JG Melon

Melons, melons everyone but not a-​one to eat. That’s right… you won’t find melon options on this menu. Instead you will find burgers, sandwiches and delicious beer options. This place is a bit dark but I loved it. For a casual-​delicious dinner on a Saturday night the place was hopping. You had business folks, what must have been sorority girls and families all enjoying themselves in this lovely establishment.
We opted for a burger, steak sandwich and some fries. Definitely have the fries! Everything was delicious and cooked perfectly. The fries are nothing traditional — instead they looked like home-​cut rounds which were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The burger and steak were cooked just the way we like them — pink in the middle. Tender and juicy! The beers were also delicious and ice cold.
This is a perfect spot for a date, hangout or casual dinner with family/​friends. The servers are all friendly and help each other out. I definitely stopping here when in the Village. Also — this one does accept credit cards!

The JG Melon burger is incredible – one of the best in New York, undoubtedly. They also have a surprisingly awesome caesar salad and great fried pickles. Outdoor seating on Bleecker, decent happy hour, great Manhattans, and no extra fuss about anything. Even when you’re completely full with no physical ability to eat any more food, you crave. more. burger.

WORST SERVICE. Asked 10 times for water. Burnt bread. Learn how to cook
Was almost empty yet waiter yelled to wait then once seated no one came around. Took away all our napkins, wouldn’t refill my water had to drink from my bottle wtf. Get yo shiz together

Burgers are impressive– that being said, servers are very nonchalant; it took around 30 minutes for two burgers to come out and our waiter completely disregarded an order of «Cottage fried potates.» The burgers are delicious no doubt but it must be said they are about as big as a child’s hand– most grown men would still have an appetite after one. Also, $ 3 for a club soda? Jeez

No complaints here. The burger was nice and juicy. The fries were different but good. And we loved the lollipop wings. Service was fast and efficient. Love this local spot and will definitely be going back.

One of my faves! Its become a local hangout with me and my family as i work in the area. Its one of the best burgers in the ciry (i know they have the same meat supplier as Peter Lugers so lets just start there) and everyone is always so friendly and make you feel like home. Christina is a doll and if you can, ask to be seated in Xris’ section, so you can ask him about how his name is spelled! Two enthusiastic thumbs up :)

You know it’s a good burger when you bite into it and juices squirt everywhere. Nice atmosphere too. Really enjoyed it. We must have had a new waiter… there were a few mixups but overall it was good.

The original is one of my favorite burgers in the country, and the atmosphere adds to it. My first visit to the new location just didn’t measure up to the lofty standards of the uptown version. The burger was slightly unevenly and overcooked. And there was something off about the bun, which was toasted, dry, and maybe stale? Bartender was fast and friendly, and the founders on tap was perfect. Cold, and tasted like the tap lines were well-​maintained. I’ll probably give it another shot.

Great to try the downtown location of this NYC burger legend. Burgers are the same and perhaps a little bit better than the UES original. Service is definitely better and the seating more comfortable. Love the fact that this location accepts credit cards. A great Sunday hangover lunch.

I wished I liked it but the menu is pretty lame, the place is pretty lame, the only redeeming thing was our great waiter! I wanted a salad, couldn’t know what was in them according to the menu (there is barely anything written –what about allergies?), the menu written on the board is not what is served, so if you want to know what the item you are ordering is, you have to ask your super kind waiter, because the menu says NOTHING! It’s a little ridiculous. Like stupid. It doesn’t make you want to order a thing!
I had the spinach salad with bacon and mushrooms. It was decent. The dressing wasn’t homemade. It is seriously not hard to make homemade dressing, it makes all the difference on a salad. I usually don’t care, but after struggling to decipher the composition of the salads, I was annoyed.
Hubs got a burger, he liked it, said it was overpriced for a burger. Doesn’t come with fries, you have to order separately…
I don’t want to be that girl, and I know I am totally being that girl, but looking at how fast places are closing and opening on the block, having a proper menu isn’t a tough investment to sustain a client base of local villagers…

I love burgers and fries and JG Melon does both of these things extremely well. The burger is perfectly grilled, soft, high quality beef, and served on a soft, delicious bun. The cottage fries are unique but also the perfect blend of crispy and soft. Service is on point. The decorations make you feel like a business man having a fancy lunch in the 1960s. The drinks are reasonably priced and they have a small selection but decent local/​craft brews. It’s small and crowded but not quite close enough where you feel uncomfortable and this place gets a respectable crowd. This is a solid New York City quality burger joint that is a classic, though I must admit that I think PJ Clarke’s might be a tad better.

