Corner Bistro’s Got Character and Cheeseburgers (West Village, NYC)

What’s New York’s Corner Bistro All About?

Positioned on the corner of Jane St. and West 4th St., Corner Bistro stands out with its bright neon sign that figuratively screams, “COME EAT HERE!!”  Literally, it colorfully bellows, “CORNER BISTRO.”

Deafening, right?

The look of this eatery arouses the sentimental Californian in me.  Nestled in a quaint village-looking area that is very unlike the typical New York City scene, Corner Bistro brings to the forefront of my mind an Old Torn Monrovia-like atmosphere.

Founded in “the earlier part of this century,” Corner Bistro claims to be “the last of the bohemian bars in West Greenwich Village.”  Is it just me, or is that a bit too tiny of an area to be boastful of?  It’s not even the whole of Greenwich Village, only West Greenwich Village.  My BS meter is a-ringing, but I digress.

Corner Bistro touts a very simple menu.  They serve four types of burgers, a few kinds of sandwiches, a bowl of the chili variety, and french fries.  That’s it!  Oh, and like any other New York City eatery, a fine assortment of beers.

Wintertime burgers galore

Grilled onions for days.

On a frigid November night, I made my way to Corner Bistro to meet my friend A for dinner.  It wasn’t hard to find, and the red neon letters were like a lighthouse beckoning me toward its warmth and temporary shelter.  Inside the brick building, it was packed and dark–not the greatest place for the claustrophobically inclined.  Luckily I’m not, so I was able to arm my way through the sea of people who smelled faintly like alcohol and red meat.  Or maybe that was just the air in general.

I quite liked the atmosphere.  There was a distinct cabin feel and the setting felt perfectly suited for a cold winter night.  Furthermore, it was warm and festive inside, brought in part by the large number of tipsy individuals lined up at the bar.  I high-fived a few–congratulating them for being them–before getting in line with A to wait for our table.

We waited about ten minutes before getting seated, which wasn’t bad for how crowded the place seemed.  I was expecting at least thirty.  Once seated, we did not have to wait long to order.  A opted for the cheeseburger, as did I–with grilled onions of course (the In-N-Out addict in me has been yearning for some grilled onions since I moved out to The City).  We also shared a plate of French fries.  I asked for some ranch to accompany our fried delights.  They didn’t have any :(.

Considerations to note

• Cheeseburger with Grilled Onions: Quite delicious!  The burger as a whole was juicy and flavorful, although I do
  

  Big burger. Big patty.

  have to note that the patty was a bit bland.  It definitely could have used a little more salt and pepper in my opinion.  Nevertheless, the meat was so thick and perfectly cooked (I’m a medium-rare girl)!  I was very impressed by that.  Chef Ramsey would’ve been damn proud.  As for the grilled onions?  Fucking heavenly.

• French Fries: It may seem hard to botch French fries, but I’ve seen it done before, so I do think these fries warrant a focused review.  Corner Bistro makes great fries.  They were just crispy enough and ever so fluffy inside.  There were also plenty of uber crispy mini fries to go around, which I was very happy about.  I do wish they offered ranch though…

• Service: Prompt.  Nothing to complain about here, especially since it was a seemingly busy night for them.

Verdict

Corner Bistro is definitely worth a try, and even a second or third visit.  Hell, I might just become a regular.

Where the ranch at, though?

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