small in size compared to the other choices on this list, 7th Street’s pièce de résistance, prepared as a smashburger, maintains a near-perfect ratio of sauce to substance, with each bite feeling both inviting and rewarding. The cajun fries are also notably the best out of any of the sides I tried, with flavor that complimented the melted cheese and sauce of the burger.

The seating area offers more space than its competition and the order time is among the shortest, usually taking under 10 minutes. These two factors, paired with a menu that essentially makes your decision for you, creates an ideal spot for quick late-night outings. (The restaurant closes at midnight.)

BurgerRunn

The inspiration for BurgerRunn’s name must have come from the distance most Princeton students must travel to even reach the location. BurgerRunn is situated further east on Nassau, near Hoagie Haven and, conveniently for the engineers on campus, the E-Quad. The joint is built around the idea of pumping out rapid to-go orders. The interior is minimal but functional, with a register at the end of a short pathway and a dark glass divider letting customers see the kitchen staff in action and be teased by the aroma of the sizzling patties.

BurgerRunn boasts the most variety in its selection of smash burgers, including Classic, BBQ Rodeo, Mac & Cheese, Spicy, and Impossible burgers. All are offered as single, double, and even triple patties. Furthermore, this spot offers a wide range of sides, from standard and loaded fries to tater tots, cheese curds, and mac & cheese bites. 

For the purposes of this review, I sunk my teeth into a $10 classic double burger. Not only do you get more burger per burger for only 50 cents more, but each ingredient feels more distinct and doesn’t all melt together as much as the 7th Street burger does. Most notably, the pickles are thinner and what I consider to be more suitable for a burger, compared to 7th Street’s thicker and crunchier ones.

Is the improvement in burger quality worth the longer walk and the lack of indoor seating? Even though it lacks the convenient location and facilities that make 7th Street such an attractive option, especially in the later hours, BurgerRunn reigns supreme given the appropriate time and weather.

Best Grill & Fries

Located almost exactly halfway between 7th Street and BurgerRunn, Best Grill & Fries features a casual and welcoming atmosphere. But the real question is whether the product lives up to the restaurant’s boastful name.

It is worth noting that this establishment presents a variety of grilled products, including kebabs and wraps. The burger selection, while less customizable than that of BurgerRunn, is substantial. While the establishment does not offer a classic burger, there are several specialty burger recipes with unique ingredients, such as one including mushrooms and a protein burger. 

I ended up selecting the “Graduate” burger for $11.99, which featured the typical burger ingredients, combined with chopped onions and green peppers. While the extra elements did add to the novelty of the experience, the grilled vegetables were rather overpowering and made the burger feel overengineered.

While Best Grill & Fries may be at the top of the list when it comes to offering interesting flavor combinations, it did not live up to its name when it came to the traditional burger experience. 

Final Thoughts

In third place: Best Grill & Fries is the right choice if you’re seeking a burger that has more than just the essential ingredients, but keep in mind that it comes at the cost of its taste. Your meal will also run you a few more dollars than usual.

In second: 7th Street excels in its convenience and simplicity, making it perfect for late-night runs with friends. The burgers are a close second in their tastiness and are accompanied by the best sides out of any of the places, but there is very little room for choice in your order.

And the winner is… BurgerRunn! This joint has the best tasting burgers as well as the most variety in its menu but is a longer walk and doesn’t have nearly as much dedicated seating for the later hours. However, making the trek will reward you with a top tier selection that the other places can’t quite match.

Eric Mohorea is a staff writer for The Prospect.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.