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The duo behind Williamsburg’s hot Detroit-style pizza restaurant Emmy Squared has quietly opened their downstairs Burger Bar — a casual space with a very limited menu from chef Matt Hyland. It’s currently only open on Friday and Saturday between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the primary item on the menu is "Le Big Matt," a double-stacked Fleisher’s beef burger topped with American cheese, pickles, and the restaurant's "Sammy" sauce. "We wanted [the Burger Bar] to be very specific, and very burger specific at that," says Emily Hyland, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband Matt.
Matt Hyland's Emmy burger, served at their Clinton Hill pizza restaurant Emily, is one of the city’s best burgers. It features a thick, seven-ounce patty and topped with a house made aioli, cheese, and onions. But Hyland looked to make something different for the main feature at the Burger Bar, Emily Hyland says. "He really likes the double patty, thin patty burger," she says. "Shake Shack is one of his favorite burgers. He wanted to incorporate that style."
It’s one of three options at the Burger Bar at Emmy Squared. If the kitchen has enough supplies, they’ll cook the burger for you Emmy burger-style, with the aioli and onions. They also offer a Detroit-style Emmy Burger pizza, a deconstructed version of the burger. But Le Big Matt is the main event here. It is available in the regular Emmy Squared dining room only at lunch, and only in the bar at dinner on Friday and Saturday.
They’ll probably be keeping the menu downstairs simple for a while, Emily Hyland says. The 25-seat space primarily acts as a bar— they’re not offering table service, and people must place their orders with a bartender and grab their own tables. Eventually, the Hylands will expand the hours to Thursday through Sunday, but it likely stay a limited affair. "It's really fun," she says. "If you catch me down there, you might end up doing some shots with me. It’s been a really nice place for me to chill and hang out with guests."
