Umami Burger

If you asked me to write this review about a year ago I would’ve given it 5 stars hands down… But the biggest reason why I’m giving it 3 stars is because of its service. I only go to this location and every time I go the service is not so great. They are busy. but that doesn’t mean the waitresses/​waiters can freely ignore our table. I feel that the service is very inefficient and can be annoying if you want to order more.
Other than that, burgers are bomb (every single one of them) and fries are ever so perfectly crispy!

A delicious burger is one of life’s great joys. Any establishment where their claim to fame is an appetizer, salad, soup, etc. is easy to pass up but a good burger in any capacity is something I could never completely ignore. Umami Burger is a household name in LA, but in a city with so many burger options, how does it fare? Quite umami, actually.
Though it might be sacrilege to mention, but I feel like this is right on par with LA. The concern with Shake Shack going west or In-​N-​Out going east was the issue of being able to execute the same, quality product. Umami has no issues in this department, so hats off to their food gurus for pulling off a quality job.
My beloved Truffle Burger with egg is still the one to beat. While I have made fun of the truffle oil usage in the past, but the truffle aioli, truffle cheese save the day. The meat is high quality, though I should caution anything above medium rare is not only frowned upon but dangerous for the refined burger palate. To be fair, I’ve had a well done burger and it was still tasty, just less juicy. Clearly, I’m not of the refined palate bunch.
Another good choice is the 5 Spiced Duck Burger. 5 spice adds a nice level of savoriness to the burger and the patty is not even close to being gamey. I’ve had good results with the Manly Burger (cheddar, bacon, smoked salt onion rings, umami ketchup and mustard) and also the Throwback, which is double the patty with white cheddar, miso mustard, soy pickles, and Umami ketchup.
For the days I’m not feeling like a burger, I’m enjoying the Umami Caesar Salad. It’s loaded with fresh parmesan, baby kale, butter lettuce, and my favorite … white anchovy. The saltiness and creamy addition of the Umami Caesar dressing is bomb dot com. I have had similar results with the Seared Ahi Salad, but I’m not as jazzed about that one as the Caesar.
Wash it all down with their superb tap line up of local craft beers. When the service dips and the waits are long, I am comforted in knowing the food will more than likely make up for it.

I had read a bit about Umami Burger before going to NYC and it was on my list of places to eat… was not disappointed!
I had the Manly Burger with a side of truffle fries. It. Was. Awesome! As I told our really friendly waiter: «I don’t wanna take another bite cause I don’t want the meal to be over.»
Really well priced as well.

I’ve been here twice and neither time disappointed. Maybe the best burgers I’ve ever had. Burgers have been cooked appropriately and the different combos are hard to choose from! The flavors are spot on with the special umami sauce. The fries are great too. I had the truffle fries once and the truffle tator tots, both of which were tasty. The 3 choices of dips are all really good. I like the service and the wait is usually not long although I’ve only come on a weeknight so far.
I am definitely a fan and will be coming back here for more!

Always delicious when I come here! Burgers are so juicy and my favorite sides are the onion rings and tots. It’s amazing! Service is excellent and I don’t think I waited more than 15 mins for a table. I guess we have just been lucky but I think if you can get here before 6pm during dinner rush seating shouldn’t take too long. Save room for dessert, they serve Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches! Love it!

I’ve always wanted to try Umami Burger, yesterday was FINALLY the day.
First impression– Not exactly the upbeat burger joint I was going for. The lack of music made it a tad bit boring… Regardless, I still wanted to give it a try so my boyfriend and I decided to stay.
The best part was that the food was super fast, and cheap. Most burgers range from $ 10 – 15 and you can add a half order of fries for only $ 2. Trust me, the half order of fries is more than enough so don’t even bother ordering the full order. I’m not usually a fan of thin fries, but I didn’t mind these. As odd as it sounds, the ketchup was amazing… Seriously one of the highlights of the meal, and I’m not even a ketchup lover.
I ordered the truffle burger, I really enjoyed it! However, it wasn’t unique – there are plenty of other places that I could get just as good of a burger. My boyfriend and I did NOT like his black bean burger (the only vegetarian option). There were carrots on it… Who likes carrots with a BUN ON TOP?! If you’re vegetarian, I recommend asking if you can swap another burger combo with a veggie patty. If they say no: LEAVE.
Although our server was a total sweetheart, everything took a few minutes too long. We were constantly waiting around for service the entire night.
I wouldn’t recommend Umami burger to anyone visiting NYC. You can get a similar experience anywhere in the country. But if you’re a local and just looking to get a good, cheap burger-​go for it!

