Even though this site is called Manhattan Digest when I hear things like “Award Winning”, “New York City Food & Wine Festival” and “Best Wings In Long Island” naturally I had to go out of my way and see what all the fuss was about. This is of course related to the unique experience that me and my friend had while visiting the uber popular Dirty Burger, located in the heart of Plainview, Long Island. As a kid growing up on Long Island myself, I was really looking forward to seeing what Dirty Burger had to offer, as the restaurants out here tend to be very chain friendly and don’t offer up many one of a kind experiences when it comes to finding a great burger. This was one of those experiences.
I got to know about Dirty Burger due to their involvement in this years 2014 New York City Food & Wine Festival, in which they were invited to complete in the annual Blue Moon Burger Bash. The event was hosted by talk show host and Food Network pioneer Rachael Ray. Being invited to something that big of a deal clearly warranted a simple food blogger like myself to visit the upbeat establishment with a friend of mine and we were quite pleased with what they had to offer.
Dirty Burger’s trademark per se is the “Dirty Dust” that they put on many of their dishes, from their wings to chicken sandwiches, it is designed to enhance the flavor of whatever you are trying ten fold and elevate your taste buds to a whole other level that I myself have never experienced. According to its description on Dirty Burger’s official website, It’s a blend of spices inspired by the Chef’s world travels, using ingredients from the four corners of the world to create a uniquely different flavor enhancer. This blend takes on a bit of a spicy profile, but tends to smooth out in the cooking process, especially with the use of honey.
So let’s say you are the average Joe Schmoe looking guy like me and want to have a full experience at Dirty Burger ordering an appetizer, entree and dessert. Might I suggest the following as it is what I had and each was prepared and tasted to yummy perfection. For the appetizer, I would go with their delicious dirty wings, which their classic buffalo sauce actually won a Best Of Long Island Award. We tried it with that paired off with a cool dip and the flavors were explosive yet not overpoweringly spicy. Definitely can see why this sauce was award winning for sure. Next, for an entree there are a ton of options but seeing as this place is called Dirty Burger, I opted to try one of their best- The Dirty Double. 7 ounces of all-natural, hormone & additive free Angus beef, Dirty-dipped and honey-grilled on a steamy-soft, DB sauced bun. I have to say for someone who has tried so many different types of foods and flavors I can truthfully say I have never experienced something like this before. The flavors grow on you after the first bite or two and you can really get a sense of how influential the Dirty Dust is in making the Dirty Double that much more tastier. Really an amazing well put together burger. I would recommend a side of their sweet potato fries as the Dirty Dust really compliments the sweetness of the fries as well.
To finish things off, I always love a good milkshake so naturally I went with my favorite character from Sesame Street- The Cookie Monster. Designed for kids, but I’m a big kid at heart and the taste was super delicious and it was blue, my favorite color. Now what is great about Dirty Burger is that pretty much everything they make is Gluten Free, even the fries! That speaks volumes to people who are on a diet or can only eat gluten free products as this can be limiting sometime but everything they prepare has that option. Pretty freaking cool.
I would recommend this as a great hang out place for you and your friends or family to go on a weeknight, after work or to stop by on a cool, fall weekend. If you are ever in the Plainview area definitely check this place out.
Dirty Burger
12 Manetto Hill Mall, Plainview
516-595-7399