Crane House serves up a flawless no-fuss patty melt.
The standard “Hamburg Cheese Sandwich” at Crane House is great, but the variants (mushroom, jalapeño, or egg) are all terrific. The bread is evenly toasted, while the cheese, patty, onions, and mayo all properly meld together on the griddle. Thick, crispy chips instead of fries and a pickle is the right call for a cheeseburger sandwich.
I deeply appreciate the use of Colby-Jack cheese. That’s not something I really see in Japan.
The only real downside at Crane House is that it takes a little while. The kitchen is run by just one person, usually Teppei, and he’s often the one taking down orders too. Maybe I wish the pickle on the plate was larger? It’s great with the sandwich, but it’s only one bite.
I’m really lucky to have this place in my neighborhood. It’s the kind of cheeseburger I could honestly have every day, and that’s not something I often feel about even great cheeseburgers. But it’s so damn perfect, having grown up eating a lot of patty melts.
If you want a milkshake—and I get one every once in a while—one thing you gotta be careful of is ordering them. The full-size one is its own meal, but there’s a mini size tucked away on the menu which is plenty. There’s a bunch of fun flavors, including cranberry, coffee, matcha, chai, rum, and sake.