«Great guest service»? I call bullshit. Here I thought a place that takes the time to reply to every Unilocal review (positive and negative) really cares about its customers, but it seems like you just care about your image.
As requested I sent an email on Dec 28. I let time go by since it was the holidays and you probably weren’t checking emails daily, but that was 3 weeks ago. Still no reply. I wasn’t even asking for a handout, just acknowledgement of what happened. In fact, I praised you on your initial concern and tasty food. Shame on you for sucking so hard. Maybe you’re the one that stole from me in the first place.

As a Houstonian, I was super excited to try the infamous umami burger. When in New York, you have to stop by right? So we made our way on over at around 11 o’clock at night and there was surprisingly a wait. The entire time we were there, there was not a single time where there were open tables. We tried the Korean bbq burger and the truffle burger. The Korean bbq patty was good, but just didn’t belong in a burger. The truffle burger was okay, nothing special about it. The buns had a nice buttery flakey texture to it. But the thing that made the meal was the perfectly crispy truffle fries. I was sold on the fries alone. Those alone would keep me coming back. Overall, decent burgers but solid fries!

Maybe, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had…
I ordered the Truffle Burger with Truffle fries (see a pattern?). I absolutely loved both! This is probably the best truffle burger I’ve ever had in my life. My friend ordered the Umami Burger. She enjoyed it, but once she tried my Truffle burger, she wished she’d made a different decision.
Now, you’re probably wondering why I only gave 3 stars if the food was so amazing. Well, let me tell you. The host was great, very courteous and followed up with us after the 20 minute wait he’d promised to let us know it would be a few more minutes. Our waitress however, took our order and never came back… Someone else delivered food to the table (which is perfectly fine), but she never came back to check on us. We wanted to order other drinks but ended up changing our minds because we didn’t want to track down the waitress. Also, our initial drinks weren’t as great as we’d hoped (that’s why we wanted to try different ones).
Long story short– 3 stars for awesome food but taking 2 stars for drinks and service that wasn’t all that great.

Mindblowingly awesome. My friend and I didn’t have to wait on a weekday evening (though bigger parties were waiting), and we sat downstairs.
The food is just amazing — we split a classic burger, a truffle burger and truffle fries — and the staff is hilarious AND helpful. The truffle burger was my favorite; the classic was great, too. The fries came with great dipping sauces but cooled a little too quickly for my taste. Our waiter, Norm, was so friendly, and he surprised us with a free ice cream sandwich after the meal because we wanted to try one so badly but were too full to order!
4.5 stars.

Sometimes I wish Unilocal ratings would adopt the Star Search model so I could give Umami Burger «3 and a quarter stars». The menu is solid and the drinks are typically strong pours that get the night started right. The Throwback burger is just that, a familiar reliable burger that doesn’t try too hard. I love a good burger and sometimes it’s frustrating when you need Ikea instructions to decipher the the ingredients list. When in such a mood, the Throwback burger is a good choice.
My one (and a quarter) star downgrade is related to two things. One, I find the kitchen to be inconsistent. While the flavors of each dish are the same each time, the quality of each plate is not. One day the truffle fries may be very dry another day they will be very saucy. The Cali burger was great, but one bite was all meat, another was all Cali cheese. And the Cali cheese was also unbalanced, one bite was all cheese, another was all sherry. A mouthful of sherry was no fun. I enjoyed the burger, but probably wouldn’t order that one again. The K-​BBQ burger my friend had was so good he barely spoke while we were eating.
The quarter star off has to do with a weird vibe I get when I’m at Umami. It’s not quite a «we’re better than you» air (the service is always very friendly!) but more of a «we are so original.» The thing is Umami isn’t. Everything on the menu goes a little too far. The cocktail menu probably best exemplifies this. Each one is good, but could be great if they didn’t try so hard. Each starts out wonderfully, then at the last ingredient it’s jumped the shark. The Oh, Henry would be a solid sweet take on an Old Fashioned if the cinnamon at the end didn’t make it somehow taste exactly like a Mai Tai. I don’t order bourbon and expect to be reminded of drinks I threw back a little too easily during college spring breaks. But that’s another story all together. Umami’s menu could stand to take Coco Chanel’s advice: Before leaving the house [or kitchen], look in the mirror and take one thing off.
Overall, there’s no doubt I will keep going back. The burgers are good, the price is right, the service is friendly and that’s all a hungry girl really needs.

