Some establishments simply speak my love language: dive bars with surprisingly good grub, places with stellar burgers and spots with a cheap yet quality meal deal. Bandits Burger + Dive in the West Village happens to hit all of the sweet spots, and after my most recent visit there, it joined the ranks as one of my favorite new burgers in the city.
First off, let’s get the obvious out of the way — me? Reviewing a burger? Riveting! But truth be told, there are so many great burgers in New York, and far more not-so-great ones. The ones that are spectacular deserve clout, and it’s my civic duty to let fellow New Yorkers know where to find the good stuff. And Bandits Burger + Dive has got the goods.
Located on the corner of Bedford and Leroy in the spot once occupied by another dive, Daddy-O Bar, Bandits Burger + Dive keeps the West Village humble. In a neighborhood overflooded with $50 plates of pasta and chic French food, Bandits has provided a fun, casual atmosphere to grab a drink with friends since its opening in 2021, but as of last month it’s now also a great place to grab a bite.
Eager to try my way around the new food menu launched by Chef Robert Sieber, I ordered several offerings: the onion rings, the French onion dip (which the staff quite literally refused to let me NOT order), the chopped Caesar wedge, the Filet o’Bedford, and the tavern burger.
I had been a long-time loyalist to tavern burgers over smash burgers, but after trying the one at Gotham Burger Social Club in late 2023, I was transformed to a smash burger gal. So, I was hesitant to go back to where I came from, but the staff recommended it and I trusted their word.
Though I was weary on ordering salad at a bar, the chopped Caesar wedge led me off to a good start. When the massive salad arrived, my first impression was… cheese. From both the looks and the first taste, I knew there were two types of cheese on this salad, something sharp and shredded, and something funky and crumbled. Chef Sieber confirmed it was Pecorino Romano and gorgonzola. There were also triangles of golden tomatoes and speckles of pickled red onion throughout.
The portion was fairly massive for a bar salad, one that marries the two most popular steakhouse options: Caesar and wedge. Chef Robert tells me he loves a wedge, but hates the knife and fork action required, so he made it easier for the patrons at Bandits. The dressing is what made this salad a great one. It is delicately light, almost not even there, but with just enough acid to contrast the super crisp veg and sharp cheese.
As for the French onion dip, I quickly understood why the staff was so persistent that I order it. With a cream cheese base, the dip holds up to the chips quite well and doesn’t goop the way a sour cream-based dip would. The pickled red onion in the center provides a nice punch of acidity to the otherwise fairly heavy dip, and I could not stop digging in.
The tavern burger had a thick patty cooked to a perfect medium rare and a heap of pickles sandwiched between a Balthazar bun. I was worried the pickles would be overpowering, but they almost melted into the juicy, fatty burger. The real standout on the burger was the char on the outside, creating just enough of a crust to give it texture.
I started to notice a theme throughout all of the food at Bandits: tang from the pickled red onions in both the salad and the French onion dip, the delicate house-made pickles on the tavern burger, and even the tangy “B1” sauce served alongside the onion rings — a play on A1 —which tasted like a sharper barbecue sauce.
When I asked Chef Robert Sieber about this, he confirmed: “I like acid.”
The acidity theme would continue with the crinkle-cut fries. Chef Robert tells me they’re tossed in a salty vinegar powder-based Cajun seasoning, which, like the French onion dip, made them impossible to put down after just one.
If you happen to find yourself in the area in the wee hours, they run a limited late night menu until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and midnight from Sunday to Thursday, with offerings like their smash burger, fried chicken sandwich, fries, and onion rings. And if you happen to be looking for a good meal deal, their “Martini Monday” happy meal deal includes a smash burger, crinkle fries, and a martini for just $25.
- Address: 44 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
- Phone: (917)-398-3042
- Hours: Monday-Wednesday 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Thursday-Friday 4 p.m.-4 a.m.; Saturday 1 p.m.-4 a.m.; Sunday 1 p.m.-2 a.m.
- Prices: Food Specials $9-$18; Drinks $16-$19; Beers $8-$10; Frozen Drinks $15; Burger & Beer $20; “Martini Monday” Martinis $10, martinis with a burger and fries $25
- Takeout available, no delivery. Reservations via Resy.
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