Jessica Murphy

Been wanting to try the burger at JG Melon for a long time. It was smaller than I realized, with a very thick patty, not greasy, and delicious. Fries were great too! Great burger in your typical bar setting. Did not have to wait more than 10 mins on a summer Friday for a table during lunch. Don’t forget cash!

Came here during the blizzard for a burger and a hot toddy. Hot toddy was insane and unlike anything I’ve ever had. Burger was cooked to perfection, their “chips” are delicious, and my wife and I ended up spending over 3 hours sitting at the bar talking to everyone. We waited over 30 minutes to get a spot but we look at that as a sign of a good restaurant. By the time we left we felt like a local and even tried their bloody bull. Definitely worth the trip.

William Cummings Jr

I love the checkered green and white table clothes and grey poupon mustard on every table. This place is known for their delicious burgers and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger that lived up to the hype with its size and taste. It's a bit crowded with tables close together but definitely worth the visit. It's cash only, so bring cash with you.

+2

Oren Tal

I love this place. The hamburger is one of the best, and their chili is incredible. It’s a must-try spot in New York. What truly stood out was the service. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better.

J B C

While visiting my favorite butcher last week two sanitation employees were talking about Skinflints. Being the busybody I am, I joined their conversation & was told if I liked Skinflints then I would love JG Melon. I figured since we liked two of the same businesses I’d give JG a try. I’m glad to say they were correct. It’s 1st come 1st served at JG. Even though it was pretty busy I was able to get a seat at the bar easily enough. (Though I was told it gets much much busier than it was during my visit) Tommy the bartender was a down to earth people person which is always a plus in my book. The bacon cheeseburger I ordered was cooked just the way I like it & cottage fries happen to be one of my three favorite types of fries (four if I count sweet potato). The restaurant is small but the food food & service were amazing. I had two glasses of Jameson neat with my meal & lunch still ended up just under $50. So I’d say it’s reasonably priced. If you’re in the area & you enjoy a great burger definitely check it out. It’s a short walk from Bloomingdales if you enjoy walking on nice days.

Marky Boy

So good. Love this place. Best burger I’ve had in a long time! Love the crispy potato chips as well, nice change to normal fries. We were lucky enough to arrive before it got really busy.

Burger was great and we loved our waiter. The burger also comes with some extra lettuce on the side, which I really liked. Would recommend getting their seasonal fruit pie with a side of cream. Als…

Jg melons Bacon cheeseburger is delicious i highly recommend going here great fries too

Jg melons bacon cheeseburger is delicious i highly recommend going here great fries too

Delicious cheeseburger and apple pie. Great wine and service. Reasonable prices. Very enjoyable meals!

We decided to swing by this late-night spot since they’re open until 2 AM, and let me tell you, it was a great choice! Even though it was a Wednesday around 11 PM, the place was buzzing with people, …

This burger is the best I ever had. I tried it well cooked and medium rare. Both were amazing. Ingredients are perfect and it only takes one bite to see why this place is so famous. Please go there!

Great visit here for dinner. We turned up without a reservation, were told that we would be seated in 30 minutes, and chose to spend the time sitting a people-watching! A New York experience the f…

Have the Cheeeseburger, medium rare, with golden brown fries (cut so thin they border on potato chips). Toppings were sliced raw red onion (I love onions cooked or raw on burgers). For desert the C…

The burger here is absolutely fantastic—definitely lives up to the hype! However, as this is an incredibly popular spot, the overall experience feels a bit rushed. There’s a noticeable pressure to order, eat, and leave as quickly as possible, which can detract from the enjoyment. Keep in mind it’s a cash-only establishment, and they don’t take reservations

+4

Very busy bar. Didn't wait kings, solo and sat at bar. Had their bacon cheese burger, was delicious, must order it medium rare. Their cottage fried potatoes was amazing taste. Plus 2 cocktails came to $59 USD ($49+ $10 USD tip.) nice vibes

Always2nice23

We decided to swing by this late-night spot since they’re open until 2 AM, and let me tell you, it was a great choice! Even though it was a Wednesday around 11 PM, the place was buzzing with people, which definitely made us curious about the food. The restaurant is cozy, but the lively atmosphere really adds to the charm. Despite the late hour, the service was impressively quick, which we appreciated. Now, let’s talk about the food! I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, and wow, it was delicious. They definitely don’t skimp on the bacon, which was a delightful surprise! The burger had that classic, old-school vibe—simple and grilled to perfection, just like I remember. On the flip side, the fries didn’t quite hit the mark for me. They were cut into chips and a bit too oily for my taste, so I think I’ll skip those next time. All in all, it was a fun night out with great vibes and a fantastic burger. We left with zero complaints and a happy stomach!

