I am one of those that still enjoy the simple things in life. I hunt out the old style joints from a time gone by. Old New York is disappearing and in it’s place are plenty of terrific new spots to eat and drink at. Yet, there are times when all I want to satisfy me is a decent burger and a cold drink without all the hoopla and trendiness. Paul’s Da Burger Joint and Gem Spa are a few of those spots. Only a few feet from each other. What’s more New York than a burger and an egg cream?
Paul’s Da Burger Joint –
Old school New York style burger joint. Greasy meaty goodness. Sit at the counter. Watch the cooks make your burger and steam fry it under a metal bowl on the grill. Tell them to make your fries well done and crispy. Fry those suckers to death.
Smell the grease. Breathe it in. Become one with it.
Eat like a fatty and enjoy a slice of life that is missing nowadays. Funny signs and sayings hanging all around. No nonsense crew here but pleasant with a waitress that calls you “hon’ or “sweetie”. Not the biggest spot but more than enough tables in this hole in the wall meat mecca. A bit of wear and tear on the place but clean enough. Lots of deliveries going on while I was there. Plenty of burgers to choose from on the menu and cheap overall too. Even all day breakfast is offered. Great classic rock playing from KISS and Boston among others. Brings back memories of my younger days and college haunts.
The cheeseburger I ordered was actually a huge hunk of meat. Pretty damn good too. Juicy and tasty. I ain’t fooling anyone by drinking a diet Stewart’s Root Beer with this meal. Paul’s is the kind of anti-trendy place that is a slice of meaty heaven culled from the past.
Go out drinking. Come for the burger. Leave fat and happy.
Paul’s – http://www.paulsburgers.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pauls-da-burger-joint-new-york-2#hrid:jvzdLwg7lceoZgWPetPZ0w/src:self
Gem Spa –
Hot dang! This beaten up hole in the wall actually makes a pretty effin’ good egg cream!
Walked by this junky NYC newsstand / magazine stand / snack shop a million times and never thought to try out one here. Packed wall to wall with the basic newsstand junk – newspapers, mags, candy, gum, tobacco products, knock off electronic accessories, condoms, hats, sunglasses, etc – along with a small sink/prep area for egg creams behind the register area. Honestly, the place looks like it might collapse at any moment. I don’t think they will be getting an “A” rating on their health report!
Even though my mind thought “shady” and “bubonic plague” I still had to try one out here. With so many good raves on Yelp about it I figured “what’s a little Hep C” among friends?
I just went for the plain vanilla egg cream. To me, that’s the best way to see if they make a good one. Sure, the chocolate version made with U-Bet syrup is great, but I wasn’t in a super sweet drinking mood. For $2.50 I was treated to a fairly large cup of frothy, icy, bubbly, cold vanilla tastiness. Yum!
A damn good egg cream. Pretty surprising. All I know is that I will be visiting my doctor for a tetanus shot today.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gem-spa-new-york#hrid:f7HfD8g5fEjHji0Gi6d6gQ/src:self
YUM on both!! I KILL for cheeseburgers! In fact, I’ve got to have one tonight…thanks to you. Never tried Egg Cream, but I’m sure it’s filled with rich lard goodness!! 🙂
Hey Brickhouse!
Thanks for dropping by and commenting! Hope you got your cheezeburrrgerrrr!
So surprised that many people have never had an egg cream. It’s a cold refreshing drink –
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) YUM!
No worries on Hep C there, but Hep B, now that’s an entire other story. I’m stickin’ with the Burger, Fries, and Diet Root Beer, sounds good enough.
Hey Peggy!
Can’t go wrong with that classic American meal! AMURRICA!
Oh how I love an old-fashioned, old-timey, still around since the ’60s burger joint. I can’t think of anything more delish. So now I want a greasy cheeseburger for supper and I’m trying to watch what I eat for swimsuit season. PHIL!! And I am crossing my fingers you don’t get Hep C….
Hey Cowboys!
I have so much booze in my system that it would probably kill most diseases anyway! Go have that burger Miss Skinny Minnie!
WTF is an egg cream? I seriously have never heard of that…but it looks good! Is it like a float? I need to know these things, Phil. but you’re right, sometimes the shadiest places have amazing food!
P.S. Love this: “Smell the grease. Breathe it in. Become one with it”
hahaha Awesome!
