Burger Bistro: Create-Your-Own Burger in Brooklyn

Paul's burger creation at Burger Bistro

The Burger Bistro catapulted over the competition and jumped onto my list of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn's top restaurants after just one visit.

Yes, the burgers are delicious. Cooked-to-order with customized toppings.

Yes, the atmosphere was great. Dark lighting, upbeat music. I agree with a guy on Facebook who called Burger Bistro a "real adult burger joint."

But what really won me over were the sweet potato strings. Crunchy and yummy and the best $3 I've spent in a long time. I'd return just for a side of these to go.

It would be tough, however, to pass up the burgers. They really are that good, and even more fun to create. Each customer is given a laminated menu and a wax pencil to mark their selections. Would you like a beef, lamb or turkey burger? How many of the 10 cheeses, 10 toppings and 6 sauces? You can even choose from five rolls.

It's a little more expensive than the average burger -- the meat is $6 ($8 for lamb) and each cheese, topping or sauce is an extra $1. But the sides are terrific deals at $3 apiece, with options like frizzled onions (also delicious), lentil salad, french fries, homemade potato chips and, of course, those sweet potato fries.

My beef burger on an onion roll topped with smoked gouda, guacamole and frizzled onions was tasty, and Paul was well-pleased with the Greek-style burger he created: lamb topped with feta cheese, bacon and a cucumber yogurt sauce on an olive roll.

Even the desserts stuck to the theme -- create-your-own ice cream sandwiches, with a variety of cookies and ice cream flavors to choose from. Unfortunately, we were too full to partake.

I'm eager to return, but what I'm really yearning to try is one of Burger Bistro's occasional specials: burgers served on glazed donuts. It might not be long before this becomes my favorite of all Bay Ridge restaurants.

View of the bridge

Paul and I walked by the shore of the bay last Sunday-- something we hadn't done since his mom and sister visited us in November. The weather was mild, and the walking/running path was more crowded than I would have expected. I wonder what it will be like when it's actually nice.

The bay is about a 15 minute walk directly east of us. Walk north and you'll get to a pier where you can see Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Walk south, as we did, and you can walk underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Either way you'll see plenty of cargo ships and boats-- this time we saw a cruise ship.

The path also has plenty of benches. I see it as a lovely spot to read this spring; Paul wants to train for the marathon there.

As you can see from the photo, we got to the bridge just as the sun was setting. Last night I saw it from a different angle, at night.

Paul's friend Tom is here for the weekend, and we met up with one of his friends who lives in Queens. We ate at a nice Spanish restaurant in Chelsea, and then he drove us home at midnight.. It was the first time I'd been over the Brooklyn Bridge in a car. If I hadn't been smooshed in the the middle of the backseat, I'm sure I would've enjoyed the lovely views even more! As it was, I could still see the lights from the Verrazano twinkling in the bay. It really was a beautiful sight.