Good time catching up with friends. Packed restaurant on a weeknight but service was all over us. We ordered bacon cheeseburgers across the board along with cottage fries as well as rounds of drinks and desserts. In case you’re curious, we heard there’s a contest to see who’s cholesterol is in the worst shape and we are vying for the top prize.
Simple burger and not pretentious, what a refreshing find. No truffles, no Hatch chiles, or any other new age stuff. Instead, just a simple, classic burger… with bacon and cheese =)

I’ve never been to the original location (not a fan of crowded small spaces), and after a bit of research it seemed the consensus was the burgers look, feel, taste the same.
JG Melon was 2^nd destination on my NYC burger quest. The restaurant is roomy, dimly lit like a pub, kitschy décor (the watermelon theme still going strong). Quite empty around 6:30, much more lively and crowded by the time we left around 8pm.
The menu is standard pub food, honestly I’m guessing 99% of diners are here for the burger. And a damn fine burger it is. Fluffy toasted bun. Juicy patty with good beefy flavor but not overly so (position the hands at 3 and 9 to avoid grease runs). Good meat to bun ratio. Melty golden cheese. The accompanying pickles and sweet red onions are all you need (resist the ketchup). Well-​balanced, appropriately-​sized, good quality, a marriage of flavors and textures. Bite after bite of burger satisfaction. Surprisingly enjoyed the cheeseburger better than the bacon cheeseburger. The bacon was nice and crisp, but I felt like it was unnecessary and basically all you can taste is bacon. Didn’t think much of the cottage fried potatoes at first, but they grew on me as I kept nibbling on them. How do they get that air poof in the middle?
Service was excellent, our server was so nice and the food arrived quickly. It’s a strong contender for best burger in NYC.

Have had most of the iconic NYC burgers and this ranks up there with them. Very basic but very good burger. I normally don’t even like American cheese but for some reason it worked well on this burger.
In addition the restaurant atmosphere itself is great– low key, casual and classic NYC.
I also had a cup of chili which was solid if not great.
Would definitely go back but maybe next time experiment with some toppings on the burger.

I was hoping for the same burger and vibe I’ve had uptown and was mildly disappointed. Nice space on a corner in the west village and no line! Stayed with basic burger and those cottage fries done crispy. The burger was a tad overdone and with the reputation of this place, it’s hard not to be perfect. Cold beer and we are done.
Service was great and I’ll go back of course, because in the end it’s still a great burger. Just not as great. Btw, burger comes with onion and a few pickle chips, if you want more toppings ask.

I have always wanted to try the original UES location, but haven’t got round to it so thought I’d try this location, as I was in the area.
We didn’t get the best table, as we were in the centre of the restaurant on a small table right in front of the door, so got a draft every time the door opened. It also meant as the table was so small for 4 people, we were pretty much given side plates instead of regular sized plates. (The booths nearby all seemed to have been given regular sized plates!). So as this was my first impression I was a bit worried…
However once I tasted the burgers, I was pleasantly surprised, the burger was juicy and full of flavor. My only criticism was the size, i could have eaten 2 of them! I found the burgers to be on the small size.
We shared 2 portions of fries between 4 of us and it was plenty. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the fries, but they were a great accompaniment.
Overall, a decent burger but not your typical American sized burger. It’s about flavor and taste rather than indulgence!