Hey Beth!
Never had an egg cream? Go have one and become one with it!
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
I was with Beth and didn’t know either but I had a feeling that’s what it was. It seems like there is another name for them or something similar…..Italian soda? Ugh. I can’t remember.
Hey Deanna!
That’s the only thing I know them as. All I know is that they taste good and it’s getting hard to find places that still make them. It’s a piece of old NY that I love so much.
Wow – you get vaccines with your food there in New York? Interesting combo.
Still want to know what an egg cream is.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Hey Patricia!
The worst I had was bubonic plague from some falafel joint but I survived!
An egg cream is a purely NY drink. Fizzy and so good.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
Ha! “Even though my mind thought “shady” and “bubonic plague” I still had to try one out here. With so many good raves on Yelp about it I figured “what’s a little Hep C” among friends?”
Laughed so hard!
Hey Barb!
Glad you got a laugh from this! I’ll remember you next time I catch leprosy from some pizza place I eat at that I find on Yelp!
Leprosy, huh? I’m rethinking that guest invite…
At least this spot won’t cost you an arm and a leg! 😉
Guess I’ve been living under a rock because I don’t know what an “egg cream” is…sounds kinda frightening. But that burger, now—if I’m going to give myself a heart attack, it would be worth it for one of those!
Hey Mother!
Nothing like a little heart attack to go along with a good burger!
So many people here have never had an egg cream? If ever in NYC try one. Simple and delish.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
I’m joining the line-up for an egg cream explanation! The burger looks delish!
Hey Patricia!
You too? One day I need to throw an egg cream party for everyone!
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
Now *that’s* what I call a burger and fries!
Damn, I just ate and now I’m hungry again!
Hey Fearless!
My blog will help you put on the pounds and make your ass widen for sure!
I could use a few pounds.
Plus, I have no ass. I could use one of them too.
What? The king of dumbassery has no ass? Blasphemy!
Sometimes it’s good to just go back to those old time places where you can put your feet up and have an authentic meal like back in the day. I love my cafes too, because in my local area they speak a lot of cockney in the right way, everyone is being themselves in the old jeans and t-shirt and it’s fun.
I thought that your egg cream was our cream egg at first, but your one seems to be a drink and our one is a chocolate. It seems like everyone is having a hard time working out what egg cream is.
Hey Rum Punch!
Gotta love the unpretentious spots to grab a bite and kick back.
It is funny how not many know what an egg cream is.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
OMG that burger makes me want to give up my vegetarian ways. And the egg cream? To die for. That’s one of many things I love about NYC, a surprise around every corner, even someplace you’ve walked by a million times. Yum!
Hey Jill!
Go for it. Make out it’s a veggie burger. Indulge!
I see you know what an egg cream is! Cool!
I have absolutely no idea what an egg cream is. I’m a little scared to find out…to be honest. Also, I could smell the grease from the burger place, and it sorta made me want one, but I couldn’t figure out if I was hearing Amanda or More Than a Feeling in my head. I might need some input on that one.
Hey Mandi!
More Than a Feeling of course! Such a great song and still takes me to a different place when I hear it.
An egg cream is pretty simple actually, sweet, and refreshing.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
Smell the grease & bring on the egg cream… God Bless America, Phil..
Cheers from Argentina, Aquileana 😉
Hey Aquileana!
LOL – yes, AMURRICA! We love our burgers and fries here!
Cheers!
I Love those old school places where stuff is made in exactly the same manner as the last 100 or so years:) I’ve never tried egg cream, but it sounds good. Is it like eggnog?
Hey Mitzi!
Sometimes a simple joy is just going to an old school joint like this. Simple and delish food.
An egg cream is pretty simple actually, sweet, and refreshing. Kind of like a fizzy soda.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!
My goodness! Is that a burger or is that a burger? New York Ciiiiity: you’ve gotta love it! I have never heard of an egg cream either. At first, I thought it was a chocolate egg or eggnog, but by your description, it seems to be some sort of milk shake or something!!
Hey Victoria!
That’s a burger! An egg cream is more like a flavored fizza soda drink. It’s hard to describe and only seems to ne made around these parts. There is no egg in it actually and is kind of sweet.
An egg cream is a beverage consisting of milk, and soda water as well as vanilla or chocolate syrup, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor (taken from Google) – YUM!