The Perfect Burger?

By Tara Ryazansky

Photos by Max Ryazansky

What makes for a perfect burger? A 100-percent beef patty cooked when you order, served with fresh French fries that are hand cut daily? Diesel & Duke off ers delicious classics, but it also keeps things interesting.

You could try a cereal infused milkshake with fl avor options like Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It off ers new seasonal fl avors each month along with vanilla and chocolate.

Or order The Smokeshow, a burger topped with hand battered onion rings, Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, aged cheddar cheese and bacon. It’s as good as it sounds.

“Everyone loves burgers,” owner David Cusumano says when I ask him what made him want to open a hamburger restaurant. “I grew up in the food industry so this is something I’ve always wanted to do.” David Cusumano

Family Foodies

His mom owned a few establishments, including a Diva Lounge in Montclair where Cusumano grew up. “After school and after practice I would go there. I always found myself in the kitchen probably because I like eating food,” he says with a laugh.

He shares his favorite menu items at Diesel & Duke. “I would have to say our poutine is my favorite thing,” Cusumano says. “It’s a Canadian fry dish that we’re really popular for. It’s something that when people see it on the menu, they either know about, it and they’re excited about it, or they ask about it, and they try it, and they love it.” For those not in the know, poutine is French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy. “It’s pretty much like disco fries, but way better.

“After that, the Breakfast Burger is my go-to. Breakfast sandwiches are probably more of a staple in my diet than they should be. It’s a New Jersey thing. It’s an homage to that for sure.” Cusumano doesn’t weigh in on the Taylor ham versus pork roll debate. “I love an egg on a burger.”

Digging In

I tried The Standard which comes with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, aioli and ketchup. It was an expertly constructed burger with just the right ratio of each topping balanced with a fresh patty and soft, potato bun. I think I found the perfect burger.

The poutine was delicious and authentic. Cusumano told me that the cheese curds are imported.

One standout item was the Fried Oreos with Nutella. It was super indulgent but worth it. “Everyone loves them,” Cusumano says. “They’re kind of a dangerous little treat. They’re really good.”

New Jersey Chain

The Jersey City location on Monmouth Street is one of fi ve across the state. “We want to continue to grow the company and become a staple in New Jersey,” Cusumano says.

The fi rst Diesel & Duke was a few blocks from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Cusumano took some inspiration from the famous grease trucks in the area that serve up late night comfort food, but he wanted to have a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

“I wanted it to be something timeless. I wanted it to be something that was a step above fast food,” he says. “I wanted it to be quality, but have a price point that everybody could fi nd value in. That is the biggest basis of what we do; let’s off er as good of a product that we can, as fresh of a product as we can, for as good of a price point as we can. We feel like that mentality established us as what we are. People know that they can come to us for a great, fresh burger.”

Other locations are in Montclair, Caldwell, and Princeton.

JC Connection

Cusumano has more of a connection to Jersey City than just his restaurant. “I grew up in Montclair,” he says. “But my dad lived in Hoboken, and my uncles were in Jersey City. I spent a lot of time here. When we started looking for our next location, we really wanted to make it our fl agship. I just knew we should go to Jersey City. Downtown is so popular, but in a great way in terms of the vibe of the area, and the people. It seemed like it would really relate well to our brand. It just made a lot of sense to do it here.”

Cusumano says that Jersey City has embraced Diesel & Duke. During my visit the place was busy with people picking up takeout or dining in.

“The crowd is super diverse,” Cusumano says. “Families love us. We get the old couple who wants a classic cheeseburger with grilled onions on it. We see families, young couples, college students, locals. We appeal to everybody. There’s no, that burgers too fancy. There’s enough diversity despite the menu’s simplicity to appeal to everyone.”—JCM

Diesel & Duke | 389 Monmouth 201 222-1322 | eatdiesel.com

David Cusamano