Because the Upper East Side shares a zip code with the North Pole, I’ve never made it to the original JG Melon, despite being on my Burger Radar™ for quite some time. Lucky me, they recently decided to open a second location in good ol’ Greenwich Village, a latitude with which I’m much more comfortable.
The good news is that the burger is the truth. And it’s a Burger with a capital B, meaning by the book and true to form, no special sauces, no funky toppings, no nonsense. I got mine with cheddar cheese, a heap of crispy bacon that crunches when you press the bun down, lettuce, and ketchup. It is decidedly un-​fancy and wholly delicious. It is Webster’s Dictionary picture-​worthy alongside the entry for bur·ger \ br-​gr. It’s an everyday burger if every day you decide to forgo any personal responsibilities to your body and accept a heart attack at age thirty. That doesn’t make it the best burger out there (though it’s up there), but it most definitely makes it the most burger-​y burger out there, and I am an American flag-​waving fan of what JG Melon is dishing out. Add a side of their perfectly salted Cottage Fried Potatoes (French fries in disc form) and you are all set, my friend.
In keeping with the conventional there here, the best word to describe JG Melon’s aesthetic in my book is a simple one: tavern. You hear terms like pub (which has more of an Irish connotation) or gastropub (which has more of a trendier, craftier, pricier connotation) thrown around pretty consistently, but not so much tavern, which seems to be a bit outdated and perhaps more traditional American of a descriptor. Sure, it’s not a tavern in the Middle Earth sense — there’s no place to rest your hobbit head. But from a restaurant perspective, Melon’s fits the bill here for a quintessential modern-​day tavern. Their menu is unpretentious and to the point, without frilly names for things. Items get no lengthier description than Hamburger or Chili Cup or Steak Tartare or Chocolate Cake. The décor is mainly dark wood and green checkered tablecloths. And the most cutting edge aspect of the joint are the various pieces of watermelon pop art, which only have to do with the name of the place, since watermelon is not only not a specialty here, it’s not even served here at all. It’s got a pragmatic yet focused vibe that is all too overlooked in the city, it’s damn near refreshing. And I’m into it.
I worry about this location, however. Especially given it’s Melon’s first foray into branching out with new outposts. It’s an unapologetic, meat-​centric spot in the middle of NYU Land that’s sadly half-​empty and unluckily juxtaposed with a trendy vegan joint across the street that has lines out the door at lunch. It may just be a little too old school for a new restaurant in a young part of town. I wish it well, but I suspect an uphill battle despite its UES sister’s stellar reputation in the burger circuit. And hey, I’ve already been doing my best to keep the doors open and my belly full with multiple visits since it’s come onto the scene. But I’m only one man, people. An admittedly gluttonous, burger-​scarfing one at that, but still, only one man.

A fine meal but nothing particularly noteworthy. I felt like I ate at a decent diner.
Burger: classically simple. Traditional bun and ingredients. Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles are your toppings. You will not see anything brioche, pickled (besides a picke), or reduced here. I ordered my burger medium rare, though it seemed more cooked than that. It was still pretty tasty and juicy. $ 13.50 for cheeseburger.
Fries: the circular fries are not really good. They’re pretty bland. Better after dumping on salt, pepper, and ketchup.
Had a good experience with the service. The vibe is old school, traditional dining and food. It sticks out in the Greenwich Village. It is quite a contrast to the growing number of modern restaurants scattering the city, though an updated version of classic dining may be more appropriate and better fitting for the clientele. It feels too much 1950s Italian restaurant. Burger, fries, beer, tax, tip came out to $ 33. I would have been better off getting a burger and fries from many other places. Pass on returning to this location for now.

The Village expansion (kinda*) of JG Melon (aka Melon’s) on MacDougal (Street**) opened for lunch on its second week, peddling a $ 14.43 bacon cheeseburger with huge masses of bacon, onions, and a paper-​thin bun.
*
**They decided to omit this from the listin

When I heard the UES stalwart JG Melon was moving into my ‘hood, I was initially excited. Even when I read the local press backslash about the spot losing its charm in translation. Alas, the backlash isn’t unfounded. The burgers and oddly shaped home fries are delicious, sure. But despite the carefully-​curated kitsch on the walls, the atmosphere is pretty charmless — all the more so because of *trying* to evoke old charm. This place feels like it belongs more in Rockefeller Center than on MacDougal. And fittingly, I suppose, they actually serve desserts from Magnolia — another spot that lost oodles of charm upon branching out from its original location.
The prices aren’t «hole in the wall either» — a cheeseburger and a shared order of fries (no drink) will set you back about 20 bucks after tax and tip. And the service is drenched in sarcasm in a «young buck» way instead of a crusty old timer way, which isn’t much fun either. Won’t be rushing back here any time particularly soon.

Las mejores hamburguesas de NYC y el steak tartare es una locura, no pueden dejar de visitarlo, parada obligada, la carta de cervezas es limitada pero luego de probar la cerveza eso ni importa