Burger Scholar George Motz's Hamburger America Is A NYC Hot Spot

Not too many restaurants are named after documentaries, but the new NYC burger spot Hamburger America isn't run by any normal restaurateur. George Motz has been thinking about burgers for a long time, releasing the documentary "Hamburger America" back in 2004, which surveyed the diversity of burgers across the country. That film went on to be nominated for a James Beard Award and launched Motz into burger stardom. The burger scholar has since gone on to become the foremost authority documenting and studying the history of hamburgers in America, publishing multiple books and hosting the YouTube series "Burger Scholar Sessions," which has featured plenty of big-name chefs like Matty Matheson and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Yet through all that time he never actually had a restaurant of his own. That all changed back in November with the opening of Motz's first burger stand in New York City.

Hamburger America is located on MacDougal Street in SoHo in New York and Motz himself has been working the grill, at least for the opening weeks. The spot is a deliberately retro-style hamburger stand with counter seating and it's already earning rave reviews as well as grabbing attention on social media. The menu is small with just a few smash burgers and sandwiches, but Motz has said he plans on expanding the menu soon by bringing in guest chefs to serve specialty burgers from around the country, true to his burger scholar history.

The top burger on Hamburger America's menu is George Motz's Fried Onion Burger, which is a variation of an Oklahoma-style onion burger with American cheese and no condiments, which Motz has repeatedly featured on his show. The second is a classic smash burger with pickles, onions, cheese, and mustard. Both are available as singles for $7.50 or doubles for $11.50. The sandwich menu is rounded out by some simple favorites like tuna salad, egg salad, grilled cheese, and a ham and cheese.

The drinks and desserts provide a little more variety to pair with your burger. While the only side available is fries, there are five different milk drinks available including chocolate and coffee milk, and the New York City soda shop classic, a chocolate egg cream. You can also grab a coffee, Yoo-Hoo, soda, lemonade, or a Miller High Life. Desserts are pie slices, chocolate chip cookies, or milk and cookies.

The operating hours of Motz's Hamburger America appear to be variable right now in the early stages of opening, with the current times being 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, with a later 11 p.m. closing time on Friday and Saturday. But based on the hype, you shouldn't worry about missing your shot to try Motz's burgers, as Hamburger America looks like it will be popular enough to stick around.