Ok, I admit that when visiting Paris you probably aren't hankering for a cheeseburger. You'd rather take the cheese, stinky that is, and leave the burger. However, when you are living here for any significant amount of time (or perhaps visiting with kids in tow), there are days when you just want a simple American lunch of cheeseburger and fries, please.
Thus, I set out to find some of the best burgers in the city and report back to you on them. I must say that I was skeptical at first of this task. You see, several years ago while in Spain, I ordered a cheeseburger and I'm not even sure what they brought me qualifies as beef or any meat for that matter. After having gagged (a lot and I'm not a gagger), I swore off burgers in Europe forever. There was just no way in my mind that the Europeans could do justice to the dish.
That is, until I was in Paris and couldn't stand the thought of another typical French meal. I was in need of an American classic, and I knew just the place to test the waters: Breakfast in America. I've blogged about this establishment before. They serve great American diner food to expats and Frenchies alike so I felt confident that, at the very least, I wouldn't be gagging the whole way home after this meal.
Did I mention that I decided to go nuclear (or nuculear for a select few of us from Texas) and always order the bacon cheeseburger when on my quest for the best burgers in Paris? Well, I did. And this one did not disappoint. It was a bit on the pink side for me (the French LOVE some raw hamburger meat) but quite tasty and generously sized. The fries were exactly what I was looking for and...
the chocolate milkshake was not too shabby, either.
My next attempt at the BCB (bacon cheeseburger) was at a place just off boulevard St. Germain called PDG. I had seen it months before, and noticed the self-proclaimed title of best burger in Paris. They had me hooked; I simply had to see if they lived up to this declaration.
The BCB at PDG was quite tasty. The flavor was good, the service was excellent and...
you have to give them props for having homemade mayo instead of the not-so-good bottled kind. The downside was I like skinny fries and this BCB came with thick ones. Don't think I didn't eat them, though.
My last attempt to find the ultimate BCB was at Coffee Parisien. Again, just off St. Germain in the 6th, this place is packed with French people but filled with American memorabilia and food. The service is decidely French (read not so friendly or quick) but the menu has lots of good options and food is served from noon to midnight non-stop.
They are fans of JFK in this place.
The BCB was quite good. It definitely scored points for having good cheese and lots of it. Plus, this burger was the smallest of the three I have tried and that's a good thing. The fries, which they inexplicably called "ranch potatoes" were good, but again not my favorite cut. Oh, and the 7 euro milkshake wasn't worth 7 centimes.
So, who is the winner of battle burger? Well, PDG for the burger itself combined with great service and homemade mayo. You'll pay a hefty price for this one, though. A whopping 16 euros. Yep - 21 dollars.
Breakfast in America gets my vote, though, for the best all-around American diner experience in Paris. The staff is full of friendly, native English speakers who have picked up a bit of the French way in that they aren't always the quickest. However, the fries and milkshake make up for that (and if I might add without digressing too much, the blueberry pancakes).
At Coffee Parisien, the portion size of the burger and the use of tasty cheddar cheese deserves mention. It was a good overall meal and even better if you want to brush up on your knowledge of U.S. presidents which grace the placemats.
Breakfast in America
5th Arrondisment
17, rue des Ecoles
4th Arrondisement
4, rue Malher
PDG
6th Arrondisement
5, rue du dragon
8th Arrondisement
8, rue de Ponthieu
Coffee Parisien
6th Arrondisement
4, rue Princesse
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1 comment:
Why are the French always losing wars? Mayonnaise. Yep, Mayo is the evil condiment. Created by the red communists to control the Europeans, Mayo started out as a geopolitical tool. Proof that Europeans are weak? Mayo + Fries. No better way to say "weak" than with Mayo + fries.
Mayo is the soccer of condiments.
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