NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A famed pub in Woodside was awarded the best burger in Queens, beating out about a dozen other eateries for the title.
Donovan's Pub, a nearly 60-year-old mainstay at 58th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, took the top spot, the Queens Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday following a vote by over 3,000 Queens residents.
The burger, which has won several awards over the years, is cooked up under the rumble of the 7 train. It's known for being charred and crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Donovan's co-owner Jimmy Jacobson bought the pub 11 years ago and didn't change the basic recipe, which blends in three types of steak and has a ratio of 80% meat to 20% fat.
Jacobson said the burger "speaks for itself." He can't remember anyone ever sending it back. "Our grill is top notch, and that's a big contributor," he said.
Customers often ask him if Donovan's has the best burger in all of New York City. "I don't have an ego, and I'm like listen, 'you're not going to be disappointed,'" he said.
Ed Schwartz said he's been ordering the burger for 50 years.
"It's juicy, it's the meat, it's the way it's cooked," Schwartz said. "The care that they take serving the burger—it's extraordinary."
The pub serves more than a dozen varieties of burgers, including the latest PB&J burger, which includes cheddar cheese, chipotle mayo, peanut butter and pickles.
"Don't knock it till you try it," Jacobson said.
The runner-ups for best burger in Queens were:
• Acey Ducey’s (Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills)
• Banjos BBQ (Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside)
• Burger Queens (23rd Avenue, East Elmhurst)
• Burgers Tacos Wings & Seafood (Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica)
• Emoji Burger (37th Avenue, Jackson Heights)
• F. Ottomanelli (Woodside Avenue, Woodside)
• Katch Astoria (Newtown Avenue, Astoria)
• Neir’s Tavern (78th Street, Woodhaven)
• Petey’s Burger (30th Avenue, Astoria)
• Press 195 (Bell Boulevard, Bayside)
• Ryan's Bar & Grill (Union Turnpike, Bayside)