Affordable gourmet burger place in greenwich village. I came here with 3 other people on friday night but the wait was only about 20 minutes.
We ordered truffle fries and maple syrups sweet potato fries. They were so filling and so good. I wasnt too sure how maple syrup and sweet potato will mash together and it took me by surprise how good it was. After one bite, it literally melts in your mouth. Truffle fries, I was a little annoyed because it got cold way too fast and truffles clumped together making it difficult to eat. On top of this, our waiter did not bring fork or napkin until we were done so it was a bit of a struggle.
For main dish, we ordered sunnyside burger and truffle burger. Truffle burger looks very simple, no veggies, and i personally like this simple yet great tasting burger. If you love truffles you can’t go wrong with this one. Sunnyside had more fun twist to it in my opinion. It’s not like any other burger you’ve had and everything inside the burger mashes so well in your mouth.
The reason I’m not rating this place five star is service. I was annoyed that the table was not set, as in no forks or knives on the table, when in fact the host told me we’re waiting 5 extra minutes for the table to be set. I thought our waiter would bring it out when we start eating fries but I had to ask for it while i was eating the burger bc it got so uncomfortable to eat with hands.
I’m sure they were too busy to notice but still if the waiter checked up on us once in awhile, he would’ve noticed our dirty-​yolked-​soaked hands.
I will definitely coming back to this place but not during peak hour

I liked this place quite a bit! Sometimes, I don’t always crave the typical American style burger, so this place definitely helped fill that niche! Their burger concepts are creative but well done and taken to a different level.
I went twice while I was in New York. I got the ahi tuna burger the first time and the Korean bbq burger the second time. Both were delectable, not too heavy and had interesting nuances.
The service was great here, and the ambience was very casual and eclectic, which I liked.

This place is a burger heaven. Don’t let the name, foodie fallout, and overall brouhaha dissuade you from checking this place out. It delivers on all promises.
In general, this is not a fancy steak burger place. In fact, while the meat is obviously important, just as much thought is put into the creative toppings and combinations. Everything has been carefully thought out and executed.
Korean burger — stupid delicious. Strong gochujang presence, but less funky than I expected, albeit still delicious. Super juicy, sauces blended perfectly with beef fat, and lettuce was a nice change of pace. If you like Korean, do not hesitate!
The manly — so much flavor, damn. Fried onions weren’t crispy enough but added a nice contrast to the meaty fillings. Lardons were tender and porky, aioli brought all of the salt together. You should prob share this one, it’s quite rich.
Truffle — I don’t think there are any actual truffles anywhere, but the sauce and cheese definitely deliver on the truffle flavor promise. This burger eats like a fine Italian pasta or super comforting casserole. Extremely rich as well, so you should share, or not.
Go. It’s affordable despite the creativity. each burger was 13 (sans fries)

Years ago, I scoffed at everyone waiting hours for a table at this trendy new (at the time) burger joint. But you know what? I concede. Foodie groupthink aside, the mediocrity of the rest of the menu aside, Umami Burger makes a really tasty burger. (Also, wait times rarely top 10 minutes anymore.)
I keep finding myself bringing non-​Americans here to show them what happens when you mix intentionality about flavors with our country’s pretty good beef game. Umami Burger is annoying with their «YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF UMAMI BEFORE RIGHT? WE’LL MANSPLAIN IT, OVER AND OVER!» but at least they follow through. Burger choices rotate around strong flavors like truffle, bacon, mushroom, parmesan, and everything roasted/​caramelized/​smoked.
The Sunnyside burger is my favorite, 1070 calories of truffle-​touched glory. They cook the egg just so, so the yolk oozes out beautifully when you press down gently on the top bun. The Manly burger is also pretty good, excessive (fried onions, lardons, and beer-​cheddar cheese, oh my) without really being excessive. Burgers are cooked just as you request if not rarer (I go for medium. I hate when burgers taste like raw flesh).
Nothing else here is worth your time beyond the burgers. The cocktails sound great on paper, but haven’t ever been anything special in execution. The maple bacon fries always look amazing but are mostly disappointing — too sweet and soggy, uninteresting after you’ve eaten a few. I’ve also learned to ignore the sweet potato fries — too dry and matchstick-​like.
Service is luck of the draw — usually, the host is friendly and cheerful, but waitstaff are lackluster. Don’t expect any acknowledgement that your food has taken FOREVER to come out (and it usually does take awhile, maybe 30 minutes, even when they’re not very busy).

Umami burger — it sure was savory and good
Maple bacon fries — this side stole the show. Fries paired with a sweet maple glaze and nice chunks of bacon. The servers were very friendly. The hip young NYU crowd brought lots of good energy to the joint. Boasts a full bar with TVs — a nice place grab a quick meal.

My server told me the first time he ate here, he ordered two burgers and inhaled them, they were so good. I wanted to order seven.
This may be one of the best burgers, if not the best, in NYC. Yea, said it. I don’t care about the rivalries, I’ve eaten and been to heaven at Minetta’s, I’ve waited in the long lines when Shake Shack was a shack… but this place. OH THIS PLACE.
Truffle burger — truffle on beef on truffle on truffle. SO DAGGONE GOOD! Meat was perfectly juice and tender, full of flavor, and the truffle sauce was killllleerrr. Great, now I’m hungry and craving burgers now, thanks Umami! My wife had the turkey burger, which was a mistake because it was not cow and amazing, but still really good! We enjoyed a batch of maple fries with a range of sauces, my favorite being the aoili. But I ate them all… legit cleaned the spoons/​bowls out. Cocktails were clever and delicious — enjoyed a maple-​bacon Old Fashioned with straight-​up bacon in my glass. WINNING!
Service was stellar — friendly, attentive, informative, silly, accomodating, engaging. Seriously some awesome people working there. Our server knew the entire menu, made great recommendations, and made us feel so welcome and involved in the process. It’s a rare feat to do that without coming across as pushy or clingy, well done sir!
So basically you have killer food, awesome people, delicious cow meat, and awesome sauces. I want it all!!!

