Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer

This review is for the shakes only. I went around a week ago when there was a lot of hype, and regretted it afterwards. We arrived at 11:40 (10 minutes after opening), and had to wait an hour just to get in the restaurant. After that, we had to wait another hour after we ordered our shakes because there was only one person making them. I do understand that they were probably not used to getting such capacity, and everyone was ordering a shake, but the process was really inefficient. I ordered a nutella shake and my bf ordered a sweet and salty. I actually preferred the nutella shake by far, but both were overly sweet and actually gave me a tummy ache later on. Unfortunately, this place did not live up to the hype to me. The employee helping us out was really friendly though!

After my first experience at Black Tap, I was not happy. However, the business was kind enough to message me on Unilocal and question what they can do to improve. I really love businesses that do this. They were understanding and after explaining they invited me back to have a specialty milkshake on the house. I went back to give them another shot and this time it definitely was better. They were sympathetic about my experience before and I did not even have to wait in line. Freddy was very friendly and I explained to him why my experience was not 100% last time.
This time at Black Tap, I got the cookie milkshake and sweet and salty. I have to say these are both 10 000 0000x better then the cotton candy. I have now tried all specialty milkshakes at the store and this is how I rank them:
1) Cookie Milkshake (not thick and the one that makes you feel the least sick afterward. It is piled with cookie crumbs and a ice cream sandwich. This one is definitely the winner)
2) Sweet & Salty (peanut butter flavored, very thick and does make you feel full within one or two sips. The whipped cream on top is amazing)
3) Cotton Candy (not anything great– just a strawberry milkshake with cotton candy on top)
If I was to come back to Black Tap, I would definitely order the cookie milkshake or one of the regular ones because I want to try it. The service is friendly and prompt but the lines are long!
It’s definitely an experience you should try when in New York.

My 17 year old daughter, as with most 17 year old’s are pretty connected to social media. «Dad, are you up for a shake and a burger at this place in the city that is blowing up Instagram lately»? We arrived at 10:30am, an hour before they opened Sunday morning. The line was already 30 deep. At about 12:30 we were seated in one of the 14 bar stools that lined this very tiny place. First arrived the milk shake. Over the top and according to my daughter, «delicious» as she posted the pic to Instagram. By the time we finished she had 142 likes! lol. What compelled me to come were the reviews I read about the Burgers. I ordered the Greg Norman. Man, simply delicious! What I most loved about this place was how humble the staff was. Here they have a 3 hour wait to get in. As we stood in line we were told several times how much longer, the expected wait time from this point forward. etc. Every question that was presented to the gentleman who worked the line was politely and patiently answered. even though he was probably asked the same question 500 times daily. Once inside, we never felt rushed. The bar tender/​server/​order taker was welcoming and polite. Very down to earth. My life lesson of the day came as my daughter and I were leaving. I noticed a gentleman walking outside with whom I assumed was his floor manager. I suspected he was the owner from seeing his picture in several reviews. He was. Despite the line that stood before him, Joe was both humble and kind. Greeted my daughter, introduced himself and appreciated us traveling in from RI. Instead of gleaming, Joe understood before the Instagram hype about the shakes and the subsequent crowds, Joe’s bar was first a great burger bar, winning NYC best burger several times. Joe noted, «I am taking it a day at a time». I love successful people who are still humble. The place runs like a top. The burgers are out of this world… The shakes over the top. I hope the 3 hour lines continue for a long while and Joe and his great staff continue to reap the rewards. Its nice to see nice people do well and not adopt that NYC attitude so common in the NYC restaurant world. Thank you Joe, Fred and the rest of the Black Tap Staff. Excellent!

I managed to go to black tap in a group of four today (Friday). We lined up by 11am and didn’t get seated until about 12:45. I hate waiting in lines but I made an exception after hearing good things about black tap.
We all ordered burgers that come with fries and shakes (Nutella, caramel, and the cookie speciality one). The food here is good, but overpriced for what you’re getting. I had the burger with the mushrooms and onions (can’t remember the name), it was good but nothing worth 16 $. I specifically asked for my burger to be well done. I don’t like bloody burgers and after reading a review about people getting sick from a rare/​medium burger, I didn’t want to change anything. My burger, when it came out was pretty much medium. Even rare medium. Being as hungry as I was from waiting outside, I didn’t send it back. My friends burgers were super rare, barely on the rare-​medium scale. I found this very disappointing since the woman who took my order made note of my well done burger and it was seemingly ignored.
As for the shakes, my Nutella shake was fine. A good size. Pretty much worth 7 $ but extremely sweet. It was very good coma inducing. The cookie specialty one was the same size as mine, but had like the frosting and cookie crumb rim (super sweet) and cookie sandwiches on top. Nothing tasted like high quality ingredients. Granulated sugar taste.
Overall good food. But not at all worth the price or the wait in the cold. Even in summer I wouldn’t want to wait that long. I wouldn’t really go back. I can go elsewhere for an equally good burger that’s probably cheaper and I won’t have to wait in a line for it.

