La Cense, New Grass Fed Burger Truck, Draws Lunch Herd Today

The line for La Cense, courtesy MidtownLunch's Flickr.

La Cense, an 88,000 acre Montana ranch that uses sustainable farming methods to raise 100 percent grass-fed cattle, launched its first burger truck in midtown today, at 48th Street and Park Avenue. And the crowds went wild! La Cense's consulting burger chef is none other than Adam Perry Lang, the pitmaster-owner of Daisy May's BBQ, not to mention a classically trained veteran of the Le Cique, Daniel, and Chanterelle kitchens. And so a long line of determined guinea pigs formed almost immediately this morning, and according to some reports it stretched over a half hour long.

Was it worth the wait? Initial knee jerk reactions skew positive, tempered by considerable disappointment with the truck's decision to not grill their Black Angus burgers to order. Josh Ozersky at the Feedbag deems that policy "a shame, because no burger should be served without 'showing pink,' to borrow a term from gay pornography... The bottom line, though, is that it’s the best burger that’s ever been in a truck. But no matter how great the beef is, once you’re over 155 degrees or so, it’s all pretty much Whopper meat."

Midtown Lunch, who declined special treatment from the food truck's publicist (yes, publicist) and waited on a line stretching around the corner, has already filed a lengthy review: "At this price ($7 for a burger, $7.50 for a cheeseburger) their argument of 'you’re paying for a quality steak burger' or 'it’s a restaurant quality burger at half the price' doesn’t hold as much water when you’re forced to get the burger served medium (bordering on medium well). There is no question it’s quality meat, has a good flavor (especially for coming off a truck), and if you don’t mind your burgers cooked medium—you will love this burger."

Well, that's enough about that. If any of this hype has you hankering for a hamburger, you can keep up with the truck's whereabouts via Twitter.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on June 25, 2009 3:50 PM

Comments [rss]

tddjames

The la cense burger truck is amazing, likely the best Hamburger I have ever tasted. The grass fed beef really makes a difference.

MrManhattan

I like the idea of using parking spaces for public services rather than personal storage.

The city should encourage more of this.

Think2wice

Good obersvation! I didn't even think of it like that till just now.

longacre

I am fundamentally opposed to waiting in line for anything, especially trendy food trucks. But Daisy May's is amazing, and I do like me some hamburgers. What a conundrum!

whitecastlerock

Why do people wait on line to eat out of a Con Edison truck? The cattle are grass fed, but the humans are served in unsanitary conditions...

Jen Chung

Con Ed truck, LOL.

JenChungsBaby

For that money you can get seven Whopper Jrs (hold the mayo).

longacre

Speaking of Williams Safire, it's "Whoppers Junior."

Felix Hoenikker

Damn you! Jonseing for burger now, big time.

marco334

Why do people from the northeast always use the (incorrect!) expression "waited on a line" or "wait on line"? A person waits IN LINE. It's a line and you are IN it. If there was a line painted on the ground and you were standing on it, then you would be waiting ON a line. Get it right people!

Snoopy

Why do people that don't live in the Northeast always appear to be anal grammarian assholes?

Get it right Marco. This is not an English class built on an asshole that can't read between the lines. Get it right Marco334. If you have to say something, say it. If you can't, live with it. Come to New York and we will dot your eyes and cross your "t's".