The Baroness in Long Island City
We recently discovered a great place in Long Island City called The Baroness. Located few steps from Queensborro Plaza, it is a burger bar that serves fantastic burgers! Well, fortunately for them as this is their main purpose, but no, really, their burgers are so good that we went twice in a week. They have close to 20 different beef burgers made with Pat Lafrieda meat, that they cook medium rare and bring with a knife planted into them adding a bit of drama to the presentation. But, if you do not like beef, you can have lamb, chicken, ahi tuna or a vegetarian patty (that is house made), but with a much limited choice, all on the menus that are presented in old record sleeves.
Record sleeves for menu at The Baroness in Long Island City
They also serve beers from local breweries, that are quite delicious. But before I tell you about the place. Well, first, when you arrive, you cannot help but notice the swords on the door that are a sign of what is happening inside, bottles of champagne being opened with a saber, like it used to be in the 19th century. Decor wise, there is some sort of nostalgia especially with the old portrait hanging on top of the bar, as well as some coziness, mostly in the back where there is a small comfy area next to the open kitchen.
Bar area at The Baroness in Long Island City
Cozy area at The Baroness in Long Island City
Portrait at The Baroness in Long Island City
Open kitchen at The Baroness in Long Island City
I tried some of their beers on tap. The first one was the Queen of Shadows from KCBC - Kings County Brewers Collective, a double espresso imperial stout, perfect for coffee maniacs...like me!
KCBC Queen of Shadows at The Baroness in Long Island City
The second one was the Sloop Brewery "Juice Bomb", an unfiltered IPA with a golden color, that had a nice citrusy flavor.
Sloop "juicy bomb" at The Baroness in Long Island City
Sloop "juicy bomb" at The Baroness in Long Island City
One of the times we went, for appetizer, we went for the Bretzels, that are soft pretzel balls stuffed with cheddar cheese and served with mustard, grain mustard and a beer cheese sauce. I appreciated the fact that they gave a nice amount of sauce and mustard to dip these small balls that were very light and so good.
Bretzel balls at The Baroness in Long Island City
Pretzel balls at The Baroness in Long Island City
Jodi decided to have their veggie burger and from the two choices they have, picked the Opal, served with caramelized pineapple, pico de gallo, cucumber and arugula, on a potato roll. The first time, she added avocado.
Opal veggie burger with avocado at The Baroness in Long Island City
The second time, guacamole and sautéed mushrooms.
Opal veggie burger with guacamole at The Baroness in Long Island City
This was a good veggie burger, not spicy as advertised, but definitely with a slight sweetness from the pineapple.
The Marylin burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
On my side, I decided the first time to try the Marylin, that is their mac and cheese burger. This is definitely a heart attack on a plate: the patty is made of 70% beef-30% bacon, and is accompanied by their mac and cheese, pancetta crumbles, bacon, cheddar cheese, beer and cheese sauce and spicy bacon ketchup. This was amazing and the first bite was divine: it was juicy and very tasty, with so many different flavors that worked well together. I admit though that I was expecting much more mac and cheese in it, remembering the mac and cheese burger at The Ainsworth...
The Marylin burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
The Marylin burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
The second burger I tried was the Fiona, apparently a new dish, made with seared filet mignon, blue cheese compound butter, pickles and caramelized onions, served on a pretzel bun. I have to say that I did not read with much attention the description, thinking that the patty was made with filet mignon and not that there would be pieces of steak on top. Anyway, I was not going to complain about it! It was a bit messy to eat, but was spectacular! The meat was juicy, tender and perfectly cooked, pairing really well with the blue cheese and caramelized onions that gave a nice sweetness to the whole thing.
The Fiona burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
The Fiona burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
The Fiona burger at The Baroness in Long Island City
With the burgers come sides, but in a small quantity. We tried their mac and cheese, original with seven cheeses and the one with bacon & jalapeño (a good kick), their kettle chips (they do not serve fries, and their house salad (alright, it was for Jodi, not me). The mac and cheese was good, but I wish it was more gooey.
Seven-cheese mac and cheese at The Baroness in Long Island City
Jalapeno and bacon mac and cheese at The Baroness in Long Island City
House salad at The Baroness in Long Island City
Kettle chips at The Baroness in Long Island City
Both times we went to The Baroness, we left full, really full (by the way, they do not serve any dessert there). The burgers there are spectacular and they deserve to call themselves a burger bar. I definitely recommend this place and put it on my top 5 best burgers in New York.
Enjoy (I did)!
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The Baroness burger bar - 4126 Crescent Street, Queens, NY 11101
