I braved the beastly lines at MrBeast Burger and let me tell you — the lionized YouTuber’s food did not meat the hype.
When I held the $9.99 “Beast Style” burger to my mouth, I was expecting love at first bite.
Instead, I sunk my teeth into patties with the taste equivalent of a catfish Tinder date.
It wasn’t absolutely horrible, but it certainly wasn’t what I’d expected. Nor was it worth the 40-minute wait.
But hey, at least I wasn’t one of the 50,000 MrBeast zealots who’d camped out overnight in front of the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ, for the restaurant’s opening earlier this month.
On Saturday, I stood among clusters of starry-eyed Gen-Zs and annoyed parents with small kids, hoping to get my hands on one of his much-ballyhooed burgers and a side of $6.99 “Beast-style” fries. It’d be a lunch cooked up by the hardworking staffers of the cyber star.
MrBeast, née Jimmy Donaldson, 24, from Greenville, North Carolina, boasts a combined digital following of more than 121.8 million fans, all addicted to his viral online challenges and cash-prize giveaways. Some of his more popular posts see him handing out upward of $500,000 to folks who participate in zany escapades like his real-life “Squid Games” tournament and the “Last person to leave the circle” wins the loot challenge.
He should stick to giving away money rather than taking it from his burger-hungry fans.
Although his acclaimed “Beast-style” two-hander is touted as a mouth-watering treat comprised of “smashed crispy beef patties with house seasoning,” I found it bland and unremarkable.
And despite the paltry squeezes of ketchup, mayonnaise and yellow mustard that came atop the two underwhelming patties, which were blanketed by a few slices of American cheese and a pile of raw white diced onions, the beef was dry and lacked the oozing sauciness that’s expected from a handcrafted gourmet burger. It would have benefitted from a dollop of competitor Smash Burger’s tangy “Smash sauce” or even McDonald’s iconic “Big Mac” sauce.
But some of his most diehard devotees fiercely disagreed.
“The burgers are really good,” Matthew, an 18-year-old Brooklynite, told The Post. He and buddies Nick, Joe and Anthony, who’ve all faithfully followed MrBeast’s online antics since around the time the internet bigwig first began sharing content in 2017, waited in line for 12 hours for first bites of his burgers during the eatery’s massive launch. The pack of pals admire MrBeast for his charitable contributions to the community at large and were eager to support his patty-flipping endeavors.
“We had the Beast-style burger [at the opening] and it was good enough for us to come back,” said Matthew, with a laugh. “I want to try the Beast-style fries this time.”
But, to me, the basket of French fries, covered in basic condiments, wimpy cheese sauce and a few slices of pickle were also disappointing. With a name like “beast,” the crinkle cuts could have been crispier and the toppings much more ferociously zesty.
Gus Garcia, a 64-year-old MrBeast fan from northern New Jersey, shared my views on the food’s “just alright” taste.
But he told The Post that he didn’t mind shelling out a few bucks for the viral vittles, owing to the hot shot’s philanthropic works, including the launch of food pantries across the US and aid to Ukraine amid the war.
“The burgers are not the best,” said Garcia as he and his wife waited on the line that spilled out into the halls of the mall. “But I really like the work he’s done to help others. I watch him [often] and he seems like a real good guy.”
Long Island parents Gary and Rebecca, whose 10-year-old daughter Ella dragged them to the noshery, told The Post that they “can’t stand” MrBeast due to his annoying voice and goofy capers.
In fact, whenever Ella watches his clips, she’s forced to go upstairs in her room and out of mom and dad’s earshot.
But, the pair explained to The Post that they agreed to wait on line at the guy’s restaurant with their little girl because of the charitable work he’s done for the environment such as removing 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean via his Team Seas cleanup initiative.
“The kids love him. Parents can take him in small doses,” said Gary, with a chuckle. “But if the burger’s good, I may consider coming back a second time.”