It appears that the burger student has become the burger master.
Hamburger America is a brand-new restaurant concept from Emmy award-winning filmmaker, author, and photographer George Motz. Recognized by the New York Times as “the foremost authority on hamburgers” and “America’s biggest burger name” by Eater LA, Motz earned these accolades when he released his celebrated documentary “Hamburger America” in 2004. Nominated for a James Beard Award in 2006, the film’s success led Motz to release a state-by-state guide to the nation’s best burger joints, also titled Hamburger America. Beyond his deep dive into burgerology, Motz is also the creator and director of New York’s Food Film Festival, a multi-sensory series of events where the audience is treated to the food they see on the screen.
Now, the Hamburger Honcho is currently getting ready to launch a brand-new restaurant concept with the help of his partners. Dubbed Hamburger America, Motz’s latest project is a collaboration with Andrew and Jonathan Schnipper, the brothers behind Schnippers Restaurant Group and Hale and Hearty Soups (from 1995 – 2006, specifically). Together, the three restaurateurs will be operating a brand-new burger joint at 51 MacDougal Street, based on the work of George Motz’s career. The location offers an estimated 1,700 square feet of space between the ground floor and basement and is expected to seat a total of 62 guests inside at one time.
Motz describes Hamburger America as a “Hamburger establishment that will emulate a historically accurate burger restaurant from the past,” and has released a sample menu as part of his liquor license application. According to the menu, the restaurant will serve Motz’s famous fried onion burger as well as a classic smash burger and sandwiches like tuna salads and a hot ham sandwich. Motz will also offer a monthly hamburger special that will rotate according to the season and includes a green chile cheeseburger as an example. Hamburger America will also serve chili and fries as well as soda and iconic classics like egg creams.
Motz and his team are currently looking to acquire a beer and wine license for hamburger America, and are proposing operating hours of 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM, every day, seven days a week. As Motz describes his concept on Instagram, “Walking into Hamburger America will be a step back in time, but don’t expect kitsch. My love of the American Hamburger is deep and my burger joint knowledge extensive. Expect a beautiful counter with stools, quick service, and of course onion burgs.” Motz hopes to open the new space sometime in May and you can follow him on Instagram for further updates as the concept develops. Readers interested in boosting their burger expertise can also purchase Motz’s book on Amazon.
