508 NYC

Drinking buddies are always welcome in the BeerBoor circle of friends. Drinking buddies willing to travel from their homes in Brooklyn to check out new beer establishments are even better. So it was that Ben and I traveled very different routes to Manhattan’s newest brewpub, 508 NYC.

Located well south of my normal wanderings (and close to the location of the Midtown Lunch Birthday Party a few months back), 508 became a brewpub once brewer Anderson Sant’Anna — who also comprises half the Executive Chef team with his wife, Jennifer Hill — received licensing to allow him to sell the beer he’d been brewing in an unused section of the restaurant basement.

I was greeted by a chalkboard listing all the beers available — eight in all, most on tap, and six of which clock in at 5% alcohol or less. Anderson seems to be working full-time churning out lots of beer in one-barrel (31-gallon) batches, and as evidenced by the appearance of one beer on the chalkboard that had just replaced another, he’s got people enjoying what he’s brewing.

While I waited for my drinking companion, I ordered a Citra Common Ale (4.5% alcohol by volume), described as having Light fruitiness, moderate caramel and toasty malt. Finish fairly dry and crisp, with a lingering hop bitterness. I’d describe this more as a hoppy cream ale (yes, I’m splitting hairs, cream ale and “common” ale are very similar), rich malt character without being very sweet, but a strikingly bitter body. And with its lower alcohol level, a good candidate for an all-day sipper.

Ben arrived and gravitated toward the newly-tapped Witbier, solidly brewed as well, with the right proportions of coriander and orange (peel), hazy with yeast and a bit more carbonated than the usual. From my mere sip I’d place this on-par with wits like Ommegang Witte and Allagash White, two of the better witbiers brewed in the US. Ben’s take: “That witbier was spot on.”

Beer two for me: the Dark Brown Ale (5%): Toffee, nutty and caramel notes, light appealing fresh hops, nutty, lightly caramel characters and a medium-dry to dry finish. While I liked the hazelnut-like flavor of this beer, its carbonation levels were way too high. It was awfully close to soda levels of CO2, which just doesn’t sit well with almost all beer styles. I managed to finish it despite this, but that needs to be dialed back.

Meantime, with Ben making his way through the coffee porter — quite good in its own right, without overpowering coffee, more of a decent balance with the malts in the beer, but again, was too carbonated — I decided I was hungry enough to peruse the menu. Most of the items are rather expensive, but, being in a brewpub, one dish popped out.

Of course. The 10 oz. Shortrib Burger. With a description like this, how could you not want to eat it? Pat LaFreida Short Rib Meat, Blue Cheese, Swiss, Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Onions on a Portuguese Muffin ($15)

Stacked high, and with a pile of cheese — I honestly don’t recall any but the cheddar being there — this made for a mild challenge, midafternoon.

But I soldiered on. I ordered it medium-rare, but I think this was on the low side of that. Still: this burger. One of the best-tasting burgers I’ve even wrapped my mouth around. So tender and juicy, bursting with meaty flavor, a light hand with the seasoning because the meat itself was so ridiculously good. The toppings stayed in the background, which is quite unusual for me. It just… wow. And it’s one of the most reasonable choices on the menu! I insist everyone reading this visits 508 and gets this.

It almost goes without saying that a rare-to-medium-rare burger means shiny, shiny hands, even with that sturdy “bun”. I didn’t mind one bit.

Our afternoon would not have been complete without a final beer, Anderson’s only bottled offering (though I don’t believe you can take it off-premise). We split a half-liter of the Strong Ale (10%): Malty with fruity hop aroma, a citrusy, resinous, piney, caramel, nutty, toffee. Medium to full, almost chewy body. Alcohol warmth is evident and welcome. A pleasant capper to the afternoon at the brewpub, this Strong Ale came across closer to an English Barleywine: strong, certainly, but a big old malt bomb, very little hop flavor or bitterness to balance, and enough alcohol to warm the palate and coat the throat with every sip. Half a bottle was the right amount of this.

I’m very pleased to note that this brewpub looks destined to stick around as long as the owners want it to. The beers don’t suffer from Homebrewer Syndrome, where they might seem thin and unfinished and just mediocre. The recipes are well-thought-out and (with the proper carbonation) quite tasty. Plus 508 is shooting for sessionable styles, so you don’t have to stumble out after a reasonable amount of drinking. I can’t speak to the more fashionable plates on the menu, but if the saem level of care is given to those dishes as to the cheeseburger, I can’t imagine why this place won’t be super-packed constantly. As it was, this sleepy Sunday gave them a light crowd that grew as the day went on. If you like beer or burgers, you have to try 508 NYC.