Burgers, fries, milkshakes. Its the American Dream. This location has MINIMAL seating and all bar style, but the staff is SUPER accommodating– we asked to sit for 7 and he saved us seats as they were available. You dont find that in NYC too often!
I got a cheesburger with bacon andgarlic aioloi and obviously fries, all of which were absolustely incredible even down to the side pickle. They have tons of burger options also from the type of meat to the add ons so there is something for everyone.
They were playing fun music and dont rush you out so it was very relaxed, but if you’re claustrophobic, try the other locations. They also have a ton of tap and craft beers for the Frat star in us all.
Now for what everyone really wants: their famous milkshakes. I got the cookie craze and it WAS crazy. Vanilla ice cream, vanilla frosting with mini cookies all around it. the works. Cannot go here and not get a shake, it would be incriminating.

AMAZING, DELICIOUS, GREAT, MOUTHGASM, SWEET, AMAZING AGAIN. The idea of this milkshakes are genius. The milkshake was soo good from the first sip i couldnt stop sipping. The wait is extremely like about1.5 to 2 hour wait but its WORTH EVERY SECOND for that wait

I’m sure everyone has heard the hype about this restaurant. Incredible milkshakes and such. Well, there were good and not so good surprises.
The location of the restaurant is a 5 minute walk away from the Spring Street subway stop. The space is very small with only bar seating and some standing bar space (very cramped). The people there are pretty great: really chill and nice.
If you want to eat there for lunch, I recommend coming 30 minutes before it opens (so at 11 AM). That way you can be the first people seated when it opens. When I finished eating, there was a considerable line outside (1 – 2 hour wait I would assume). The hype is so real.
[FOOD]
Greg Norman Burger: This was the good surprise. This burger is by far one of the best I’ve ever had, hands down. The meat is a perfect medium-​rare and so flavorful. The arugula and cheese added subtle flavor. The dill sauce was light and creamy and great. I would eat this burger all day.
The Cookie (Milkshake): This was a letdown to be honest. Really, it’s a normal shake with very nice decoration. The cookies were sadly not that great; they tasted like store-​bought cookies. The ice cream was good. I mean it tasted really good, but it wasn’t worth $ 15.
[OVERALL]
This place is a splurge and really a one-​time place to eat at. I’d happily come back for the burger, but it was $ 18, which is a little ridiculous. But the people were great, and their shakes have a good aesthetic. Come for the experience!

This place was pretty good, I recommend their burgers although you should make sure that you let them know how you want it cooked, because they probably won’t asked and when I received my burger it was a little pink, but it was still good!
If you’re into very sweet shakes then you’ll love the creative shakes they have here! The shakes are very sweet, thick, and chocolate so if you’re a fan of that, you’re in for a treat!

Words cannot describe how good the milkshakes are! I got the Cookie Shake and my girlfriend got the Sweet & Salty. Both were so incredible and left us satisfied. Loaded with sweetness and an excellent aftertaste. They were very accommodating and quick with serving the delicious treats. For sure coming back here very soon!

This place is great, the burgers are creative and delicious, they also have some nice beer on tap.
However they are NOT «2 hour wait caliber burgers». There are loads of places in the NY area with far better burgers: Burger and Barrel (the Bash Burger), Minetta Tavern (both of their burgers), Prime Meats in Brooklyn. also Emily. Those are some of the best burgers I’ve had. This boils down to the quality of every single ingredient, creativity, and the flavor and richness of the meat alone. They are pretty much worth a 2 hour wait.
Black Tap’s burgers are very good! But this is NY and there’s lots of good burgers around, especially in SOHO and lower Manhattan: Blue Ribbon, Ditch Plains, Hundred Acres, are all near by and make a great burger as well. You don’t need to waste hours of your life standing around waiting for this. If you can manage to get in with a wait under 45 minutes, I’d say WORTH IT. The place is small and you will feel rushed out once you do get in, so it depends what type of experience you’re aiming for.
Overall, it’s the quality that you’d expect to have somewhat of a following in NY — but not one I would recommend standing in the cold for over an hour for. I hope this helps! I’ll be back if the wait isn’t super long.
I like to consider myself a burger expert. :)

This place is amazing! Me and my friend was on a mission to find the best milkshake in NYC and came across this place. The anticipation in trying the shakes was intense, and I couldn’t wait any longer so I went without him. Lol. But anyways.
I ordered a sweet and salty milkshake, which looks and taste like whatever I envisioned heaven to be. The line to get in was long and the space was tight, but the service was great. The owner and staff made you feel comfortable and welcomed. I didn’t have a chance to try the burger but this guy sitting next to me was raving about how delicious it was. It was so good, that he got two orders of it! I am definitely coming back again to try it for myself and try the other milkshakes.

