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So here’s the scenario: A weeknight on my own, no responsibilities, and no idea what I feel like doing with the night. I’m not really in the mood for anything in particular and not quite hungry yet so I head home from work to sort out my gameplan. I have an interesting idea about how to choose my evening’s activity. I flip on the TV, tune it to The Food Network and let whatever is on guide my dinner decision. Guy Fieri’s Dinner, Drive-ins, and Dives happens to be on and they are in Narragansett, Rhode Island at Crazy Burger Cafe & Juice Bar. The owner Michael Maxon is a real character making insane burgers while also making insane gibberishy sounds effects. Burger. Done. I pull up Foursquare Explore and type in “burger” and let it guide the rest of my decision. Up comes Joy Burger Bar, a place I’ve never been to that I saved to my todo list that’s only a few blocks away. Joy Burger it is.

I walk into the restaurant and learn that it is a fast-causal place where you order at the counter, wait for your food, then grab a table. It’s decorated like a modernized 1950s diner.

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The Restuarant

I look over the menu and learn that their burgers come in three different weights and have a variety of free toppings available. As if you didn’t already know, yes, I’m ordering the biggest burger they offer. I also happen to notice that Yelp if offering a check-in special that gets you a free order of their house-made French fries.

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The Menu

After placing my order I am handed a single playing card, the seven of diamonds, which will be called out over the retro microphone when my order is ready.

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I mull around the space watching as the bicycle delivery men come and go. Once my order is called, I grab a table and take a look at my food. I can tell I’m in for something really good.

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The fries are skin-on and are some of the best fries I’ve had in NYC. They are crispy and tender with no greasiness at all. I think they would have been even better with any of Joy’s famous sauces, but they are not offered for free. They charge extra for a side of any of their sauces, so I just stuck to ketchup. I definitely would have liked to sample some, but certainly did not feel like paying extra to do so.

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Homemade Fries

Along with my fries, of course, is the burger, the reason for this expedition. It’s a darn good burger, just like I had read about. I ordered the maxi weight which is an 8 oz patty, cooked medium rare topped with melted cheddar, sautéed onions, lettuce, tomato, and their garlic mayo sauce. It’s quite a messy eating experience with loosely packed ground beef and various, melty, drippy, sloppy toppings. The burger quickly soaks through the bun, but I don’t mind. Despite the mess, it’s still quite a delicious and satisfying burger experience. Sometimes it’s even better when a burger is such a mess to eat.

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Beef Maxi Burger with Cheddar, Sautéed Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, and Garlic Mayo

In my opinion, this is quite a good burger joint and fits the bill quite nicely for a fast, casual, satisfying, reasonably priced meal. I can’t wait to return and try more of the menu offerings and maybe splurge for some of their side sauces that I’ll likely enjoy.

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@JoyBurgerBar
361 6th Ave. New York, NY 10014

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