The gimmickry runs about as thick as the milkshakes at Herbie's Burgers, an Albany chain that opened its first New York City branch a few weeks ago on the south end of Roebling Street. Which is to say: pretty thick indeed, but not so thick that it's too annoying to enjoy.
We're in full throwback mode here, with a playable "Burger Time" arcade game in the corner, a playlist of impressively deep cuts from the 1980s, and a bunch of random VHS tapes lined up by the register. One dude, who brought his dog inside the restaurant (?), popped the Denzel Washington vehicle "A Soldier's Story" into the VCR, then left a few minutes later when he got his bag of food. Thanks, buddy!
The dominant color at Herbie's is pink, which I love, and the dominant image is the chain's namesake: a half-boy, half-hamburger who, per the fake bio on the website, is "a nerd for the people" who adorns all manner of merch. Clearly, founders Nick Warchol, Aaron Wilson, and Noah Bondy put a lot of energy into Herbie's Burgers branding, which is fine and even fun, but only works if as much—or, preferably, even more—thought and care goes into the food. Fortunately, Herbie's right now is slinging nothing but bangers.
