In the heart of the Lower East Side, tucked into a neighborhood known for its late-night energy and vibrant nightlife, sits Blue Road Burger—a restaurant born from a decade-long dream and a serious love for burgers.

Max Lifflander and Max Baturin have been talking about opening a burger shop for over a decade. What started as college conversations evolved through countless iterations before finally taking shape last year. Lifflander, with years of industry restaurant experience, handles the front of house operations, while Baturin works behind the scenes on bigger picture operations—strategy, marketing, and finance.

"We're both big burger guys," Lifflander explains. "I've been eating burgers for almost 30 years now. They're my favorite food. And as I ate more and more burgers, I realized that not all burgers are the same. There's good burgers, bad burgers, small burgers, big burgers. So we figured we're going to throw our hat in the ring and see if we can contribute to the conversation."

Blue Road isn't your typical burger joint. The open concept kitchen lets you see everything happening right in front of you—the freshness, the care, the craft. Baturin describes it as "almost like a sushi omakase type experience, but for burgers." It's an experience-driven approach that sets them apart in a city where burger spots are everywhere you turn.

The first year at Blue Road was all about becoming part of the neighborhood's late-night culture. That meant staying open until 5:00 or 6:00 AM on weekends, with Lifflander often running the restaurant solo during quieter periods—taking orders, cooking, serving, and cleaning up.

"My schedule was kind of like rotating time zones as the week went on," Lifflander recalls. "'Cause we'd stay open later and later, and I would usually end up sleeping through the mornings and early afternoons."

Just five days before our interview, they made a significant change: opening for lunch. It's a shift that reflects the restaurant's growing confidence and customer base, while also offering Max a better schedule. 

The toughest part? "Keeping the confidence, keeping the faith in what we're doing," Lifflander admits. "There's times when people don't show up for hours and you kind of can't help but wonder if you're doing something wrong. At the end of the day, there's a constant reminder that you have to believe that what you have is pretty good. And it takes time and patience."

But those tough moments are balanced by what Max Lifflander calls "burger epiphanies"—when a customer takes a couple bites and you can see the gears turning in their head as they realize they've found something special.

"You can see them putting us on the top of their list of places for a good cheeseburger, which is awesome," he says. "That's kind of what keeps us going over here."

What makes your burgers stand out in New York's crowded burger scene?

"We care about what we serve people," Max B explains. "It's not just like we're trying to sell you something. The margins aren't high in this business. We're offering you a quality product and we care. And I think people see that. When you read the Google reviews, people are always like, 'Oh, you could tell that they put love into the product.'"

While the Blue Road Burger—a classic that Max B would order as a double—is the foundation, the menu offers more variety. Lifflander’s personal favorite is the Hot Mama: a cheddar cheeseburger with jalapeños and their house-made, paprika-forward ranch.

Then there's the lobster roll, which has an unexpected origin story. Before finding their Lower East Side location, the Maxes were looking at spots in New Jersey. One potential location had sold lobster rolls, so Max went on a lobstering tour to Maine to learn the craft. When that deal fell through and they landed at their current spot, Max couldn't disappoint all the friends he'd told about getting into the lobster business—so the lobster roll made the menu anyway.

"It makes it a little different," Max B notes. "We're not just a burger shop. There's chicken sandwiches, there's lobster rolls. It makes it a little bit more full of what we can offer somebody that's hungry."

After years in hospitality, Max has straightforward advice for anyone looking for good food in the city: "Ask advice from people who are passionate, who might be working in the restaurant. Talk to your server, talk to your bartender. Try to talk to the cooks if you can see them. That's probably the way to go."

Any hot takes on the NYC food scene?

"Starting a restaurant in the city doesn't mean that it's any better or worse than anything else. If people love your food, they'll come to you. People will go hours away from where they live just to try a certain menu item."

A year in, Blue Road Burger is still finding its rhythm, still building its following, still cooking burgers into the early morning hours for the late-night crowd. It's not an easy path—opening a restaurant never is—but the two Maxes are doing it their way, one burger epiphany at a time.

See Blue Road Burger come to life here and don’t forget to drop by, especially after a late-night in the Lower East Side at 134 Ludlow St!

With compliments to the chef,

Jonathan & Jenn

Co-founders, Shortlist New York