"You might remember our review of the original Bill's Bar & Burger. Make special note of the part where we talk about how we're glad this place isn't in our neighborhood - what with our affinity for burgers and complete lack of self control. So much for that. Bill just opened a mega-restaurant 200 yards from our office. We spent the better part of this summer pacing back and forth in front of Bill's papered windows, anxious to see what they had in store for our miserably corporate slice of Midtown. "Just wait" we told our co-workers, "this is gonna change everything". "The days of deciding between Smith and Wollensky's, a place with a mechanical bull, and Ted Turner's desperate attempt to feed us buffalo are soon to be over." Now that the doors are open, here's what we have to report back: Not all that much is going to change. Bill's Burgers are still great, and we're still big fans. Some of the new menu items (see, corn dogs) are impressive and this place will kill it. But 10,000 square feet gives the restaurant the vibe of something in between a TGI Friday's and Costco. We couldn't help but feel disappointed that our wish for a little bit of downtown near the office turned out to be just another chain, complete with it's own "cupcake program". I guess we had just hoped that instead of conforming to Midtown, Bill's Bar and Burger would make Midtown conform to it. Food Rundown Bill's Classic with American Cheese As stated previously, we still love these burgers. Bill's Classic remains solid, but we recommend going for one of the specialty burgers below. The Sunset and Vine A brilliant homage to the In-N-Out burger, this is cheese and a "special sauce" just like you find at the west coast burger Mecca. So good. They nailed it. The Bobcat The Bobcat comes topped with jack cheese and Anaheim chiles, which give it some freshness along with a bit of a spicy kick. A nice way to switch it up. The Bobcat The Bobcat comes topped with jack cheese and Anaheim chiles, which give it some freshness along with a bit of a spicy kick. A nice way to switch it up. Mushroom and Swiss Burger Beefy, earthy, and extra mushroomy. This is another good one. Corndogs These are new to the Midtown menu, and they might be the best thing we've had in the place. Extra crispy and perfectly nostalgic. Shrimp Lettuce Cups Three "cups" made from iceberg lettuce, filled with a julienned carrot mix reminiscent of a banh mi, and topped with crispy shrimp and Sriracha aioli. All in all, they're pretty tasty, but also too watery from the vinegary solution the carrots are dressed in. We'd suggest trying the fried oyster lettuce cups instead." - Chris Stang