Very rarely will I give a place like this 5 stars. I waited for over an hour and a half to get a spot at a standing bar. The restaurant has 21 seats in total. The room would be jam packed with all 21 filled let alone the spots in the side that are standing room only. But I would come back again to be jam packed in suck a small space.
My friend and I only got shakes because we didn’t have the appetite for both food and shakes but next time I am coming for the food. The burgers looked amazing and the sweet potato fries smelt incredible. But my shake was great it was 15 dollars and massive. I left feeling full for hours.
But what was really special about this place is the workers. Each worker spent time talking to my friend and I. They were all clearly stressed by the insane amount of people but they were upbeat and poking fun at eachother the entire time it was great. The manager was fantastic and very attentive to us and our needs. He gave us a hard time about making sure we finished it was a fun experience that made the wait worth the time. It also didn’t hurt that their music was great to sing along to!

Been there twice recently and had great meals. One turkey burger salad I had on site and sat in the window. It was so awesome. Then the next week had the lamb burger salad to go and totally enjoyed it. If you can’t get a seat still good to go, but worth waiting for a seat.

As a huge burger lover I’m difficult to impress. This place rocks — solid burgers and awesome milkshakes. The staff are down to earth and enjoy what they’re doing.
Best tip is to sit at the bar.

I was not expecting a brief 15 minute wait at the small and narrow location, since I anticipated that it would be a larger restaurant. However, the name somewhat speaks for itself — it IS a bar.
The lighting was only good if you sat near the window, so for all your instagrammers, I recommend getting a seat there, and not near the kitchen. The bartenders/​waitresses were super nice with everything, giving us recommendations and whatnot. I REALLY wanted to try the truffle burger, but I opted for the texan instead, which is a burger with cheddar, bacon, BBQ sauce and mayo. The burger was not as big as my friend and I anticipated it to be, but we were really full. The order comes with a side of fries, which came out to be super crispy and not soggy at all. However, it WAS kinda pricey for what we got, so I don’t see myself coming back here. Very good burgers though.

I had a craving for burgers so we came in here on a weekday at 2 but it was packed even if it was a weekday at 2pm, so you might have to wait. It’s like a bar setting, there’s no tables just a bar. We were waiting for seats it was cold so we stayed inside awhile we waited and others waited behind us the place is really small so your kind of in the way but it was way too cold. We got two seats quickly though it was only a 10 minute wait.
We sat at the bar the only downfall is your super close with other people so it’s kind of awkward. People looking at you when your having a conversation lol maybe it’s just me but it was strange. Anyway I got the Texan burger and my boyfriend got the burger of the day it was a spicy Mexican burger but not the same one that’s on the main menu. I got the Nutella shake and he got a drink a lemonade saki I believe. The Nutella shake was
it was so good I love Nutella so having it in shake form was delicious. I tasted my boyfriends drink and it was yummy too I thought it would of been bitter but it wasn’t.
My burger was good as well it was still very juicy I get my burgers well done I just can’t see any pink in my meat lol. It had BBQ sauce on the side, it had cheese and bacon with a fried onion ring on top!
I think everyone should give this place a try, they have these cool over the top shakes I didn’t try them because I don’t think I can finish one on my own! I would deff come back!

Ordered: Sweet n salty milkshake
Pros – The milkshake was jam packed with M&M’s, Reese’s pieces, chocolate frosting and chocolate syrup. The presentation was incredible.
Cons – I wish there were more salty elements besides 2 pretzel rods to balance out the sweetness. The seating was all located in a tight space so there were a few times that servers were forced to bump into you.

Came here on a Thursday night around 9 pm, the place is tiny so most likely there will be a wait. Waited around 30 minutes for seats for 3 people. Ordered the Nutella milkshake and it was incredible. They had 3 speciality milkshakes which looked really cool but for $ 15 no thanks. My $ 7 Nutella shake was good enough! Got the All American burger with avocado. It was OK. Have I had better? Yes. Have a had worse? Definitely! Would I come back here? Probably not.

I had the Texan burger with extra cheese and a fried egg. It was medium well and absolutely delicious and massive. Not a burger for wimps. Each burger comes with a side of fries. Your belly will be filled with joy!
Make sure you get a shake! Any shake! I had an Oreo cookie sandwich milkshake! If you’re unsure about life this will give you life! From the presentation to the taste, you can’t go wrong.
GO TO THE SOHO LOCATION!

Always willing to try a new burger bar — especially if they have amazing shakes too (I pine for Sonic or Steak&Shake on the regular). This spot doesn’t have a lot of seating, but didn’t seem to be a problem on a Friday afternoon.
Luckily got a quick seat at the bar and ordered the Texan Burger ($ 17) and a Nutella Milkshake ($ 7). Didn’t realize they hadn’t asked how I liked the burger cooked, but wasn’t overdone when they brought it. Big juicy patty, a couple slices of bacon, two onion rings, and a spicy picante sauce (pickle, tomato, lettuce to the side). Burger was definitely well prepared, and dense enough to leave you satisfied. Fries are thick cut and not overly seasoned. Nutella milkshake was good, yet tasted more like a regular cookies and cream shake than a nutella one — but that’s a first world problem.
Another solid burger joint, with a pretty nice beer selection too, though I find the prices to be a little high for lunch. Quick service moves this from 3 to 4 stars.