If your ideal burger relies less on gimmicks and more on the quality of the meat, the bun, and the toppings, then this is the place to be. BUCU (short for BUrgers and CUpcakes) is a phenomenal "top shelf" burger joint in the heart of Paramus, NJ. They are a standalone, non-chain location that cooks their burgers in a style that is almost a fusion of Shake Shack (high-quality ingredients), Smashburger (flat-top grilled and flattened for a nice crust), and Five Guys (fries good enough to stand on their own). With a fusion like that, how could you possibly go wrong?!
Proceed to the counter and place your order. You receive your beverages and a number for your table, where the servers will deliver your food to you. The food is brought on metal trays, burgers in cardboard containers, fries and chips in a cone.
The burgers arrive piping hot and extremely juicy. Word is that the meat, which is ground fresh daily, comes from the famous Pat LaFrieda and is of the highest quality. The patties are somewhere in the four to six ounce range, so they are not huge, but for those with huge appetites, an additional patty can be added to any burger. For those with smaller appetites, they also offer a "slider" burger, which appears to be in the two ounce range.
Many toppings are available. The free toppings are of the usual variety: vegetables, onions, sauces, etc. What makes these burgers great are the "premium toppings" such as applewood-smoked bacon, fried egg, or (a personal favorite of mine) pulled pork.
The best part of all: THEY WILL COOK YOUR BURGERS TO MEDIUM RARE!
Sound too good to be true? It gets better still: the incredible burgers are just the beginning of your BUCU journey. Adjacent to the order counter is another counter loaded up with many different varieties of gourmet cupcakes, baked fresh daily on the premises. Also available are varieties of freshly-baked cookies and a plethora of shakes to choose from, as well as banana pudding made fresh every day. Still full from your burgers, but would like a "taste" of something sweet? No problem! For one dollar, BUCU also offers mini, one-bite versions of many of their gourmet cupcakes!
Bottom line, BUCU is a fantastic burger joint/dessert shop that not only can hold its own with the burger "heavy-hitters" in the North Jersey/NYC area, but manages to take it to a whole other level.
