The Early Word on Burger Bar

As Burger Bar nears the two-week mark, it's time to check in with how Monsieur Hubert Keller is doing on the sixth floor of Macy's. To be sure, reactions have very mixed, as seen below, but it should also be noted that the crowds (and critics, both amateur and otherwise) have been flocking to the burger emporium. Will it last? Only time will tell, but the Cheesecake Factory is still packed. Anyway, to the early buzz we go. Per normal, your opinions are encouraged in the comments:

The OK News: "... the target demographic here is likely not locals. The food is perfectly satisfactory and very American in it's freedom of choice ... unlike your average mall restaurant, the ingredients here are quality and they make most things in-house." [7x7]

The Good News, Famous Last Words Edition: "But when mastermind celebrity chef Hubert Keller walks by and winks at you as you're gawking at the menu, somehow it makes perfect sense. I mean, shit - with that tidy silver ponytail, adorable French accent, and dapper black chef's coat, he could wink me into eating just about anything..." [Appeal]

The Bad News: "Is this the Cheesecake Factory with black truffles?? ... The sliders were cute and quite edible; we'd return for full-size versions. But the milkshake (coffee ice cream, caramel syrup, and whipped cream topped with graham crackers and butterscotch morsels) was a too-sweet horror." [SF Weekly]

The Worse News, Sitcom Apocalypse Edition: "it was beyond disaster. the food was mediocre and overpriced, which may to be expected in union square, but the service was so bad it could have been an episode of seinfeld." [Chowhound]

The Yelp News: "The two stars are for (some of) the men that work there. Nice eye candy. It almost makes me want to apply for a job there just so I can be around hot guys." [Yelp]

The "Et Tu, Hubert" News: "it's hard not to think that maybe [Keller] should have kept Burger Bar in Las Vegas where it wouldn't be as directly attached to his very well respected reputation in San Francisco." [7x7]

The "You Do Hate to See That" News: "We didn't even get to enjoy the view because they sat us in front of a huge column. There are a lot of tables like that." [Yelp]

The Fairly Sensible News: "Just went to BB for lunch today. It was not as bad as a lot of reports here have claimed. Maybe they're already responding to poor reviews. Maybe the staff was on their toes because Keller was in the house. In any case, it was what I expected: a tasty albeit over-priced burger, something I don't regret trying but won't be breaking down the doors to return for." [Chowhound]
· All Burger Bar Coverage [~ESF~]