Josh and I met up with a few friends on Saturday night for some food, drinks, and catching up. We were looking for some place casual in our neighborhood so we settled on 1-2-3 Burger Shot Beer. The allure of this bar is that a burger costs $1, shots are $2, and beers are $3. On the surface it seems like a great deal, but if you really think about what you get, it’s not really that cheap. Not that it’s expensive, but the draw is really just a gimmick.
The $1 burgers are really mini sliders and can be consumed in three or four bites. Two if you’re a big eater. You have to order a minimum of three burgers, and that’s about right for a nice snack. Josh and I got three burgers each, and he was still a little hungry afterward but I was somewhat satisfied.
Six "burgers"
The patties are pretty tiny but they’re covered in carmelized onions and topped with orange American cheese. They also give you slices of pickles on the side. The bun is soft and chewy and the perfect complement. These burgers aren’t the greatest but they’re good to nosh on while you have a few drinks.
The burgers are topped with american cheese and carmelized onions
They also have lots of different French fries available, which is of course a big draw for me. Waffle fries are my favorite, although this batch wasn’t as seasoned as others that I’ve had here previously. Still, they’re always served hot and crispy in a cute Chinese takeout container.
Seasoned waffle fries
I opted for potato wedges this time as my second order of fries. They were crispy on the outside and nicely soft and potato-y on the inside. I thought they were pretty good, and better than the regular fries that I had here on a previous visit.
Potato wedges
I haven’t had the shots here but they’re the standard shots that we ordered in college, like kamikazes and lemon drops. They do have a nice variety of beer on tap; I’m partial to the Goose Island IPA. However, the glasses are probably about 10 ounces rather than a pint. That means a pint would cost a little less than $5, which makes it about average for NYC.
Overall I do like 1-2-3 Burger Shot Beer even though I don’t think it’s really a bargain. But I do like the atmosphere, as it’s large and spacious with lots of seating (always important for me), and there are tons of TVs all over the place so it’s great for watching games. Since it’s relatively new, it’s also pretty clean, which is a nice draw. I’ll definitely be back again for some mini burgers, fries, and a nice cold beer.
1-2-3 Burger Shot Beer
738 10th Ave. between 50th and 51st St.
New York, NY
Tags: Bars, Burgers, Fries, Midtown West