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Burger Appreciation Society Delivers Mystery Lunch Once a Week

By Mathew Katz | November 16, 2012 7:45am

MIDTOWN — This gives mystery meat a whole new meaning.

A pair of burger fans have formed a club that delivers a patty from an undisclosed New York eatery to members' doors once a week.

A few hours after the burger gets to their plates, the New York Burger Appreciation Society sends its members an email revealing just where that tasty meal came from — and how they can eat that burger again.

The club, aimed at the office lunch crowd, delivers burgers between noon and 12:45 p.m. one day a week, on the day of their choice.

Delivery, tax and tip are all included in the price of a subscription, which is $15 a week. If you want fries with that — or some other kind of side dish that goes well with the burger — it's an extra $3.

The idea came to founders Dan Witte and Michael Gruen after they enjoyed a meal at meat mecca Bareburger.

"Burgers are just a really popular food item," Witte said.

"There are so many places to try, but how do you decide which one?"

Witte and Gruen have taken that challenge into their own hands, turning the society into a full-time job. The pair have tried every burger that's delivered and guarantee the quality — though they won't reveal their source.

"I wouldn't want to reveal who we're working with quite yet," said Witte.

"It's a growing list and part of the fun is that you don't know what restaurant we're delivering from."

The site launched in early October and has a growing subscription base, Witte said. Right now, the service only delivers in Manhattan below Central Park, but their next target is the burger-saturated Upper East Side.

Witte, who said he could not disclose his own personal favorite patty, said the burger worked because it's so common, but so delicious. He added that he wants to help foster a true appreciation of burgers, including by serving them the way he says they were meant to be eaten — medium rare.

"Ask most people who really, really love burgers and they'll tell you that medium rare is the only true way to get your burger," he said.

The burgers won't just be beef, either.

"We're open to any kind of burger, any kind of meat. The more variety, the better," he said.

"We're never convinced that we've found the best burger, so we're always looking."