+4

If you’re looking for a classic New York burger experience, JG Melon is a solid choice. The food is decent and consistent, and it’s even mentioned in the Michelin Guide, which says a lot about its reputation. The burgers are simple, juicy, and done right — no fuss, just quality. And the cottage fries are a must-try — crispy, golden, and the perfect side to their classic cheeseburger. The cozy, old-school atmosphere makes the whole experience feel very “New York.”

+6

Billy Lazer

Would have got 5 stars but horrible ipa selection. I only drink good ipa and they only had Laganitas brewed by anheiser bush. Garbage ipa like a Budweiser! Burgers are legendary with good round fries. Prices are fantastic especially forvthe burgers on the upper east side like $16 with bacon and cheese. Waitress very attentive and kind. I used to live 3 blocks away in the 80s and 90s. The charm of the place still remains. They just need a better beer selection should support a local brewery and have a NY brewing company ipa! Go for the burgers.

+6

I want to start this off by saying I am super self aware when it comes to dining etiquette and the restaurant industry. I went to JG melon with some friends and was looking forward to an intimate eve…

I have been there few times, but this evening will be the last, what a bad experience, the niçoise salad was barely edible and the burger was really so so. rushing service to turn the table, no sen…

I have been there few times, but this evening will be the last, what a bad experience, the niçoise salad was barely edible and the burger was really so so. rushing service to turn the table, no s…

I have been there few times, but this evening will be the last, what a bad experience, the niçoise salad was barely edible and the burger was really so so. rushing service to turn the table, no sen…

For the reputation, wait and logistics of the restaurant, it was unfortunately very underwhelming. I went late on a Friday night after 11pm and there was no wait though was still pretty crowded…

JG Melon -- A Classic Worth Knowing, Not Chasing\n\nWhen the founder of Shake Shack calls a burger his favorite, it's hard to ignore. That alone made JG Melon impossible to leave off our burger t…

Delicious food. Shockingly itsy bitsy table space. Extremely efficient wait staff. Waiting outside to get a table for 40 minutes was worth it

Delicious food. Shockingly itsy bitsy table space. Extremely efficient wait staff. waiting outside to get a table for 40 minutes was worth it

I was there 10/21. \nfood- dry burger and a dried out bun that fell apart. fries - meh\nservice was fast, but never a water refill or coke refill. never asked how it was, he's lucky. cramped tabl…

Week, place is well known for hamburgués, so we went for them. The meat of the burguer was great. Truly you felt it was good meat. The bread was good, but the cheese was just the cheap kind. Long w…

Week, place is well known for hamburgués, so we went for them. The meat of the burguer was great. Truly you felt it was good meat. The bread was good, but the cheese was just the cheap kind. …

Week, place is well known for hamburgués, so we went for them. The meat of the burguer was great. Truly you felt it was good meat. The bread was good, but the cheese was just the cheap kind. Long w…

Had to stop and get a burger! I like well done burgers and this was delicious not dried out and overcooked just no pink! burger was delicious. fries good too. Place was small - crowded - cash…

Had to stop and get a burger! I like well done burgers and this was delicious not dried out and overcooked just no pink! burger was delicious. Fries good too. Place was small - crowded - cash o…

Had to stop and get a burger! I like well done burgers and this was delicious not dried out and overcooked just no pink! Burger was delicious. fries good too. Place was small - crowded - cash only …

Service is terrible. Hamburgers and fries are much below the average in the city. Very very expensive. I wanted to talk to the official, they did not allow me.

Service is terrible. Hamburgers and fries are much below the average in the city. Very very expensive. I wanted to talk to the official, they did not allow me.

service is terrible. Hamburgers and fries are much below the average in the city. Very very expensive. I wanted to talk to the official, they did not allow me.

