A Splurge to Make You Regurge: Stuffed Burgers at Question Mark Cafe
After reading NYC Food Guy’s post on the stuffed burgers at the East Village’s Serbian haunt Question Mark Cafe, I was determined to get over there ASAP. Succulent beef patties stuffed with (that’s right..they’re INSIDE the burger, not on top) provolone cheese and bacon? Yes, please! With my post-work voracious appetite and two Serbian friends in tow (and Lammy, last but certainly not least) I trudged through the night’s angry winds to 1st Ave. and St. Marks for dinner.
I had a feeling that Question Mark’s atmosphere would be tacky in a way that only Eastern Europeans could manufacture and comprehend (multicolored strobe lights flashing incongruously to jarring techno beats, a depressing display of week-old pastries behind glass, a congregation of non-speaking Serbs typing furiously on their laptops) and indeed it was. A balmy cloud of oil-saturated food stagnates and smells dangerously close to skunk aftermath. Nevertheless, the boyish waiter-cashier-cook-in-one runs the restaurant singlehandedly and infuses the cafe’s shortcomings with an endearing sincerity.
The burgers, though not as plump as Black Iron’s or as juicy as Bonnie’s, set themselves apart as the most exotic I’ve tried in the city thus far. The centers could have been much rarer, but the oozing pockets of provolone scattered liberally throughout the meat helped to keep it moist. Flecks of bacon added salty, smoky flavor. Together, the urnebes (a Serbian spread of feta cheese crumbles and roasted red pepper) and the thin pita encasement cloaked the burger in its Eastern European uniqueness. Regrettably I downed the entire thing — and that sucker was half a pound!
Adam said:
Jan 30, 10 at 6:43 pmoh man i'm getting tastiness flashbacks reading your post.
also, that photo at the top looks extremely appetizing!
Jessica said:
Feb 02, 10 at 3:14 pmTheir macchiato was pretty strong as well. I regret not having a burger myself
Words Half Eaten» Eaten Archives» Juicy Lucy Burger at Whitmans and Iced Coffee Float at Goods – Words Half Eaten said:
Aug 03, 10 at 3:08 am[...] evidenced by my Serbian stuffed burgers post, I really like the idea of cheese as burger entrails rather than burger beanie. Even though [...]