Burger Diva: Veg Edition
burgers and they're completely meatless but also still burgers.
Is a burger a sandwich? Is a quinoa lentil patty between bread a burger? Do you believe in life after love?
All highly subjective and personal questions that everyone will answer differently, but I thought I would be remiss to not include an abundance of meatless options for my beloved vegetarian and vegan Burger Diva subscribers!
When I set out to veg out, I had to ask myself: how many Beyond or Impossible patties would be included? Should I try to fully exclude them? How many places are even making their own patties at this point?
Where I landed was somewhere in the middle: if a veggie spot was recommended to me AND it was exclusively veg AND used a Beyond/Impossible patty I would include it, but otherwise I’d try to find more unique spots. So here are six meat-free burger options for you to try in NYC, ordered from least to most Burger-y:
Desi Stop & Deli
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY
Desi Stop & Deli is presently tucked away under some scaffolding on 2nd Avenue, making it almost too easy to miss this gem. Luckily I was eagle eyed, excited to get a light bite before heading to an event to drink some filthy Quincy martinis.
Desi Deli is a fully vegetarian snack shop, serving up sweet and savory bites like aloo paneer and kheer. The offering I was interested in was the samosa burger - a $6 delight.
The samosa is smashed and fried atop a sesame bun, dressed with cucumbers, tomato, onion and a spicy mayo. Substantial, crunchy, spicy and a slight snap from the cukes and onions - an easy and cheap bite to hit late at night or when you’re on the go.
Akara House
642 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY
I’ve walked by Akara House many times on my journey from the LIRR or a hang in Crown Heights back to my place, making a mental note to give it a try. That mental note got bolded, italicized and underlined when the Times highlighted their signature Made in Lagos burger ($14.50) in their article about unique burgers across the country.
The burger is assembled with an Akara patty made of blended and fried honey beans and topped with suya seasoned plantains, avocado, red onions, mayo, cheese (you know the drill), tomato, pickles, and lettuce.
If the Desi Stop burger is a light, quick veggie bite, Akara House is a true mouthful. The dense fried fritter alongside the sweet plantains and creamy avocado fill you up in a way that’s rare for a veggie burger outside of could-be-meat mimicry.
Home Frite
1047 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Home Frite already got a shout out in my cheap eats compilation but when doing a little Burger Diva photoshoot, I picked up their classic burger alongside their veggie option in case my photog and pal Brooke, usually red meat-free, wanted a bite.
It was my first time trying this offering and I kicked myself a little for that! This burger has a quinoa and red bean patty made in house, topped with caramelized onions, spring mix, shredded carrot, BBQ sauce, and pickles on a toasted brioche bun.
The patty held together and had heft while the sweet and tangy sauce and onions played well with the fresh veggies on top. At just $8, this is sure to be something that gets worked in my own personal takeout rotation, especially on days where I’m skipping the meat.
Superiority Burger
119 Avenue A, New York, NY
Superiority Burger is a vegetarian mainstay and I was excited to visit the new (to me) location! My friend Andromeda and I both got the Megamouth burger. The center piece is a signature housemade patty advertised as “a little squishy by design” with a mix of quinoa, chickpeas, walnuts and a host of spices, seasonings and other binding ingredients. It’s served on a toasted bun with pickles, iceberg lettuce, and burger sauce, as well as muenster and mustard, both of which I forwent. For $20, you get a burger and a “fistful” of french fries.
It was squishy as advertised but delicious all the same. It was refreshing to have a veggie burger that wasn’t exactly trying to be a meat replacement and had some TLC and thought in the blend - making the price tag a little easier to swallow. If you’re able to snag a table, the burger, rounded out with some sides and whatever dessert is on special (we got the coconut cake with passionfruit drizzle), is a great way to start a night out in the East Village.
Grilled!
264 Suydam St, Brooklyn, NY
Many of my Bushwick friends were aghast when they found out I was publishing this list without hitting Grilled!, a walk-up vegetarian spot on the edge of Maria Hernandez Park. Because I’m a woman of the people, I worked in a stop here before heading to watch an NLCS game (let’s go Mets).
Grilled! (yes I’m going to do the exclamation point every time) has a ton to offer by way of vegan and vegetarian “fast food” - chicken caesar wraps, grilled cheese, and milkshakes all sans animal products! I got the classic burger - a Beyond patty, full leaf lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes and ketchup for FIVE DOLLARS!! Huge.
It was your run of the mill Beyond burger with a generous helping of pickles for which I’m grateful. The real star of the show at Grilled! At the Disco were the fries, topped with chamoy powder for a spicy sweet bite.
Moonburger*
126 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Rounding out the list is technically a burger I didn’t eat in the city BUT has a newly opened Brooklyn outpost. Moonburger is a small veg chain that started as a drive-thru in Kingston, NY and continued to expand down the Hudson Valley until it reached Da Big Apple. I personally went to the Poughkeepsie location, which is attached to a gas station.
The interiors are very Johnny Rockets meets retrofuturism - a fun choice for a meatless-first burger joint. I ordered the classic burger - an Impossible patty with fried onion strings, pickles, and burger sauce on a potato bun for $7.50. A note here that you can order a cheeseburger with dairy or non-dairy cheese here, along with a gluten free bun!
I’ve always preferred an Impossible patty to a Beyond when it comes to matching the feel of red meat, which is why this ranks as the Burger-est of the veg options. I got the slight lacing from the grill, the crunch from the onion strings and the acid and zest from the pickle and sauce - a perfect veggie option to eat while soaking up some early September sun.
*At the time of publication, Moonburger has started offering beef patties in addition to Impossible patties. Just wanted to call this out as it goes against my spiel at the start of this piece but I literally found out while double checking the toppings. I’m not a hypocrite ✌️😞✌️ I promise ✌️😞✌️
Have you tried any of these meat-free options? Any recommendations to expand my horizons? Let me know and I’ll see you next week!
the one i’ve been waiting for!!!
impressive research, love desi stop!