21 Postcards
A beloved West Village dive, Corner Bistro serves up massive, no-frills burgers and brews on paper plates, drawing late-night crowds since '61.
"You aren’t sure exactly how long it’s been since you last stood up from your computer, but you do know that you’re hungry, it’s late, and aside from Joe’s and some bars on 7th Avenue full of people who wish they were still at Cornell, most places have stopped serving food. Head to Corner Bistro, a classic and charmingly divey spot that stays open until 4am everyday. The booths and tables might be full, but you can almost always find a seat at the bar. Get some $5 beers and one of the best burgers in the city. " - team infatuation
"Corner Bistro is an old, divey West Village institution, and if you haven't been here yet, it's honestly a little embarrassing. The order here is simple: bistro burger, fries, and a cold beer. Just remember to bring cash." - matt tervooren, neha talreja
"History. Corner Bistro is filled with it - and to fully understand why we back the Bistro so hard, we need to drop a little history lesson: Before it was the first-ever name of this website, “Immaculate Infatuation” was a made-up British rock band that my college friends and I dressed up as for Halloween one year. (Think Guns N’ Roses meet a British version of Motley Crue.) After the band retired, Immaculate Infatuation lived on as the name of my fantasy football team, and when Stang and I needed to figure out what to call our new venture, the choice was obvious. But before the Infatuation went live April 1st 2009, about a million other potentially genius plans were discussed. Thankfully, the initial idea of starting our own record label never materialized (that would have been a disaster), and our clothing line (called “My Future”) only wound up producing a single t-shirt. My point? All this talk happened somewhere, and more often than not, it happened at the Bistro. There’s something about pounding cheap beers and burgers here that makes you feel like anything is possible. When we finally decided it was go time for The Infatuation, we were sitting in Corner Bistro. Look hard enough and you’ll find it engraved in one of the back booths. That’s our Corner Bistro story, I’m sure you have your own as well. If these walls could talk, they’d give away all our secrets. Food Rundown photo credit: Noah Devereaux Bistro Burger Before the burger craze hit this city like Cloverfield, the Bistro Burger was always considered one of Manhattan’s best. That hasn’t changed in our minds. The burger game may have become more competitive, but that doesn’t take away from this spot’s greatness. Without Corner Bistro, there is no Minetta Tavern Black Label Burger. Yes, there may be better burgers out there, but no better chomping ground to eat them. We’ve declared Shake Shack as the burger all other NYC burgers are to be measured, but Corner Bistro is the burger establishment all other NYC burger joints are to be measured. It’s straight-up chuck - dirty, greasy, massive, and delicious. A true classic and as New York as it gets. Fries Don’t be shy, order your own. You’re not going to want to share these thin, McDonald’s-style salty potatoes. Grilled Cheese A friend of mine comes here all the time and only orders the Grilled Cheese. She freakin’ loves it, can’t get enough. If beef isn’t your thing, here’s another incredibly unhealthy option. Grilled Chicken Sandwich Although I’ve never tasted it, I know people who have and back it. As down and dirty as the burger, but chicken." - Andrew Steinthal
"One of the few remaining bohemian dive bars in the West Village, Corner Bistro is a throwback to a time when West Village was a true artist hangout: everything is served on a paper plate and most menu items are below $15." - Elise Taylor
"This NYC classic is still doing pickup and delivery, which means you can still get a comforting grilled cheese or a bistro burger with a giant puck of beef delivered to your home. Go online or call 212-242-9502." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren