I tried the burger Andy Cohen claims is the best in NYC, and I think it should be on everyone's list

Cohen, who sits at the helm of all things Bravo TV, often shares his takes on the goings-on of New Yorkers, especially in his West Village neighborhood.

In January, he posted a photo on Instagram of him and his son eating lunch at Corner Bistro, a pub-style restaurant and bar on the corner of Jane St. and West 4th St.

"Taking Ben out for lunch is a JOY!" Cohen captioned his photo. "And if you're looking for the best burger in NYC, look no further than Corner Bistro."

Corner Bistro is situated in the northern part of Manhattan's West Village. Its neighbors consist of other notable restaurants, bars, and places to shop.

Personally, I've always been a fan of the burgers and the atmosphere at this pub. Though, I should say that food, in my experience, usually tastes better after a few drinks and when eaten with good company, no matter what I'm eating. So while I've eaten at Corner Bistro several times before, I decided to re-visit it, sober and alone, for the purposes of journalism.

Hungry pedestrians can spot Corner Bistro clearly walking up West 4th St. or across Jane St. because of the way its sign is situated on the corner of the building.

The clear marking is what brought me in the very first time I went!

The interior of Corner Bistro exudes a cozy pub energy. But sometimes when I think of a pub, my mind thinks of a dimly lit, generally dark space — that's not the case here. The windows are large and welcome in tons of sunlight.

The menu is laid out on felt letter boards mounted between the liquor shelves and the ceiling.

A friendly bartender came over to take my order — when I arrived just after noon there were around eight people inside, most of whom already had food or drinks in front of them — and I went with a classic cheeseburger cooked medium rare (for $12.75) and a side of fries (for $5.50).

Then I went to pick my seat outside.

Regardless of where you sit — indoors or outdoors — your food will come out on hefty, white, paper plates. This can either be a positive, a negative, or a neutral attribute depending on what you prefer. For me, it's pretty neutral — though, it's not ideal when considering sustainability and the fact that they're single-use. I think it adds to the backyard vibe of the burger (which I'll get to later), and it keeps everything very casual.

After applying ketchup and taking far too many photos of these piled-high mini plates, it was time to eat.

I mean, they're fries, and I'm human. How could I resist that fresh-out-of-the-fryer goodness?

Unfortunately, these spuds weren't hot, which I thought took away from the experience of eating fresh fries. However, I was impressed with how crunchy and crispy they were despite not being hot.

The shoestring-style potatoes are soft inside with a crispy and textured exterior. They're not as smooth as McDonald's fries, but not quite as flaky as the fries from Checkers; these lie somewhere in between.

Something I think is very notable about these fries is that they arrived unsalted. Personally, it didn't bother me too much because I added ketchup and it kept me from mindlessly finishing the entire plate myself. But I do generally enjoy a salted fry, and if you do too, then you'll want to order them with salt or do it yourself.

Ultimately, I wouldn't come to Corner Bistro just to get my french fry fix, but I also wouldn't order a burger without a side of them.

When I spun the plate around to get a 360-degree look at the thing, I saw it was perfectly picturesque. There was the shiny bun, a beautiful piece of iceberg lettuce, a bright-red tomato slice, two slices of cheese thoughtfully layered on top of the thick patty, and bright white rings of raw onion. There were also two, crinkle-cut, dill pickle chips on the side which were great — I wished I asked for extra.

Even before I took my first bite, I saw that the juices had started to ooze out of the meat and onto the bottom bun and paper plate. I knew this would be a messy eating experience, but I was ready for it.

Let's face it, this patty is massive. The one I was served (and the ones I'm used to from past Corner Bistro visits) was around two inches thick. I couldn't take a clean bite of the entire sandwich at once, so I alternated between bottom-half components and top-half components, flipping the burger in between bites.

I ordered my burger medium rare, which means I expected it to be pink in the center — it definitely was.

The lettuce and tomato were both very crisp and refreshing, which I thought offered a good balance to the savory, rich meat and cheese.

I also appreciated the rings of raw onion layered between the patty and the bottom bun. The crunch added texture and the spice-like flavors that come from it elevated the actual flavors of the lettuce and tomato.

This burger is messy. There's no way around it, in my opinion. Even cutting it in half or into quarters wouldn't fix that. But who ever said food should be clean and neat? If you're someone who is constantly pushing hair out of your face like I am, I'd recommend starting with getting it out of the way. I had to pause, clean my hands, and put my hair up mid-meal.

It didn't fall apart to the extent of me having to use a fork and knife, but the patty just slid around a bit between the buns and the toppings. By the end, I was left with just veggies between the remaining bun pieces as the meat slid to the front and I finished it before everything else.

In my experience, that slippery effect happens when the ratio of meat to bun is anything other than 1:1. But flavor-wise, I think this 2:1 ratio works in the burger's favor.

While some might not appreciate the messiness, I thought it added to the main feeling of this burger: backyard barbecue.

Corner Bistro is cash only, so try and come prepared — they have an ATM for anyone who doesn't carry cash.

But as I was paying and taking in the scenes of the pub, I came to the conclusion that while it may not be everyone's favorite, this burger definitely has a unique appeal that, in my experience, is hard to find in this city.

It's not fancy or a gourmet burger. It's not covered in rare cheese or topped with gold flakes or even swimming in caramelized onions and special sauce. What makes this burger a contender for the best in NYC, in my opinion, is that it transports you to someone's backyard or a football stadium parking lot. It's imperfect and simple, but there's something so very delicious about it that it's unlike any other burger I've ordered at a restaurant.

I'm not even close to having tried every burger in this vast city filled with options, so I won't definitively say this is No. 1. But, I will say that it's one I keep coming back to — whether it's when I need a bite to eat between bar hopping or on a day when I'm just craving a backyard burger — and would recommend it to anyone looking for that at-home, no-frills feeling.

Corner Bistro, you're just as good sober and without company as I always thought you were.

Andy Cohen did not respond to Insider's request for comment.