We were told it would be a 45 minute wait, which was fine…we were seeing Spamalot but had figured we’d wait there for a while. We weren’t seated until after an hour. Got a table, and no waiter ca…

Established reputation with lines but the door but, even so, overpriced for quality and value. Steak as tough as shoe leather.

Is it worth you wait? Yes, if you haven’t experienced this iconic spot. Pass if you’re expecting a delicious top tier burger 🙃 Wait time = 25mins to 1hr+ Food 3/5 🍔 Cheese burger was nice and charred in some areas but inconsistent inside. The biggest issue was the dryness overall 🍟 A bit embarrassing that the fries were the highlight of the entire meal - uniquely cut into potato chips Chili wasn’t too bad, nice and chunky Service 4/5 Decent NY attitude throughout the experience. No issues despite the amount of tables and foot traffic. Ambience 3/5 definitely an old school vibe inside and out The bathroom was tiny and pretty dirty imo

+3

Kristina Zhegunova

Not Worth It This old and “famous” place is cash only — and honestly, that’s the best thing I can say about it. The quality is bad, the food looks worse than what you’d get at a casual backyard BBQ with friends, and afterward you’re left with stomach pain instead of good memories. The only positive: our waiter was really nice.

+3

Came for the burger but I wouldn’t return. The burger is really nothing special and had no flavor to me. I really don’t understand why the burger here is so popular? The decor and ambiance made it worthwhile to visit one time.

Glenn C

I had passed by this old cash-only relic of a restaurant a handful of times, usually after going into Central Park or something similar. It's always crowded, and I was finally able to get in without waiting much a couple of months ago. They only had bar seating, which I was perfectly fine with. The bartender was my waitress, and she was overwhelmed but friendly, making a whole lot of cocktails. I eventually got an Allagash White from their tap selection for $8, which was tasty as always. For dinner, I ordered a cheeseburger at medium rare and their cottage fries, which are a separate order here. The burger was $13.50 without cheese or $1 more with it, and I got it with cheddar. After a while, it arrived with a good amount of pickles on the side. The burger had a good crisp and was moderately juicy, but it was a bit small for the price and had only a tiny bit of cheese. The fact that it doesn't come with fries or anything else doesn't really help, and if I were really hungry, I probably would have needed to order a second or something else. The cottage fries, or "Cottage Fried Potatoes" as listed on the menu, were good. They were slightly crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and mostly worth it for $8. The food was overall perfectly fine, but it's hard to justify the price given the size and the fact that the fries aren't included. For instance, you can get a juicier burger that is a good three times larger, with a better patty and higher quality cheese, plus waffle fries, at Wollensky's Grill for only an extra $2.50. Not including that place, there are plenty of other places for a similarly priced or cheaper burger that are just as good, if not better (even the pricey P.J. Clarke's fits this narrative, and that's not that common.) The fact that it's cash-only and a hassle to get into doesn't really help either. If you don't mind paying a bit more, go here for the nostalgia, as it is still tasty.

diegobatt

What's surprising to me is that people still wait in line for 1 hour to get a table and get a, at best, mid burger. Our experience started off strong when we realized, after a 45 minutes wait, that our name was not on the list, probably mispronounced at some point so nobody notice. The guy promised to fit us in but after 15 more minutes that only happened when we insisted again. After this, it was a hard comeback, but we were willing to look passed the wait. The hamburger is nothing special, and the size makes it overpriced. The place is cash only, what adds and extra layer of inconvenience to the whole experience. The cherry on top was a 15 minutes wait for the check. There was not bad faith at any moment, just a service and food that is not up to the expectations.

Pretty much exactly what I expected!! As others have noted, it's cash only so make sure to bring cash. Burger was decent but I do wish it came with more bacon. Fries were just okay. \n\nGiven the l…

Is there his one of those places where the servers and staff are intentionally rude? It seemed like they were all in on the joke of being rude to everyone, even each other.

We were in the neighborhood and popped in for burgers as a late lunch. Burgers are quite good. waitress said they’re 8oz before cooking but they’re not. service was just fine. Expensive for what …

Exceptionaly low stakes mid week lunch. Burger was fine but nothing noteworthy. Most noteworthy part was how short and rude the hostess and waiter were. Oddly hurried and bothered for a slow afternoon. You'd have thought they were working the rush at Dorsia.

