Ruby's Burgers are the Gem of NoLita

As far as burgers go in the city, the landscape has more or less been mapped in its entirety thanks to a dogmatic (and often painfully unforgiving) blogosphere that proudly perpetuates New York City's obsession with the almighty hamburger. From the cult craze of the Shake Shack, to the unrefined charm of J.G. Melon, and everything in between, you would think it's more than fair to say that this city has addressed, reviewed, hyped, dismissed, scoffed, overanalyzed, and dastardly decried every burger there is to be had between the Hudson and East Rivers, from Inwood to Battery Park City.

Who isn't sick of reading about Pat LaFrieda and his famed "Black Label" brand? How many more Minetta Tavern reviews can we possibly stomach?

In essence, at this stage of the game, this brazen bastion of burger freaks has made it a point to let no bun go unflipped - if you will - leading itself to believe that the best, the tastiest, the most enjoyable patties have already been exposed, and thoroughly at that. The frontier hath been conquered so to speak, pilfered of any remaining value, and worse, mystery. Or hath it?

You would think anyway, but when my recent culinary crusades led me to a small, cozy little bodega of burgerdom in Nolita known as Ruby's Cafe, I knew I had struck gold.

Quietly pitched on a semi-hipster strip of Mulberry Street North of the Little Italy madness, Ruby's shares a rather docile block with higher end boutiques and soigne shoe stores. Around the corner from Lombardi's on one end, and a stones throw away from the tepid cesspool of superficiality anchored firmly at the corner of Lafayette and Prince at the other, Ruby's keeps a low profile on a notably untarnished portion of Mulberry Street.


Beyond its entrance-way and double-door windows that open up to the sidewalk, 5 picnic benches occupy 90% of the space, maximizing every last square inch available, and making for a snug fit for those bigs guys like me. A small, kitchenette in the back is where the magic happens, while the white-washed brick wall, and high-ceiling add character to an already personable space that is anything but small in the simplest sense of the word.

First and foremost, Ruby's is undoubtedly Aussie-run, something you'll learn right away from the accent of your server (which are all extremely friendly by the way.) The menu offers a limited selection of starters, pasta dishes and salads, all of which sounds good, but never enough to pull me away from the burger. That is why I come to Ruby's...for the burger.

The menu features 5 different burgers of varying moxy whose catchy nicknames smack loudly of Aussie charm and sensibility. Consistent among all 5 choices, and one of the greatest aspects to Ruby's burger, is the light and crispy grill-kissed ciabatta bread employed to coddle this wonderful creation The Bronte (below), which is Meghan's favorite (and mine too before I had the Whaleys), manifests itself as an oblong meat patty, topped with two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Ruby's signature sweet chili sauce, a vastly popular accoutrement in the Land Down Under that I can't seem to get enough of here in the State. All nestled neatly together on a delicious ciabatta roll, this is one of the best bites in all of Manhattan, no questions asked.


Though by no means the biggest burger I've ever had (far from it in fact), it is quite possibly the most intriguing and exciting on the palate. The ground beef, flecked heavily with bits of onion and parsley and herbs, is almost like meatloaf in texture and appearance, remaining sturdy and unified while remarkably tender. This, in tandem with fresh ciabatta that falls apart in your mouth and a heavy-handed dose of sweet chilli, makes for one of the best burgers I've had in the city.

Even more adventurous, and unequivocally pure Australian, is the Whaleys (not pictured), which boasts a pleasantly perplexing combination of beet, pineapple, lettuce and tomato, that is so regally topped off with a fried egg for good measure. Odd but awesome, and addicting from the beginning.

These are the types of burgers cravings are made of.

Without any question at all, Ruby's makes one of the best burgers in the city. And while I can almost guarantee purists near and far will go out of their way to reprimand me for making such a claim, I really couldn't care less. Puritanical guidelines and fusty rules are for the weak-minded, the nettlesome nebbishes of the hamburger world that spend their days debating ideal fat percentages and bun to burger ratios instead of venerating a burger like Ruby's for its ability to charm us with its wanton authenticity. You'd think such a heady crowd would embrace one of philosophy's oldest, and simplest adages, "It is what it is."

And what it is - is outstanding.

Furthermore, as an out and out burger fanatic and full-fledged carnivore, I am increasingly more inclined to celebrate the new and the unique as opposed to redundantly reveling in the old and revered. Ruby's burgers represent a path froward the meritocracy of a rickety hamburger hierarchy stabilized by tradition, and instead, toward a new day where flavor, format, and frivolity rule the realm.

Grab a burger at Ruby's and see if you don't agree mate.

Ruby's Cafe (map it)
219 Mulberry St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 925-5755