One of the names that kept popping up during my research for the Best Burgers in New Jersey article, was a relatively new restaurant called Boom in Belmar. Since Belmar is only about 20 minutes from me and my friend Kacy works right next door to Boom, we decided to give it a try.
Oh, quick commercial, if you are ever looking for a fantastic Insurance Agency (don’t we all need one here in NJ) call my friend Kacy. No kidding, her insurance agency is something like 80 years old and they’re independent agents so they shop around and find you the best price. And I’m not saying this because she bought me lunch, (which she did) I’m just passing on some really solid information here. She handles all my insurance, so I know what I’m talking about.
Ok, back to Boom. On Monday, we went in search of a fabulous all American burger at Boom. Boom is located in the Belmar Plaza shopping center. When we walked in, I was surprised to see the place so empty. I had heard so much about their burgers, I was sure the place was going to be packed. There was only one other table of diners at 1pm which made me a little leery. It’s a small space, very clean, almost sterile, a little too clean for a burger joint if you ask me. A bar flanks the back left corner which is nice for the single person who doesn’t want to sit alone at a table. Don’t expect the burgers to be sizzling behind the bar though. From what I could tell, all the cooking happens in the kitchen.
I was surprised to see that there was everything from crab cakes to chicken wraps on the menu. But, their burger was my reason for coming, so I perused the burger menu which is impresive; Bison Burgers, Veggie Burgers, Turkey Burgers, Kobe Burgers, Lamb Burgers (my weakness), they all sounded delicious. Since this was my first visit, I thought I should go for their signature Boom Burger. The Boom Burger description: “our special blend of ground beef, topped with Swiss cheese, sautéed onions, crispy bacon, ripe tomato and tender lettuce & served on a toasted Ciabatta roll. Served with Jersey Fries”
Sounded great. I ordered it medium-rare and asked to switch the Swiss to American cheese. What I got was a medium burger with Swiss as you can see. I forgot that the Burger called for bacon until rereading the menu. I don’t recall any bacon on the burger at all. The “ripe” tomato was the typical anemic pink tomato so many restaurants settle for. It was still a tasty enough burger (code for “I’m a pig and I ate the whole thing.”)
Boom talks a lot on their website about the quality of the beef they use in their burgers. Their supplier, Pat Lafrieda Meats, “has been in business for over 90 years and they distribute their product to many of the finest restaurants and burger places in NYC. They selected BOOM as their first and only place at the Jersey Shore to introduce their quality products.” I do not dispute the quality of the meat, but, if you want someone to rave about your burger (big tip here) serve it the way they ordered it.
My friend Kacy was not on a burger quest, so she ordered a salad and the Chili which she said was excellent. Not much more to say about that, its chili and its good.
In the end, I was not impressed by Boom, but I may give them another try in the future. Even as I was waiting for Kacy at her office before lunch I heard one of her employees raving about the Boom Burger she had the other day. I do recognize these things can sometimes be hit or miss. (They shouldn’t be, but they can be.) Monday’s visit was definitely a miss.
Boom
811 Belmar Plaza
Belmar, NJ 07719
Phone: (732) 749-3280