I got a cheeseburger. It was okay! The meat lacked flavor and was small. The bun was fine but broke apart easily. This place is overrated. Only go if there's no line! It's not worth waiting. Good fries!

Tamir Gershovitz

JG Melon – 3rd Ave Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing experience. The only positive thing I can say is about the hostess, who was very kind, welcoming, and genuinely tried to help. Aside from that, the service was very poor. The staff showed no friendliness, no smiles, and no sense of care or attention. We waited outside for about 40–50 minutes to be seated. After placing our order, we waited almost another 40 minutes for the food to arrive. When the burger finally came, it was overcooked and burnt. We ordered the burger medium well, but it arrived well done and dry. Overall, the long wait times, lack of service, and incorrect food preparation made this a frustrating experience. Very disappointing, especially given the restaurant’s reputation.

+2

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

I had a tiny bland burger with sharp bits of bacon, a bowl of flavorless stale fries, and a small glass of watered down coke and ice for almost $40.\n\nI should've just cooked instead.

My first and last visit to this overpriced, overrated dinosaur. \n\nI'd have been happy to wait 45 minutes for properly cooked hamburgers and "cottage fries" that lived up to their overblown reputa…

My first and last visit to this overpriced, overrated dinosaur. \n\nI'd have been happy to wait 45 minutes for properly cooked hamburgers and "cottage fries" that lived up to their overblown reputa…

After months of wanting to try this place, I am regretful to say I will not be coming back soon. I would not have waited to be seated for 25 minutes if I knew it would be over an hour before eating a…

After months of wanting to try this place, I am regretful to say I will not be coming back soon. I would not have waited to be seated for 25 minutes if I knew it would be over an hour before eating…

We went for lunch like many other times. Went in, guy threw a hand over to right to sit down. waited for menus. Busy and rushed but after waving down a guy for menus, got them. waited, waited, …

Julia Clark

0/5 STARS. Had the most bizarre dining experience here. Waiter was EXTREMELY rude. We ordered 2 burgers which were great and asked for a third as we were very hungry. We asked for this to be cooked medium. After receiving it we cut it in half and it was completely raw with raw meet oozing out. *photo attached for proof* I asked a waiter who walked by to please exchange it for a medium cooked burger. He said he would grab our waiter. 10 minutes went by and he didn’t come back so I asked the same waiter again who walked by and he went to grab our waiter who I saw yelled at him saying “what do you want”accompanied with aggressive hand gestures. Our original waiter who just displayed this behaviour to his coworker in front of the whole restaurant then came to our table and said very rudely “ what’s the issue ”. I explained very nicely and he said “ okay, give me the burger “. I looked at my friend very confused as he was standing over our table and could have picked it up himself. Before I could respond he said in a very condescending and rude manner “ pick up the burger, put it on the plate and give it to me “. I proceeded to pick up the burger half put it on one plate and passed it to him in which he snatched it out of my hand and walked off. It was very uncomfortable receiving such aggressive behaviour, particularly from a male. Due to this strange interaction we both decided we did not want the third burger as we felt like the establishment did not deserve any more of our money if this is how they treat their customers. He did not walk by us again until he had the burger in which I said we would not like it anymore and can we please have the bill. He sighed and walked off angrily, clearly knowing and realising we were not happy with his service. He came back with the bill which was $50 and we had $60 cash. I handed him the money and said can we please have $10 change. He said “ what you’re not gonna tip?” I said $10 change please as I believe you give the customer there money back first then they leave a tip as they please. He said “ what I don’t get 25%?”. I said $10 change please. He came back and slammed the change on the table and walked off. The behaviour prior to the tipping situation was already so hostile but to assume and demand a tip on the spot is so strange and he was so incredibly rude whilst saying these things to us. I do not understand how this man is working at this restaurant. I see previous bad reviews on here having a similar situation and I bet you it’s the same person. I have never left a bad review for a restaurant in my life but I have never experienced such awful behaviour from a waiter so I feel as though people should be warned before having your day ruined. Totally not okay and I will never be coming back here again after coming here for years.

Alexa K.

Went and waited 35 minutes to be seated only to sit down and wait another 35 minutes to get well done burgers despite ordering them medium rare. Sent them back and waited another 20 minutes and the burgers came out even more well done than the first time. Waiter didn’t even offer anything on the house despite us showing him they were well done again. This is not medium rare.