We were desiring for a burger, and we haven’t explored this area. Along 4th Ave, there are a lot of restaurants that offer slightly different vibes than the ones on Smith St. Smith St. comes across more hipster-like, whereas these restaurants have that appearance on the outside, but with plenty of family presence. We had a few choices of burger places, but we ended up here primarily because my partner also desired wings. We walked in for 2 on a Saturday evening without waiting.
Ambiance & Service
The restaurant vibe felt like you were in a luncheonette with a few scattered tables. You see plenty of exposed brick, and the music was rock-ish with a bit of grime to it.
The service itself was pretty fast even though there was literally 1 cook (which appeared to be the owner) and 1 host. They were running around, albeit efficiently, and got our food out pretty quickly.
Food
We got Buffalo Wings (10 pieces for $20) which came with celery, carrots, and blue cheese dressing. The wings were surprisingly pretty good, and are what people rave about. They were nice sized portions, and the sauce was hot and good. The wings tasted similarly to as if it were boiled instead of fried, so if you like that kind of texture, then that would satisfy your taste.
The Bonnies Burger ($20) came with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, provolone cheese, and buffalo sauce. I also substituted my fries for chili cheese fries (+$3). The burger was pretty good for the price, and the flavors were very prominent. The chili cheese fries are probably something I wouldn’t get again mainly the cheese was very wet instead of shredded, melted cheese. The fries were crispy, but I would’ve preferred more natural cut fries than this frozen variety. Nevertheless, the burger itself was actually decent and had a good combination of flavors.
The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($18) came with BBQ sauce, spicy cole slaw, and brioche bun. It was served along with salad and balsamic dressing. The pulled pork was quite fork tender, and the sauce had plenty of flavor. I will say the BBQ sauce was slightly on the too-sweet side, but I felt this sandwich could’ve definitely masqueraded as if it came from the pit.
Overall Impression
Bonnie’s Grill was surprisingly a decent bar and burger place that also offers wings. From what I read, they celebrate Buffalo Bills a lot, so I’m sure this would be a very lively place during football season. The food itself is not worth a journey going cross-town, but it’s a rather decent choice if you want something fast and decent.
Yelp & Google Jabs
My burger was great, my girlfriend on the other hand ordered Gf bun for 2 extra bucks. We got a piece of burnt sandwhich bread. Grub hub did provide refund tho, so I’ll give em that.
This Yelper rated Grub Hub and not the food. Definitely get the food live over there instead of waiting for it to be delivered. Otherwise, accept the consequences.
My family and I have been consistent customers at Bonnie’s over my whole life. I stand by this, they are the best burgers in NYC.
This Elitist’s life is far too short to declare this to be the best burgers in NYC. Just because the family has eaten there all their life can also mean they have poor taste in food as well. I think if you’re after bar burgers, it’s probably one of the better ones out there. But for best in NYC, that’s a very tall order.
Revisions
- Aug 29, 2026 - Initial revision.