#70 in NYC
The Spaniard
West Village, Manhattan
Location: 190 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014. Directions
Kitchen closes: 2 a.m. daily; the late-night food menu runs 11 p.m.–2 a.m.
The Smash Burger appears on the late-night menu. The brunch burger and happy-hour single are different configurations from the reviewed double.
Official visit information · Checked 2026-09-14. Confirm availability before visiting.
NYC address record · Address checked 2026-09-14.
Brotherly Breakdown
Written by Brotherly Burgers
The Spaniard's Double-Double is a classic West Village bar smashburger that has been two different burgers for us. At lunch it was one of the neighborhood's hidden gems: juicy beef under a fantastic crust, balanced toppings, and a well-toasted sesame bun.
On a Saturday night in October 2026 it was totally mediocre, and the edges were not very crispy. The score now reflects both visits, and consistency is the problem.
Best for
Classic double smashburgers, toasted sesame buns, lunchtime visits, onion rings, and West Village bar food.
The catch
Consistency. Our second burger, on a Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. in October 2026, was much different from the first: totally mediocre, with edges that were not very crispy. The burger that earned its original reputation was a lunch burger, and we cannot promise that is the one you will get.
Visit
- October 2026 — Smash Burger (Double-Double)
What it's actually like
Our first visit to The Spaniard was at 12:30 p.m. instead of 12:30 a.m., in January 2026, and that turned out to be a good decision.
The Spaniard is known as a West Village bar, not a burger destination. The menu calls the burger a Double-Double, with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, homemade burger sauce, and a sesame bun.
That first time, every part did its job. The meat stayed juicy, the crust delivered, the bun held, and the toppings remained in balance. The sauce complemented the beef without turning the burger into a sauce delivery system. Smashburgers can become extremely uniform, and The Spaniard stood out because the execution was complete. It was surprisingly good for a bar we had previously associated more with going out than eating lunch.
Then we went back, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., and it was much different. The burger was totally mediocre. The edges were not very crispy, which is the one thing a smashburger cannot afford to lose, and nothing else in the build made up for it. Whatever made the lunch version stand out did not show up on a Saturday night.
Two visits, two different burgers. The score now sits between them, and the lesson is consistency: the burger we liked at lunch is still on the menu, but we cannot promise it is the one that arrives.
Get the onion rings either way. The Smash Burger runs across lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, and late night; our better experience was at lunch.
Strengths
- Juicy beef and a strong crust at its best
- Well-toasted sesame bun
- Balanced classic toppings
- Onion rings worth ordering
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent between visits
- The Saturday-night burger was mediocre, with edges that were not very crispy
Why this score
At its best, The Spaniard executes a familiar smashburger formula with few weak points: juicy beef under a strong crust, with the bun, toppings, and sauce in proportion. That was the lunch burger.
The Saturday-night burger was totally mediocre, with edges that were not very crispy, and the score now averages the two visits. The gap between them is why it sits where it does.
Last written October 2026.
- Neighborhood
- West Village, Manhattan
- Cuisine
- Cocktail Bar
- Price
- $$
- Style
- Smash
Smash Burger
Double-double, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, homemade burger sauce, sesame bun.
Recorded price: $18
Current menu price unverified.
West Village whiskey bar since 2017. 100+ whiskies. Inspired by Keens, PJ Clarke's, Old Town Bar.
