BXL Belgian Cafe

8/10
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BXL is everything you would hope a Belgian pub to be – huge selection of fantastic beer, a menu filled with mussels and frites, and a lot of French and Dutch being spoken around you. Yes, BXL is in the middle of my most hated part of Manhattan, but once you spot the red Duvel sign, you will be surrounded by a boisterous Belgian crowd that is pleasantly free of fanny packs and ‘I <3 NYC shirts’.

Great selection of draft beers but you must try the Cuvee BXL – it’s their house beer and it’s amaaazing (coming from somebody who didn’t drink beer until two years ago, this means a lot). Served in a stemmed beer glass it has a slightly citrus taste, it is the perfect drink to accompany frites + whatever else comes on your plate. They also carry cult-favorite beers Delirium Tremens and Malheur 10.

Aside from the beer, the breakout star at BXL is the burger. BXL was recommended to me by my burger-loving friend and he I had to order it with bleu cheese. And it’s a brilliant burger – just the right amount of bleu cheese (aka a small amount, no repeat burger-explosion a la Plein Sud please), a small but round patty and a bun that is substantial enough to hold everything in (this is so key people! nothing worse than when stuff goops and falls out of the burger!).

The burger, served with salad, frites and Belgian mayo (YUM), is a steal at $13 for all that food. Pardon the darkness:

Such stuff / as dreams are made on

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Go, now. One of my top 5 favorite burgers in NYC. Oh, and the beer.

BXL Belgian Cafe
125 West 43rd St, btwn 6th and Broadway
New York, NY 10036