I love a great burger place and Stand 4 did not disappoint. I took my Husband, Howie, for his birthday. When we arrived on a Monday evening there was no one at the door to greet us for a couple of minutes. We really didn't mind and took the time to admire the atmosphere. I call it sleek, casual with romantic, dim lighting and a small bar to the right with some high top tables in the front window area for dining. It's a spacious dining room with really high ceilings and lots of modern, streamlined tables and chairs. In the back is an open kitchen and there are several flat screen televisions around the dining room and bar areas so you can watch the game or the day's highlights on ESPN. I loved that they had tv's.
The Hostess arrived with a great smile and attitude and seated us in the dining room. The Server was adorable. He told us that their Happy Hour was until 9pm and that all draught beers and well drinks were $4 (normally $7 & up) so my Husband ordered a Guinness and I got a Coke. My Husband is allergic to soybean oil but since almost every restaurant uses it for frying he usually just suffers the consequences but we thought we would ask anyway. Our Server may have been young but he knew the menu and the products they use. He assured us that they use canola oil and we were thrilled. He even went the extra mile to ask if sesame seeds were ok for my Husband to eat since they are on the burger buns. A real doll. I ordered the signature "Stand" Burger ($10) and Howie ordered the Kobe Burger ($18). We also ordered Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Mustard Sauce ($5) and Hot Fries ($6) which are regular fries with finely diced fresh jalapenos, melted pepper jack cheese and red chile flakes. The menu also offers a variety of other burgers, sandwiches, chili, salads, sides, desserts and their famous shakes.
The restaurant wasn't particularly crowded and our order minus the Hot Fries arrived quickly. We just figured that the runner couldn't carry all the items at once but it soon became apparent that they forgot the Hot Fries. The Server didn't check in with us after our food was delivered to see that all was ok (service miscue number 1) so we had to flag down the runner and tell him that the fries were missing. The Server came over later and apologized and said they would be out shortly. My "Stand" burger was excellent. The patty had nice seasoning, lettuce, tomato, red onion, a side of their thousand island inspired house sauce and a couple of delicious, deep fried, sweet pickles. They were awesome. I can't believe they don't offer them as a side but I bet you can get them if you ask. The Kobe Burger came with frisee lettuce and again the side of pickles. Not as flavorful as the "Stand" Burger but nicely charred and Howie loved it's quality and simplicity. They have ketchup, mustard and Japanese mayo (which can be kept at room temperature so chill) on the tables to dress your burgers. The Sweet Potato Fries were awesome. The oil was fresh and they were crispy and the honey mustard wasn't too sweet. We got the Hot Fries after we finished everything but we ate them and loved them. Spicy good! The Server then brought the check before asking if we wanted anything else (miscue number two) so I said we wanted to order shakes plus I had a Yelp Deal Coupon worth $50 that I bought months earlier for $25. He happily took it as well as our shake order. I got a small Toasted Marshmallow Shake ($6), their most famous, and Howie got the Kahlua Vanilla Shake ($12). Both were awesome but there is definitely something special about the Toasted Marshmallow garnished with an actual toasted marshmallow. Maybe I'll get the Absolut Vodka Toasted Marshmallow next time or try the S'Mores, Apple Pie or Frangelico Chocolate Shake!
Overall, we had a great time and everything was delicious and fresh. The service was a bit lax at times and if I was the Server I definitely would have comped the Hot Fries (miscue number 3) but we didn't complain. I guess we could have but we were enjoying everything too much to bother. Romantic enough for a date, great for kid's (they have their own menu) and and great for large groups and Happy Hour M-F 4-9pm and Saturday 9pm-12am. Also, the neighborhood is awesome for walking off some of those calories. We took a romantic walk through Washington Square Park and caught some live music at The Bitter End for what turned out to be a very enjoyable and delicious birthday evening!
www.stand4.com
24 E 12th Street
212-488-5900
Mon-Sun 11:30am-12am
