Bareburger Looks To Open Forest Hills Restaurant This Spring

Bison, elk, wild boar and ostrich are coming to Forest Hills…and boy are they going to be delicious.

Bareburger, a chain restaurant that already operates in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Astoria, plans to open an eatery at 71-49 Austin St. on an unspecified date this spring, according to Euripides Pelekanos, a co-owner.

Set for the site of the former Lee Martin Salon, the new Bareburger will be a lot like the others, sources say, with seating for about 50 customers and the same menu as the other places. A beer-and-wine license is in the mix, too.

Speaking about the menu, the chain's signature (and eponymous) bareburger comes in the following forms: lamb, wild boar, elk, bison, ostrich, beef, turkey, veggie, portabella mushroom, panko chicken, grilled chicken and Cajun chicken.

Beyond the meat, the burgers come in many sizes and shapes. The California, which is listed as $11.95 on the company website, includes sharp cheddar, hass avocado, romaine lettuce, tomato, raw red onion and cilantro lime dressing. Other selections include the Maui Wowie ($11.95), which mixes smoked mozzarella, pineapple, Canadian bacon, fried onions, roasted red peppers and ranch dressing, and the Pesto Red Pepper Burger ($9.95), smoked mozzarella, roasted red peppers, baby spinach and house pesto mayo. For those looking for some spice in their lives, the Jalapeño Express ($10.25) combines pepperjack cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, raw red onion, jalapeño relish, horseradish mayo and chipotle ketchup.

Bareburger’s other franchises have developed loyal followings over the past few years, based partly on the quality of the food and partly on the company’s socially conscious business practices. The company’s website informs that all Bareburger meats are free-range, pasture-raised, antibiotic and hormone-free, while the fresh cut French fries are cooked in 100 percent peanut oil. Plus, Bareburger partners with independent artisans and sustainable farmers.

Franklin Mora, who prefers the ostrich meat, expressed particular excitement at the prospect of a Bareburger within walking distance of his Kew Gardens apartment.

“I can’t wait to have a place where I can get a really good burger,” he said. “It’s the mix of a delicious, juicy burger without the guilt of the artificial flavoring you find in a fast food chain.”