Opto

Opto made us Spanish Mahón and dry-aged beef pilled. Even isolated bites of beef were exceptional, with a concentrated dry-aged funk that carried the entire burger.

Then the Mahón pushed it further. Most burger cheese adds richness while redirecting the flavor slightly. Mahón went in the same direction as the patty. It maintained its own identity while melted, but instead of distracting from the dry-aged beef, it compounded the funk and made the burger taste even beefier. We loved it.

The onion was responsible for cutting through all of that richness, and it worked. We just wanted more of it. The house-made bun was phenomenal too, holding the construction together and staying out of the way of the beef, though there were bites where the bread registered more than we wanted.

That was the entire criticism. The burger is extremely rich, intensely beefy, and completely committed to the flavor of dry-aged meat. The patty and Mahón are not trying to balance one another. They are trying to see how far they can push the same savory profile.

The Infatuation later called the patty dry and crumbly and said the burger was not worth getting. Our patty was one of the best cooked and highest-quality patties we had eaten in the city. Those were different visits, and possibly different versions of the recipe, so we are not pretending we ate the same plate. Whoever went does not know ball. We officially challenge The Infatuation to a trial by burger.

Getting one is admittedly annoying. We emailed ahead to reserve seven, and Chef Alex Tubero made an exception for us. Shoutout Chef Alex.

He has since updated the recipe. Derek returned and says the burger is even better, including a less bready bun. Nick has not tried the updated version yet, so we need another shared visit before rewriting the complete judgment around the new build.

The rest of the menu is outstanding. The grilled lamb chops are a perfect bite. The Dark Chocolate Mousse is another. Opto is not merely a limited-burger destination. It is a fantastic restaurant that also happens to hide a remarkable burger off menu.

Opto separates itself through the quality and intensity of its patty. The dry-aged beef and Mahón create an unusually concentrated savory profile, while the onion provides the main contrasting element.

The original bun was slightly bready and the burger could have used more onion, but the patty cook, beef quality, and overall flavor remain exceptional.