Shy's Burgers

The smashburgers from Shy’s Burgers, a pop-up that’s hosted events at places like Three Decker Diner , are pressed so thin that they could probably float. But the bistro burger, which they're currently serving at Greenwich Village French restaurant Mimi might be even better. It’s not so alarmingly thick you can’t fit your mouth around it. Instead, picture a manageable, Valentine’s Day-pink patty topped with a dollop of caramelized onions, a fish sauce-heavy crispy chili mayo, and a thick layer of Kraft Deli Deluxe on a flaky bun to soak up the saucy bits. The burger has the correct ratio of toppings, which is to say it's more savory than sweet. So bring a friend and order a smashburger and a bistro boy, plus any sides you see available. These burgers may not have a regular home, but they’re about to become your favorites in the city.

Food Rundown

The menu changes from pop-up to pop-up, but here’s what you can expect at their current residency at Mimi, which runs all summer.

Pomme Macaire

Imagine if french fries and mashed potatoes had a baby. The exterior is potato chip-level crispy, and the interior is soft and full of black pepper. Forget burgers and fries. Burgers and pomme macaire or bust.

photo credit: Shy's Burgers

Chips and Mortadella

A pile of chips. A blanket of mortadella. A drizzle of olive oil, and honey, and cheese. This is the sort of low-lift plate you’ll recreate over and over again in the dead of summer. It won’t taste quite as good as it did with an ice cold martini at Mimi, but it’ll get you pretty darn close.

Daily Salad

Whatever is in the daily salad will balance out your order of two burgers. Recently, there was a crunchy cabbage salad with peanut-sesame dressing.

photo credit: Shy's Burgers

Creamed Spinach Grilled Cheese

Why isn’t this everywhere? Why isn’t everyone putting creamed spinach on their grilled cheeses? The bread is a little too thick and chewy on this iteration, but a world where creamed spinach graces the insides of grilled cheese is a world we want to be a part of.

photo credit: Shy's Burgers

Bistro Burger

See the above text for more gushing. But there’s one thing we still haven’t mentioned: the bistro burger is $17. At this point, it’s hard to find a burger for under $30 in this city. Which is to say, go eat this. Soon.

Double Smash

It all started with the smash, which means you should order both burgers at Shy’s. Don’t settle for one. It’s shockingly thin, impressively crispy, and each patty is layered with cheese. There’s also a secret sauce—of course—but it’s spicier than all the other vaguely pink sauces. Thanks, pickled chilis.