Welcome to the Burger Boom

Update: Only days after publishing this article, news broke of another burger joint coming to Cobble Hill. This one's a chain, though a loved one: Five Guys.

Three, count them three, new burger spots are slated to open in the neighborhood in the next few months. On Atlantic Ave. and Smith St., Two8Two Bar & Burger promises burgers, fries and beer. On Court and Baltic streets, Mooburgers has been boasting organic burgers for months. Further down Court is Vinzee's Magic Fountain, a kid friendly spot that will sell burgers, among other casual treats.

Two8Two, Moo and Vinzee's will join neighborhood patty stalwarts like , , , and the newly opened , among others. All this begs the question: how many is too many?

"There can never be too many burgers!" laughs Jean-Jacques Bernat, owner of JB's Burger. "When a burger is made properly, it is very delicious."

Many neighborhood residents agree.

"I've actually always complained that there weren't enough burger spots in the neighborhood," says Carroll Gardens resident Eric Cunningham.

Cobble Hill's Brandon Scott Jones agrees.

"I don't think there are too many burger joints in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens so much as I don't know if there is anywhere exceptional."

Other locals, however, want a little diversity.

"My two cents is that we've already got an embarrassment of burger options and I'd rather see more of other options," says Carroll Gardens resident Jesse Friedman, adding that he'd love to see "a decent burrito that might pass my Californian snobbery or a good Chinese place."

Friedman's wife, Laura Hadden, seconds his view.

"I do not eat burgers regularly, so three new spots seems a bit excessive."

Indeed, burgers in BoCoCa don't necessarily have the best track record -- Ultimate Burgers and Dogs closed last fall and Union Smith Cafe, which closed late last year and is now home to Diego, was known for its burgers as well.

Burger saturation is, of course, nothing new. When the economy collapsed in 2008, comfort food classics quickly replaced fine dining as the trend du jour. While burgers flooded certain neighborhoods almost immediately (you can't throw a fry without hitting a burger joint in the West Village), they're just now peaking in these parts. Bernat has a theory as to why.

"In this neighborhood, rents are very expensive and they're forcing many businesses out: the lingerie store on Smith just closed, is moving. With those sorts of rents, store owners want safe bets, like burgers."

Each of the neighborhood's go-to-burger spots has its own niche. Cobble Grill offers a plethora of toppings from marinara sauce to blue cheese, while JB's Burger grinds their own meats and makes fresh vegetable burgers on the premises. Abilene sticks to no-frills burgers, and Prime Meats goes gourmet. It remains to be seen whether the new burger spots will find a niche of their own.

Bernat isn't worried about his new competitors.

"Now people can just choose the restaurant they like best."

Here's hoping the burger boom brings enough business for everyone.