One of the keys to enjoying a food review is to do it in a "my first time" frame. The element of surprise has considerable value. The unfamiliar taste, the first bite, are the ones that dictate the general spirit, here or there. The few times I entered the place knowing what I was going to get, because if I've already visited there, what's the point, literally, of going there again for review purposes? To all the columns of Rosie the Taster and still, in the case of "Greenberg Burger" in North Tel Aviv I could not resist the temptation. 

A few months ago I got there by chance and was looking for the taste of a fine hamburger. "They deserve an encore", I thought. From the point of view of the business (if, of course, he knew I was coming. He didn't) there are two options - the starting point is already in his favor, and it's actually a gamble. Either the second time will surpass the first, or there will be a great disappointment. The prejudice can work for both sides.

The whole is less than the sum of its parts. Greenberg Burger (credit: David Rosenthal)
The whole is less than the sum of its parts. Greenberg Burger (credit: David Rosenthal)
I drove with trepidation at five in the afternoon, a time when the roads are supposed to be congested. Happily, the end of July is the time. Levy Eshkol axis, parallel to Derach Namir, looks like a successful architectural simulation - an empty road, new buildings on its sides and a green boulevard that fits well into the urban landscape. A few kilometers from the busy and dusty center of Tel Aviv, and what a difference. 14 minutes have passed since the exit from Evan Gvirol and here I am, in the small and well-kept center of Azori Hen. The "Greenberg" sign welcomes me again. Speaking of ruining the surprise factor, I chose my meal online ahead of time. I decided to go for the smokey (NIS 58), 210 grams of Israeli beef patty ground on site with smoked mozzarella and chopped onion. One side dish intrigued me - the Greenberg Fries (NIS 34), potato layered fries that are a kind of hybrid between croquettes and hash browns.
what the hell is this? Greenberg Burger's Fries (credit: David Rosenthal)
what the hell is this? Greenberg Burger's Fries (credit: David Rosenthal)
The smokey, a new dish on the menu, promised but partially exists. The hamburger had a subtle sourness that added to the taste, but in this case it was precisely the high expectation that marred the experience. I remembered the previous time which was better, and still - you couldn't go wrong with the excellent quality of the meat and in the end it was delicious. As for the potatoes, this is a total failure.

This soggy product is completely tasteless as any attempt at salting has come to nothing. Crockett or hash brown?

It seems that this product has not decided what exactly it is. The result, in any case, is not good. A well-known rule of thumb is that the hamburger turns out less well in delivery, and still - that doesn't stop me from putting the formula to the test every time. As is my holy way in such cases, I took a takeaway for my wife - she also got the smokey portion. As a side dish, I chose the Nuggets for NIS 48.I would explain to you what nuggets are, but if you say you don't know, you're either lying or trying to insult my intelligence.

Survive the shipment. Greenberg Burger nuggets (credit: David Rosenthal)
Survive the shipment. Greenberg Burger nuggets (credit: David Rosenthal)
Well, we can report that the mold has been broken. The delivery was perfect, thanks to a combination of the quality and the efficient packaging. My wife really liked the smokey, more than I did, and the disaster-prone nuggets also survived well. They are made with good taste, the crispiness is almost not damaged, the quantity is nice. This was a much, much better side dish than those weird potatoes.

So how did it come out?

Of course, thanks to my early acquaintance with the place, it had a relative priority in the KMA index (quantity-price-quality, from 1 to 10). The prices are really fine, the quantity is nice and the quality is usually high, but there is a "but".

First, for every hamburger There are fries. The fact that in the end the experience was a little less than the first time. The successful take-away (or as they say in the spirit of the Olympics - a soft landing) definitely adds to the impression Falling short of the sum of its parts, 7.5, and to say that I have not yet expected a higher score myself.

High quality and not expensive. So what's missing? Greenberg Burger (credit: David Rosenthal)
High quality and not expensive. So what's missing? Greenberg Burger (credit: David Rosenthal)
Would I go back to Greenberg one more time? There aren't too many bad things to say, but there are at least five places that don't fall short, to say the least, in the central area. All in all a good experience at a reasonable cost, especially if you live in the area.

Greenberg Burger, Uri Zvi Greenberg 25, Tel Aviv, 03-6703626