Disappearing New York: Donovan’s Pub

With all the new restaurants opening left and right in the city, we sometimes forget that in order to make room for the new, the old must go.  This is an regrettable fact of the restaurant business but we have to accept it, hopefully, managing to catch one last bite before they disappear forever.

Earlier this year, the owner of Donovan’s Pub in Woodside, Queens, announced that the pub was up for sale.  Having occupied that corner underneath the 7 train tracks for years, the pub has become somewhat of a stable for the neighborhood and boosts quite a burger according to quite a few sources.  With a sale date that is looming but still ambiguous, we figured that it was better to pay a visit earlier than later.  And yes, I will travel for a good burger.

The inside of the pub is as expected dark and cavernous.  Faux decor tries hard to make you think that you are not in Queens but in Ireland somewhere.  The giant bar in the front was sadly unoccupied but the restaurant in the back held a decent number of patrons for a Wednesday night.

Even though we had come for the burgers, a few bar snacks never hurt.  The jalapeno poppers had a great crust and the buffalo wings were properly done despite the not quite properly spicy sauce.

And how were the burgers?  Well, the bacon cheeseburgers we ordered were certainly not a dainty that’s for sure.  A thick beef patty came with 5 or 6 slices of curled salty bacon and nice creamy cheddar cheese.  Grilled or raw onions, this was a personal preference but just remember that any height added to the already monstrous burger will make it even harder to fit into your mouth.  As for the meat itself, I needed to add a good healthy shake of salt but it was plenty juicy and fatty.  So juicy that it broke down my buns within three bites, forcing me to cradle the different components of the burger in my palms in order to make that trip to my mouth.

This was a messy affair for sure but so delicious and affordable at around 10 dollars for the burger and a mound of potato wedges that they called fries.  Add in a glass of beer to wash down the burger, this made for a great post work meal.  For a moment when I finished eating, I was excited to have found another great pub style burger but then I remembered and felt a twinge of sadness.  Maybe whoever buys Donovan’s will continue to keep the spirit alive, churning out down-to-earth unpretentious food.

Donovan’s Pub | 57-24 Roosevelt Avenue  Queens, NY 11377 | http://donovansny.com/