damnlines for iPhoneLive lines & push alerts — freeGetdamnlines.comAn 11-stool SoHo diner run by burger historian George Motz, serving a deliberately tiny three-item menu that draws a walk-in-only lunch-and-dinner crowd.
51 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
No camera at Hamburger America yet — these are the closest live lines we cover.
damnlines hasn't pointed a lens at Hamburger America yet. The most-wanted lines get a camera first.
Hamburger America is an 11-stool diner in SoHo run by burger historian George Motz — who has said he's eaten roughly 20,000 burgers researching the format — and it deliberately keeps the menu to just three options (the fried onion burger, the classic smash, and a rotating monthly special), which turns the tiny counter over fast.
Reviewers describe it as walk-in only with a wait during lunch and dinner rushes, but they also note the line moves quickly because the menu is so short and the small crew is efficient. There's no indication the restaurant takes reservations, so hitting it in the off-peak window between lunch and dinner appears to be the main way regulars skip queuing for one of the 11 stools.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: No reservations noted — Hamburger America is a 15-stool counter-service burger spot; per its official site, it's open 7 days a week with a casual "see you at the counter" ethos, and no reservation system is mentioned.
Walk-ins: It's a walk-in counter setup; per its official site's emphasis on counter seating (no reservations mentioned), diners should expect to queue for one of 15 stools, especially at peak lunch/dinner hours.
Per the official site: open 7 days a week (specific daily hours not listed on the fetched page).
Reviewers describe a wait during lunch and dinner hours, but say the line moves quickly since it's an 11-stool walk-in counter with a short, three-item menu — arriving off-peak is your best bet to avoid queuing. (No live damnlines camera here yet — this is reported guidance, not a live count.)
Nothing in reviews or the restaurant's own site suggests Hamburger America takes reservations — it appears to run as a walk-in, first-come-first-served counter with only 11 stools.
Reported hours are Monday–Thursday and Sunday 11am–10pm, and Friday–Saturday 11am–11pm. Always worth double-checking before you go since hours can change.
The menu is deliberately small: the fried onion burger, the classic smash burger, and a rotating monthly special burger.
51 MacDougal St, on the SoHo/Greenwich Village border in Manhattan.
Yes, per its official site's counter-service framing ("see you at the counter!"), it operates as a walk-in spot rather than by reservation.
Sources: Yelp — Hamburger America · Hamburger America — Hours & Location · Hamburger America official site