5 Napkin Burger

Sometimes the food makes for a memorable night, sometimes it’s the people, and sometimes it is a mix of both. This past Friday night, a bunch of Boston blogger friends (Megan, Michelle, Daisy, Jen, Justin) and significant others met for dinner at one of Boston’s newest hot spots, 5 Napkin Burger. For me, it was definitely the great group of people who made the evening for me.

Eric and I arrived a little early, looking to get out of the rain and maybe to put our name in for our party of 12, as Megan had not been able to make a reservation for us due to the restaurant’s policies. It turns out Michelle and her fiancé had arrived before us, and with their names in, we had an hour and a half wait. We took that time to gather by the bar with some of the great beers on 5 Napkin Burger’s beer list. As we caught up, the rest of our group slowly trickled in. Though we were all pretty hungry at this point, the time passed pretty quickly, and soon enough we were at our table for 12.

5 Napkin Burger

I actually snapped some photos of people this time around!

Boston bloggers

5 Napkin Burger

Once we sat down, we had the task of deciding on burgers, drinks, appetizers, and sides. Burgers and beers go perfectly together, so I went for an Eye of the Hawk beer from Mendocino Brewing Company. This coppery beer with caramel flavors was a perfect choice.

Mendocino Eye of the Hawk

We ordered a bunch of sides to share, including these fluffy tater tots. By the time they arrived, I was ready to eat the table, and I dug in. We also ordered the Tuscan fries which I found flavorful but not crispy enough.

tater tots

In addition, we had the house-made pickles which were crunchy and addictive, and the onion rings, which I had been looking forward to the most. Unfortunately, I found them to be like any run of the mill onion ring, maybe a little less greasy but nothing great.

5 Napkin Veggie Burger

I decided to order the veggie burger for dinner. It came topped with 5 Napkin sauce, pickles, lettuce, and tomato on a multi-grain roll. I thought the veggie burger was fine, but the only thing that really stood out was its size. I just can’t eat that much in one sitting! I have to say, I was a little disappointed in the 5 Napkin sauce; I found it to be bland and I guess not what I was expecting. The pickles and the roll were both nice touches for the burger. 5 Napkin Burger has a variety of other menu items, including sushi, and I would probably skip the veggie burger and go for one of those if I returned.

Delicious Dishings

When we got to dessert, I was on the fence as it was nearing 11:00, and after a busy day of working and a sleepless night, I was tired! But everyone else was having dessert, milkshakes like Megan’s salted caramel shake above, to be exact, so my husband and I shared the brownie sundae.

brownie sundae

I actually had a hard time finding the brownie under the mountains of whipped cream and ice cream. Normally a fan of sweet and salty together, I found the salted peanuts on top overwhelmingly salty and the cream cloyingly sweet. I am probably better off skipping dessert at most places. Smile

I had such a fun time hanging out with friends on a Friday night, especially after the week I had! 5 Napkin Burger was super crowded which is understandable because it is so new. As a result, the food, and especially the milkshakes, took a really long time.

Everyone seemed to really love their “real” burgers, so I would say this is probably a good place for a burger lover. My experience was more that “really big” food is supposed to equal really good, and it fell sort of flat. It wasn’t bad, but it also wouldn’t be in my top 10 places I would want to go to dinner.

Are you a burger person? What is your favorite kind of burger/toppings?

5 Napkin Burger on Urbanspoon

  1. Emily’s avatar

    Looks like a fun evening, even if the veggie burger and fries weren’t ideal. That’s a great photo of Megan!

    Reply

  2. Daisy’s avatar

    great review! yea the burger was fantastic but at that point the table would have tasted fantastic 😉 good food, wayyy to long of a wait!

    Reply

  3. MelissaNibbles’s avatar

    Sorry your veggie burger wasn’t up to par. At least the company made up for it. Sounds like a fun night!

    Reply

  4. Megan’s avatar

    Definitely a good place to grab a burger and beer… and it was such a fun night for all of us! I just want to go back and eat piles of tater tots. Looking forward to seeing you tonight!

    Reply

  5. J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog)’s avatar

    Those pickles look delicious! I love how thinly sliced they are.

    Reply

  6. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic’s avatar

    Good, honest review. I still haven’t been but actually am hearing mixed reactions from friends. I guess I’ll have to check it out myself soon! I do like burgers, and I’m usually a purist – I just want some really good meat and a little cheese. But I also like experimenting with toppings like avocado and blue cheese 🙂

    Reply

  7. Elizabeth’s avatar

    Good to know about the veggie burger. I have to decide if it would be worth a trip for me.

    Reply

  8. Kelly’s avatar

    I’ve read some other mixed reviews of this place so it doesn’t surprise me too much to read yours. But I’m glad you had a great night! 🙂

    Reply

  9. Michelle’s avatar

    I had such a great time on Friday! I seriously could have made a meal from the tater tots and the salted caramel milkshake alone!

    Reply

    1. traveleatlove’s avatar

      Recreating the tater tots at home is a must-try!

      Reply

    2. Brian @ A Thought For Food’s avatar

      Interesting… I have heard decent things about the place, but now I’m a bit skeptical. May still give it a shot if the hubs wants to try it out.

      Reply

    3. Elina (Healthy and Sane)’s avatar

      Hmm, this place has been hopping ever since it’s opening. Adam and I went there last week for drinks and fries (we got the Tuscan fries which we liked a lot) and had a great time… so I was really looking forward to returning and trying the veggie burger. You’re definitely making me rethink this! 🙁

      Reply

      1. traveleatlove’s avatar

        Someone else was raving about the veggie burger on Twitter today, so maybe mine was just a little off or I was just really tired and starving? I would say check it out again if you can get in!

        Reply

      2. Elizabeth Jarrard’s avatar

        I really liked the 5 napkin veggie burger. The size was not off putting to me-if i was hungry i could eat the entire thing, and if not-i love leftovers for lunch! I loved that you could tell it was made with fresh veggies, beans, and grains-no processed soy or gluten products like seitan. I didn’t get the “special sauce” though. I also LOVED their beer list-especially the vanilla java stout. wish their wait wasn’t so long!

        Reply

        1. traveleatlove’s avatar

          I am glad yours was so good! Maybe they are just trying to figure out consistency, being so new and so busy. I will have to try it again!

          Reply

        2. Justin @JustinCanCook’s avatar

          Great review. Too bad about the veggie burger, but if you’re looking for a red meat alternative, Leah’s tuna burger was awesome. I really enjoyed that.

          Reply

          1. traveleatlove’s avatar

            That is good to know! I don’t know why I ordered a veggie burger; they aren’t really very exciting!

            Reply

          2. alicia’s avatar

            glad you guys had fun!! I am a burger person – when I’m in the mood for one. My favorite topping is just melted cheddar – keep the veggies on the side!

            Reply

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