I don’t know if the hype as died down but I came here for an early dinner on a Saturday so there was no wait. I got the truffle burger (I love burgers) so it was yummy as expected. I also love the truffle fries. It doesn’t have the typical Parmesan truffle fry flavor. They put some type of cheesy cream sauce. It’s a little salty but so good. The reason why I gave 2 stars is because we literally had to wait 30 minutes for our burgers when the place wasn’t even packed. It’s just an absurd amount of time to wait for our food during an off peak time. And never once did the waitress come check up on us or explain why the wait was so long. My fiancée insisted I didn’t ask why it was taking forever incase they spit on our food…
So if there’s no wait I would return just bc the truffle fries are so delicious. But if I have to wait 30 min again I’m never returning because the food isn’t worth starving at the table for

I’m usually not a fan of burgers, but thank you to my friend for bringing me to this place. I’m pretty sure everyone knows about Umami Burger by now, so I’ll just point out a few things that I thought about it:
— Maple bacon fries… I don’t know, but I was pretty fucking addicted to them. Next time, I might just order their entire supply and devour everything.
— The burger tastes better with some beer.
— The atmosphere is great.
Would I come back here again? Sure, I want to try out the other burgers now. Come join me.

Just shy of three years ago I experienced Umami Burger out in Santa Monica for the first time. The hype was absolutely real, and the burger skyrocketed to the top of my very competitive list of chain-​but-​not-​really-​a-​chain burgers along with Shake Shack and in some cases Five Guys when they really get it right. The Umami locations in The City are fantastic replications of the original out west, and you should absolutely drop in whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned Umami vet.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
Classy meets casual here at Umami, and that’s something that’s exceptionally difficult to pull off. Seating is abundant either upstairs or down, and while I’m told that the NYC hype train had this place jam packed when it first opened, my buddy and I were seated immediately on a Saturday afternoon. My server was excellent — attentive yet not over the top, and our feast was out in roughly ten or so minutes. Excellent. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
Prices aren’t changed from the LA locations out here in New York, and the standard Umami Burger is $ 10 while my Hatch Burger was $ 12. That’s well within my burger price barrier of $ 15 for fast casual. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
So I deviated from the Umami Burger, and at the end of the day I really shouldn’t have. My hatch burger was good, but it didn’t really hold a candle to the classic. The patties here make any burger worth tasting, but it’s the unique flavor combinations in the classic Umami Burger that really never get old. The hatch burger tasted a bit too familiar, and it’s worth pointing out that my fries were exceptionally weak — undercooked, unsalted, and just glopped together with some melted amateur cheese.
Get the Umami Burger, skip the fries, and dabble into some dessert. You’ll be glad you did. Single Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
Umami continues to stand with some elite competition on the global burger stage, and whether you’re in New York or Los Angeles it’s worth a visit on any day. Star Granted.

Criei muita expectativa! Ok 30 minutos apenas de espera já que não fazem reservar! O burger trufado e o umami são deliciosos! Te acompanhamento peça cheese fries with truffles! E se der o onion rings tb!!! Vc vai sair rolando!!!

AY AY AY ME ESTOY BABEANDO! Una de las mejores hamburguesas que probé en mi vida!!! Estoy como loca pero son riquísimas, en serio. Es un pequeño restaurante que queda en Greenwich Village, casi siempre está lleno y hay que esperar en la puerta, podés comer en la barra o en las mesas del local y lo bueno es que sea adapta a grupos.
Los aderezos son exquisitos, la carne igual, el único problema es que la cocción es «a punto», para nosotros, o para mí, es algo raro ya que estoy acostumbrada a que la hamburguesa sea cocida, pero la verdad que no pasa nada. Cada hamburguesa sale aproximadamente 11 dls, no está mal para ser un lugar casi gourmet. Las papas fritas son espectaculares y se piden aparte. La atención muy buena.

Grossartige Burger, wahnsinnige Fleischqualitaet Unbedingt mit Trüffel nehmen. Der Ort ist ein absolutes MUSS.

Excelente opción para comer unas deliciosas hamburguesas…
La carne está deliciosa! Los aderezos geniales, la limonada… Toooooodo! Quedé totalmente satisfecha con el sabor, el servicio y la ambientación del lugar, no se lo pueden perder!