Choppers Burger Bar opens in Glen Head
The Choppers Chief burger, with fries, at Choppers Burger Bar in Glen Head. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
For his fourth act, Kent Monkan decided to take it down a notch. The chef-owner of three high-end Gold Coast bistros has just opened the super-casual Choppers Burger Bar in Glen Head. It takes over the corner spot that, until last year, was Jack’s Shack.
But casual does not mean careless. At Choppers, Monkan is grinding the meat (a blend of chuck and brisket) and making all the accouterments that wind up on the signature burgers, which include the Choppers Chief (Cheddar, onion-Peppadew jam, applewood-smoked bacon and mustard barbecue sauce) and the Choppers Triumph (fried onion, cremini mushrooms, Danish blue cheese and truffle mayo). The 6-ounce burgers are served on potato buns and range from $7.99 to $12.99
For the burger-averse, there are sandwiches ($6.99 to $12.99) such as The Catapult (cornmeal-crusted catfish, lettuce, tomatoes and dill pickles), What the Falafel (with cucumber, onion, lettuce, tomatoes and tzatziki) and Evel Knievel (kielbasa, sauerkraut, peppadews and mustard) and salads ($5.50 to $14) including Beet It! (roasted beets, apples, blue cheese, endive, arugula and almonds) and salmon poke man (with avocado, tomato, radish, lettuce, cilantro and togarashi seasoning).
There are hand-cut fries, loaded baked potatoes and, to drink, shakes and floats (made with Häägen-Dazs ice cream) and a small but thoughtful lineup of craft beers, including Narragansett Lager, Two Roads Two Juicy IPA and Long Trail Amber Ale.
“Choppers” refers both to the daily chopping of beef and to the motorcycle riders muraled around the shop. The shiny chrome accents gives the décor a vaguely automotive flavor.
Monkan’s first Long Island venture was Heirloom in Locust Valley, opened in 2005 and transformed, in 2009, into The Brass Rail. Heirloom Tavern in Glen Head followed in 2013, The Wild Goose in Port Washington in 2016. His partner at Choppers is Nicholas Litterello, a former colleague who now runs the food service at Sea Cliff Yacht Club.
Choppers Burger Bar is at 671 Glen Cove Ave., Glen Head, 516-403-2299, choppersburgerbar.com.
