Post # 9 The Menemsha Galley

The Menemsha Galley

515 North Road

Menemsha, MA 02552

menemshagalley@aol.com

In the introduction to Happy Burger we gave a shout out to The Menemsha Galley as a place that serves consistently awesome burgers summer after summer. I’m happy to report the tradition continues.

Tucked away at the tip of picturesque Menemsha Harbor on Martha's Vineyard, The Galley is primarily known for its killer lobster rolls, clam chowder and fresh swordfish sandwiches. That's logical considering a sea-to-table distance of about 100 yards, and a co-owner (Barbie Fenner) who is a CIA trained chef. I'm unable to comment on Barbie’s seafood though, as throughout my fifteen year love affair with The Galley I’ve ordered nothing but burgers. 

The Galley's sign , with burgers listed a distant third

In a recent post (see post # 5) I suggested that one's mood at the time of eating can influence a review, and no doubt that's the case here. In an effort at full disclosure, I admit to having been in a great mood every time I ate at The Galley. And why not? I’m on vacation, I’m with family or good friends, and I’m sitting in a postcard setting eating a burger.

The view from The Galley's back porch eating area

I visited The Galley three times this past summer (once with sidekick Scott, once with my wife Alicia, and once with Alicia, our twins, my parents, my brother, my two sisters, a brother-in-law, a baker's half-dozen of nieces and nephews, and a dog.) All three times I was in a great mood, but good mood or not, there's no denying the place serves a scrumptious burger. Made from 80/20 Certified Angus, the patty is smaller than others we’ve tried, but no less delicious. On each of the three occasions I topped it with cheese, lettuce, tomato and Barbie’s homemade Jack Daniels sauce. The cheese was always melted thoroughly over the patty, the lettuce and tomato crisp and cool, the griddled, sesame seed bun crunchy-fresh, and Barbie’s smokey-sweet, oniony JD sauce complex enough to add mouth appeal without overwhelming the other flavors.

A Galley cheeseburger with Jack Daniels sauce

Scott was equally impressed with his burger on our visit, and no doubt Alicia would have been too if she'd ordered one. Since our cleanse (see post #3) she's gone gluten-free, and settled for a roll-less lobster roll. It sounds lame, but she loved it.

Another thing to love about The Galley is the pricing, which is very reasonable considering we're talking about Martha's Vineyard here, and are surrounded by a quintessentially Vineyard-esque view when eating.

Next time you’re driving up-island, after you've stopped in on Geoffrey at Chilmark pottery, bought a jar of homemade honey at Our Honey, downed a drinkable yogurt at Mermaid Farm and procured tomatoes and corn at Beetlebung for dinner, cut over to North Road and take it to the very end. On the right you'll find The Menemsha Galley. Stroll to the take-out window, place an order for a cheeseburger with Barbie's JD sauce, find a seat out back overlooking the harbor, and hope it takes a long, long time 'til your burger arrives. It doesn't get much better.

                                          Three generations of Leubas enjoying their annual pilgrimage to The Galley

Score: 8.75 napkins out of 10.