Covering restaurants has been a pain the ass lately. First R&L opened for a glorious couple of days before closing down indefinitely, and then Kurve kept everyone guessing by constantly closing and reopening. Which brings me to Black Iron Burger Shop, the new upscale burger joint that had everyone from Shecky's to the NY Times droolin'. I kept calling and visiting after their supposed open date, but sadly got no response. But as of this week, the wait is finally over.

Right now the casual East Village spot is only open from 6pm-3am, but it will open for lunch at 11am starting Saturday. It has a casual, worn-in feeling, with bar stools, exposed brick walls and classic punk tunes on the radio. The burgers themselves were delicious and well-worth the very reasonable $7 price. The griddle created simple, misshapen burgers that let the natural flavor of the beef really shine--no fancy special sauces needed here.

What really impressed me was the beer selection, which ranges from Sixpoint Brownstone to Saratoga Lager, all priced at $5-$6. The waitress was friendly, if a little green, as is to be expected at a brand-new restaurant.

The best thing of all? It's open until 3am, meaning I can stumble across the street after playing skeeball all night at Ace Bar.