Power Lunch: The Burger Joint has a fancy address and a $4.50 burger.   (Photo: Kenneth Chen)

Burger Joint
118 W. 57th St.
(212-245-5000)
A stinging slap in the face to the luxury-burger movement: five ounces of juicy char-grilled beef on a supermarket bun ($4.50).

Blue Smoke
116 E. 27th St.
(212-447-7733)
A mix of brisket, shoulder clod, and chuck gives this ten-ounce burger its superior flavor ($10.95).

Schnäck
122 Union St., Brooklyn
(718-855-2879)
Three bites of quality beef on a tasty minibun—only 99 cents.

Corner Bistro
331 W. 4th St.
(212-242-9502)
A great burger served on a tiny paper plate ($4.50).

Donovan’s
57-24 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside
(718-429-9339)
A bar burger second only to Corner B., with much-hailed fried onions ($4.95).

Peter Luger
178 Broadway, Brooklyn
(718-387-7400)
Slightly overrated, but at $5.95, irresistible. Lunch only.

Blue 9 Burger
92 Third Ave.
(212-979-0053)
A good, sloppy fast-food burger with service that is the opposite of snappy ($2.55).

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: July 28, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!