The burger joint that made a name for itself on the Lower East Side has taken up residence in the storefront of 261 Hudson just north of the border at Canal. This is the third sit-down iteration for Whitmans, which opened in 2010 with a signature burger that hailed from the Midwest: The Juicy Lucy. (They’ve also got some counter service outposts at the Row Hotel, on East 62nd Street and at the Westchester Mall.)

This is the kind of place where they do one thing and they do it well. Don’t come around looking for chicken tenders or pasta for the kids (though they serve a grilled cheese). What they do have is 12 different specialty burgers, from the aforementioned Lucy made up of two short-rib patties stuffed with pimento cheese, to the PB&B – that same patty but with peanut butter and bacon. All the burgers are served on a lightly toasted Martin’s potato bun – natch – and a la carte; fries are extra. But there are also blue cheese fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots and a few other fried potato options. The beer is local (think Genny in a can and Bronx Brewery) and the beer sausage is local too. Grandaisy supplies its Pullman sourdough for the BLTs and the grilled cheese.

The space is roomy and cute-industrial, with a nice application of fairy lights, concrete floors, custom wallpaper and an excellent three-sided corner booth with a view of the street to watch the world go by. Come spring they will have 10 tables outside. Owner Larry Kramer (with partner Craig Koenig) said they picked Soho as their latest location because they want to “find neighborhoods where we can be the neighborhood spot.” The first Whitmans was inspired by neighborhood favorites that also made burgers the main event – the Corner Bistro and JG Melon’s. The third aims to do the same.

Whitmans Soho
261 Hudson St.
646-669-9339