The Best Fast Food Burger In NYC – Petey’s Burger!
One of the few job perks of being a location scout: the studio gives us $10 for lunch. Woo! The Scout Lunch is a look at some of my favorite restaurants in New York to spend that $10 at.
Those in the know call it the In’N’Out of Queens. That alone should merit a trip to Astoria to what I consider the best fast food-style burger in New York City: Petey’s!
I know what you’re thinking: Astoria? Come on. And New York already has a great fast food burger chain: Shake Shack!
Really? Sure, it tastes good going down, but have you ever taken a look at what you’re eating? For all its claims of organic this and healthy that, a Shake Shack burger is literally a sopping wet sponge of grease. Seriously, look at it next time you get one! I’m the least picky eater in the world, but I’ve finally decided that waiting 20 minutes (or longer) in line for what what will ultimately be a very queasy feeling in my stomach just ain’t worth it. Thank God there’s Petey’s to take its place.
Petey’s has everything about the fast food burger nailed: nice fluffy bun, two juicy patties, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, melted American cheese, and a special Thousand Island sauce with the perfect blend of sweet and tangy.
French fries are hand cut and freshly made, and for those who want to go for the full-on heart attack inducer, shakes are made with real ice cream. To top it off, your meal comes wrapped in the delightful Petey’s packaging!
It kills me that while Shake Shack and Five Guys tighten their stranglehold over New York City, Petey’s quietly does the fast food burger ten times better, all while hidden away in a little storefront in Queens.
So next time you’re in Astoria and are feeling a bit hungry, give Petey’s a try! And best of all, the #3 just clocks in for the $10 lunch.
Petey’s Burger – 30-17 30th Avenue – Astoria (NQ Train to 30th Ave)
-SCOUT
PS – For you Connecticut readers, it’s Burgers Shakes Fries all the way!
huzzah for burgers, shakes & fries from a westchester reader.
i’ll try and check petey’s out when the geography works out.
Excellent find Scout! What makes NYC, boroughs and all, are these
types of venues; bars, pizza joints, ice cream shops, pastry/bakeries
and hamburger’s with fries mix. You’re back in the “groove’ Scout!
mack
I love Petey’s. We first discovered it when we were moving a friend into his apartment down the block and it’s definitely one of my top 3 burgers. (All American on Long Island and the more gourmet Bare Burger in Astoria round out the list). I’m glad someone else is recognizing how awesome they are.
We must live in differant worlds — my husband and I ate there and thought the burgers tasted like cardboard and the fries were soggy and over salted. We live a few blocks from Petey’s and were hoping it was good. HIGHLY OVER RATED AND DISAPPOINTING!!
There’s one opening on Vernon Blvd in LIC.
petey’s rocks but their website for online ordering is atrocious!
I’m very excited for the one opening in LIC, as it’s a block away from my apartment. Looking forward to gaining much weight the week they open the doors to the public…
I’d be all over that if I could stop eating at BZ Grill when I’m in that neighborhood 🙂
“I know what you’re thinking: Astoria? Come on.”
Really? You’d think a film scout that spends a lot of time all over the city would realize that Astoria is KNOWN for their food and restaurants from Greek to Indian to pub-style food to burgers and beyond.
Come on.
Aww, give me a little more credit than that! That was only meant for those who think Manhattan is the center of the culinary world, and refuse to believe something might exist elsewhere. Sorry if it didn’t translate!
oh, ok understood. That’s a relief!
I always try not to clog my arteries with burgers & french fries, but these ones look very tasty… Yummy!
Ha! I love that you know about BSF, but, in my opinion, they’ve been eclipsed by Five Guys and Shake Shack (there’s one in Westport).
So sad…Five Guye doesn’t even have a special sauce (and who wants free peanuts???). And I SWEAR Shake Shavk is mystique + grease…Support your local burger guys!
We can’t eat at Five Guys because my son has a deadly peanut allergy, and the place is completely contaminated. As for Shake Shack, I work across the street from the Madison Square location, and I’ve never had a more overrated, over-priced burger or hot dog anywhere. I’ve eaten there twice – once on my own to try it, and once because my boss insisted we go there. There will be no third time.
I don’t know where the best burger in NYC is to be had, but it is not FG or SS.
I love burgers and I am looking forward to Petey’s opening on Vernon Blvd. in LIC. Corner Bistro will open in the neighborhood as well and there is Burger Garage a stop away from where I am. I’m in Burger Heaven!
Came across Petey’s by accident, and was pleasantly surprised. Great burger at an even better price! The place is really low key too, not crowded, definitely a diamond in the rough (off the main strip of newer Astoria restaurants) ^_^
I agree wholeheartedly about the suckiness of Shake Shack burgers.
I’ve been trying to organize a burger expedition group amongst my friend to try out all different kinds of burgers in NYC. The problem with this is that a lot of burger joints pop up, but also quickly disappear after one or two years. But during my research phase a lot of these restaurants I liked end up going belly up. Ultimately I had to abandon the idea for awhile because I couldn’t constantly change my list, and also the heartbreaks.
Now it seems both Bare Burger and Petey’s have survived the tides of time and still going strong. I should definitely give them a try. After all, I live in Astoria 😉
Thanks for this article!
Last summer I’ve been in capital of Poland for a month and I must say this beautiful place made a huge impression on me. You have to visit it 😉