Food Issue: Review of 30 Burgers

Established in early 2014 as an offshoot of the original 25 Burgers restaurant group and introduced to Princeton this past summer, 30 Burgers is wedged snugly between the Sperry store and Labyrinth Bookstore on Nassau Street andis ideally situated for those days when all you want is a simple, satisfying meal at a reasonable price.

The restaurant was conceived to meet customer demand for even greater choice in an already impressively diverse menu.Its designs for customer choice, however, are not without a few compromises. Owing to the size of the menu, every burger is (and must be) cooked to order, creating what 30 Burgers claims should be a seven to 10 minute wait time but what in reality comes closer to 17 to 20 minutes. Though still relatively speedy in the grand scheme of service time at Nassau establishments, one may find the wait time harder to stomach while sitting in a near-empty storefront.

Not for the indecisive at heart, 30 Burgers’ menu is quite intimidating in both its extensive breadth and unexpected depth. Ingredients on its menu items range from the customary combinations of lettuce and tomato to more unusual additions like avocado and lamb, served on several varieties of buns.

Featuring buffalo meat marinated in chipotle, the Chipotle Bison Burger is an admirable addition to the 30 Burgers menu. The delicious fried onion strips included in this creation are a revelation. The chipotle sauce offers a striking burst of flavor, a welcome contrast to some of the other menu offerings, which can err on the side of blandness. The Chicken Avocado Burger is one such option, somehow managing to be both dry and flavorless. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common flaw among many of the menu items with chicken patties.

Perhaps one of 30 Burgers’ strongest selling points lies in its surprisingly vegetarian-friendly menu. Indeed, one of the most flavorful and juicy items on the menu is the Black Bean Burger. To my delight, the kick of jalapeño peppers was balanced out by the grounding presence of fresh avocado slices.

Considering the fact that 30 Burgers prides itself on its wide selection of offerings, this reviewer was somewhat unimpressed by the persistent unavailability of certain menu items on multiple occasions. Perhaps most surprisingly, I was informed during one visit that both Pete’s Crab Burger and the Pizza Burger had run out, even though the former is listed as a “Local Favorite” and the latter was the featured “Burger of the Month.” Selling out may attest to the popularity of these choices, but being unable to supply certain burgers undermines the franchise’s mission as a concept burger destination offering 30 different types of burgers.

My advice? Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and try the Burger of the Month, but if that fails, avoid the chicken burgers and the safer combinations. 30 Burgers’ menu shines where it goes off the beaten path, and prospective visitors would do well to take advantage of this.

Though not the finest gastronomic experience I’ve ever had, not by a long shot, I will be returning to 30 Burgers for seconds —if only in the hopes of finally sampling the elusive Pizza Burger.