By Sam Hahn

The prominent sign on Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

A retro diner has been brought back to life. Along North Arthur Ashe Boulevard sits Boulevard Burger & Brew, a burger joint with an old-school feel and great atmosphere that opened on January 7, 2016. The building was originally a Sealtest Ice Cream Factory, and then in the late 1950s, Kelly’s Jet System Hamburgers opened. Some of Kelly’s original interior and decorations are still in place today, such as the sea foam green bathroom tile.

I recently visited Boulevard Burger & Brew with fellow Collegiate student Nash Craig (‘24). Together we walked into the establishment with high hopes. Craig stated, “This better be good. The atmosphere is good, and it is packed.” The hostess greeted us, and we were immediately told that the restaurant was short on waitstaff, so it was going to be a little bit of a wait. There were many tables open, but we had to wait due to their being short-staffed. Craig and I waited for about 20 minutes until our seats at the bar opened up.

Exterior of the restaurant.

The first thing I noticed was the atmosphere of the restaurant. It gives off a 1970’s diner vibe, due to the tiling of the floors, arrangement of the tables and bar, and also the decorations in the restaurant. The aspect that caught my eye was the exterior. Placed outside is a sign that would catch any passerby’s attention. Craig mentioned, “Without the sign, I think very few people would notice the restaurant.”

When we were seated, we had to wait around five minutes to be attended to. We used this time to dive into the menu and decide what to order. First we looked at the starters. The fried pickles immediately caught our attention. Then we made our way to the main courses. The restaurant has a premade list of 12 burgers that we could choose from and also a build-your-own-burger option. They also have different options for different dietary needs, such as a black bean burger or a Beyond Burger. Craig and I both gravitated to building our own burger. I chose a cheeseburger topped with bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Craig did the same, minus the fried egg, and he added a Sriracha ranch sauce on the top.

Fried pickles and french fries.

We had to wait for about 30 minutes for our food to arrive. What was supposed to be our appetizer ended up coming out with our main courses. Despite that, we were both hungry and excited to test out the fried pickles. At first glance, each looked like a perfectly fried pickle slice. Craig took the first bite, and I saw a look of disappointment. I then proceeded to test one out. I looked to Criag to see what his thoughts were. Craig stated, “I think the pickle overpowers the breading.” I agreed; it was almost as if you were just eating a pickle out of the jar.

Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, egg, and bacon.

We both then went to our burgers. The burgers looked like they were going to be the best we had ever had. The toppings were very proportionate to the size of the burger patty. The burger even came with a knife so the consumer could cut the burger in half. Craig and I both took a bite and were underwhelmed with what we had eaten. The burger did not have much taste. I could taste the bacon, the onion, and the tomato, but the burger itself was bland. I glanced at Craig while he was inspecting his burger. Craig then complained, “Dude, they forgot the sauce. They also forgot to put the lettuce, tomato, and onion.” This was the line-drawing moment for Craig. The best part of the meal was the french fries. The fries had an intense crunch and were full of flavor. Craig and I decided to dip the fries in the ranch dressing, and the addition of a sauce made the fries even better.

Overall, Craig and I did not enjoy our meal. Both of our expectations were high going into the meal, but we left underwhelmed. We spent about 45 dollars for a below-average meal. The burgers were about 12 dollars each, and the fries and fried pickles were about 8 dollars each. I would rather spend my money on a burger elsewhere, rather than going back to Boulevard Burger & Brew.

All photos by Sam Hahn.