"The food was tasteful. We order regular burgers with salad and bacon. The fries are MANDATORY. The best fries I had in NYC."
"Best burger in the Upper East Side. Hands down."
"Amazing cheeseburger."
"I had bacon cheese burger and it was super delicious, the chips were good too."
"The burgers and fries were really good."
"A really good burger."
"The burger here was delicious! Super meaty and flavorful."
Cons:
"The burger arrived with burned bacon, and the taste was simply awful."
"The burgers were overdone and dry."
"The burgers were so greasy that one of us had it slide off the bottom bun."
"The food is average for my taste, the beef in the burger was slightly under seasoned."
"The fries were stale and bland like they didn’t add one single spice to them."
"The hamburger is tasteless."
"The cheeseburgers, the main event, failed to impress."
Service
Pros:
"He even thanked us for being patient. However, it's easy to be patient when you encounter someone professional and proficient at his job."
"Even though the bartender was busy as hell, he was funny, attentive and super friendly."
"Our servers Griffith & Bobby were extremely attentive, friendly and informative!"
"Straight forward bartenders with good manners."
"Service at the bar was kind and efficient."
"The staff’s also very professional and nice."
"The staff is great and they make sure the restaurant runs almost perfect."
Cons:
"I have no intention of returning."
"Needless to say we won’t be going back there again."
"I find the atmosphere too crowded and loud, it's hard to talk with a friend without shouting."
"The waiter was very stressed and not friendly."
"Also service was not good. Took a while to get orders and wait staff did not bring waters that we requested until we reminded them."
"Service was mediocre.... I guess they have too many guests....."
"However, the service is abysmal. Expect rude servers, slow delivery, dirty glasses and no refills on water."
Payment and Pricing
Pros:
"Cash-only, but worth it."
"All-cash was a shocker but if it holds the prices down, that's OK."
"You get a good meal at a reasonably fair price, especially if you like burgers!"
"Reasonably priced for New York."
"Prices were pretty good tho!"
"Possible that last place in greater New York City serving a decent burger under $15, and a good one at that."
"Very reasonably priced. A must visit while in Manhattan."
Cons:
"Just a heads up that it's a cash-only establishment so be prepared."
"Absolutely ridiculous that they are not accepting credit cards in 2024."
"CASH only, they don’t accept cards whatsoever."
"Wow, this place is a real disappointment! Can you believe it's 2023 and they still only accept cash?"
"CASH ONLY."
"They charge 18% gratuity even if you pick up your own order, and this place is all cash."
"Cash only and incredibly overpriced, I wouldn’t recommend JG Melon."
Ambiance and Decor
Pros:
"Love this place for a nice late night dinner with friends. Staple for the ues."
"Loved this place. I am not a burger person, but this became my favorite burger place."
"The decor is perfect. It is comfortable, but hasn’t been updated in forever. I loved JG Melon."
"Place reminds you of old Manhattan."
"It’s old fashion but cozy."
"The atmosphere of the restaurant is small and comfy, full of nostalgia and little memoranda."
"The place is very characteristic, small & cozy with walls decorated by all sorts of melon pictures and drawing."
Cons:
"I find the atmosphere too crowded and loud, it's hard to talk with a friend without shouting."
"Once we got inside, we were packed in like sardines."
"Otherwise, crowded (many tourists), tight seating, average service."
"Only imperfection was the seats were tight, and there wasn’t too much space between tables."
"The atmosphere inside was very loud and pub-like but the atmosphere outside was nice and peaceful."
"The restaurant itself is tightly spaced but well ventilated."
"The place is a small bar, always has a waiting list, which is OK, for a popular place, but once you get in, you can barely move and tables are small and right on top of each other."