5 Napkin Burger

Jodi Mailander Farrell8/23/2011

The new 5 Napkin Burger, just south of New World Center, brings overdue charm to the long-ignored east end of Lincoln Road. But it takes more than killer tunes and atmosphere to be a contender in South Florida’s sizzling Burger Wars. With patty prices double the cost of Shake Shack at the other end of the mall, 5 Napkin sets expectations high, particularly with a name that conjures juicy, chin-wiping flavor. Which is why we’re renaming the place 1 Swipe Burger.

Ambience: On the ground floor of the yellow Art Deco Lincoln-Drexel Building, the trendy bar-and-grill offers big, comfy booths and a wall of windows overlooking the people parade. The heavy, dark wood bar and tables impart Old World appeal, while the music (Florence + the Machine, Joy Division) is earnestly young.

What Worked

• The better than average namesake burger - 10 ounces of griddled ground chuck inside a cloud-soft toasted bun with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli
• A desolate looking order of deep-fried pickles and pastrami –  four house-made pickles wrapped around deli meat and fried in a light batter
• Crusty-outside, mushy-inside tater tots
• A salted caramel shake lacking salty sweetness
• An amazing 80 beers, 50 wines, 40 bourbons and 10 signature cocktails
• Thin, crispy fries
• A California Rainbow roll packed with crab, tuna, salmon and yellow tail, with fresh mango, cucumber and avocado
• Light and cool chunky lobster roll sliders, served on delightful, flour-dusted white buns with buttery Bibb lettuce and a mound of bread and butter pickles
• Grilled chicken paillard salad with red and white endive, grapefruit segments, red onions, fennel and a heap of thin French green beans tossed in a tomato and lime vinaigrette (although chicken breast was burnt)
• Fun “smores” milkshake - two giant toasted marshmallows floating in graham-flavored vanilla ice cream
• Just-right peanut butter-chocolate milkshake

What Didn't Work

• A burger ordered medium that arrived gray & dry in the middle
• Teaspoon-sized toppings on a burger said to oveflow with "sweet, buttery onions and seasoned mayo"
• Dry & crumbly bacon Cheddar burger with flat & non-fatty bacon planked across the top like a sun-charred tourist on the beach