Your Guide to the 10 Awesomest Vegan Burgers in NYC

Published in

Waddle

8 min readJul 27, 2016

Ah… New York. Every holiday I spend there is always such a tease. I usually stay just enough time to get a glimpse of all of the magic the Big Apple has to offer, but never enough to content myself with all of the amazing food. Because yes, New York and Brooklyn are two amazing cities with so much to explore, but my favorite part about New York is without a doubt the rockin’ vegan food scene. I was there a few weeks ago and was on a cheeky mission to eat my way through the NYC vegan burger trail, and, although I reckon I did a semi-decent job (and I have the belly flab to prove it), I still couldn’t sample everything. Here’s what I managed to stuff my face with anyway.

1. SKYSCRAPER // BLOSSOM DU JOUR

A small healthy fast food chain in the city, with some healthier options than others, Blossom du Jour serves sandwiches, wraps, bowls and salads and a good selection of cold pressed juices, smoothies and shakes. But let’s face it, I was really here for the less healthy option and was served right with the Skyscraper Sandwich, a burger with bacon, cheese, onion rings, lettuce, tomato, pickles and sauce. It was sloppy and messy and cheesy and oh so delicious. Pair it with a Blossom Butterfinger shake for a complete indulgence. It’s made with the vegan Butterfinger bars from their sister Blossom Bakery (which I urge you to visit if you happen to be in Chelsea). Bam.
Locations & Opening Hours // Facebook

2. VSLIDER SAMPLE // VBURGER

What’s not to love about an all vegan fast food joint that has KOMBUCHA ON TAP?! I mean, I was already sold before even trying to fit my mouth around the beast VBurger double. And when I did, I wanted some more, and so I ordered the VSlider Sample, because, you know, gimme all of the burgers. This cute little box of wonders contained the Unchik’n with avocado and VRanch sauce, the Vburger Classic and the Einstein burger with its cauliflower patty, organic lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and VSauce. The place has a lovely ambiance, I enjoyed sitting by the front window for people watching.
OPEN: Mon- Sat: 12pm-10pm
Sun: 12pm-9pm
Directions // Facebook

3. BURGER OF JOY // ANGELICA KITCHEN

Sustainable agriculture and responsible business practices are the main ingredients at this charming and cozy East Village joint where the staff welcomes you like family. 95% of the ingredients used have been grown organically and the menu changes daily according to the season, weather, availability of ingredients and so forth. The Burger of Joy — which was part of the daily special when I visited, is a healthy and yummy pinto bean and corn grit patty seasoned with jalapeno, drizzled with Dijon mustard cream, served with lettuce and sliced tomatoes and a side of garlic roasted Yukon gold potatoes, chipotle-cashew aioli dip, roasted carrots and dill pickle. Whatever you do, order a little extra of that aioli dip — you’re welcome. If the burger isn’t on the menu that day, definitely go for the hot open face tempeh sandwich. Oh, and save room for dessert.
OPEN: 11:30am-10:30pm
Directions // Facebook

4. BEASTMODE BURGER DELUXE // CINNAMON SNAIL

The Pennsy food court is worth a detour alone as it is a super cool spot for a bite or drink. So when I read that the vegan donut food truck Cinnamon Snail now had a brick and mortar location there — and that they had expanded their menu to now include a bunch of savoury items, notably a burger called Beastmode — I couldn’t keep myself from running there first thing as I got out of the Greyhound from Montreal. And with a name like that, this burger has got to be something to remember! An ancho chili seitan burger grilled in maple bourbon bbq sauce with jalapeno mac n’ cheese (yes, MAC N’ FLIPPIN’ CHEESE in a burger), arugula, smoked chili coconut bacon, and chipotle mayo on a grilled pretzel bun, it was in fact one of the most scrumptious, over the top vegan burgers I have ever had. Obviously I also had to leave room for a few donuts, and the Vanilla Bourbon Crème Brûlée and Maple Almond Bacon donuts sent me straight to a sweet sweet vegan donut nirvana. Oh yeah.
OPEN: Mon-Sat: 11am-11pm
Sun: 11am-8pm
Directions // Facebook

5. GUAC BURGER // BY CHLOE

It’s so inspiring to see all vegan places having as much success as By Chloe. There seems to always be a line going out of the door here, so be prepared to wait for your food a little while and eat your burger standing outside, which is what I did. Didn’t matter though, because the Guac Burger was exactly what my vegan burger dreams have been made of: a delicious black bean-quinoa-sweet potato patty with corn salsa, onion, guacamole, tortilla strips and chipotle aioli served on a whole grain bun. Honestly, it was amazing, possibly one of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever had. Many more things looked exciting on the menu — the kale caesar salad, pesto meatballs and whiskey bbq sandwiches as well as the mac n’ cheese — but alas I was too full of burgers to try something else. Until I get to try them, I’ll just dream of the Guac Burger…
OPEN: Sun: 10am-10pm
Mon-Tues: 11am-10pm
Wed-Fri: 11am-11pm
Sat: 10am-11pm
Directions // Facebook

6. BACON CHEESE BURGER // CHAMPS DINER

Here’s a place that was high on my list of places to revisit since I loved it so much the first time around. Champs is an all vegan old school diner with some attitude and I absolutely love it. From the irreverent wall art, to the mega cool waiting staff, to the amazing menu, this is the kind of place you will only find in Brooklyn. Menu items include the loaded breakfast burrito, drunken cowgirl, chik’n and waffles, pancakes, tempeh wings, mac n’ cheese, philly cheese steak, egg creams, ice cream floats — I mean, I could go on forever at naming all the exciting stuff on the menu. I obviously went for the bacon cheeseburger and, although not my favorite on this list, it definitely hit all the right spots with the smokey bacon and crunchy pickles. Classic!
OPEN: 8am-12am
Directions // Facebook

AND NOW FOR THE BURGERS I AM SO SAD I MISSED!!

7. CHANA MASALA SANDWICH // BOMBAY SANDWICH CO.

I visited Bombay Sandwich Co. back in 2014 and was charmed by the original, healthy and exotic vegan-friendly food made with select Ayurvedic herbs and spices, the lovely interior and the friendly service, so I really wanted to revisit them this time around with the intention to try a sandwich (I had the organic quinoa salad the first time, which was great). Not quite a burger but definitely worth a mention on this list, the Chana Masala Sandwich, a rustic ciabatta filled with curry chickpea stew, greens, tart pickled onion and a sweet date chutney, is being raved about for its incredible flavors. There are loads more vegan-friendly and healthy options on the menu. Dammit.
OPEN: Mon-Sat: 11am-9pm
Directions // Facebook

8. HOUSE MADE SHACK VEGGIE BURGER // PICKLE SHACK

I visited the Pickle Shack in 2014 also and meant to revisit this time around, but I unfortunately ran out of time. I walked in blindly because I saw that all their condiments and pickles were made in house and I am still dreaming of it two years later. They also have an incredible selection of craft beer. I was recommended to order the veggie burger with cashew cheese. Passing this precious info onto you while a cry a little…
OPEN: Mon-Thurs: 11:30am-10pm
Fri: 11:30am-11pm
Sat: 10:30am-11pm
Sun: 10:30am-10pm
Directions // Facebook

9. YUBA // SUPERIORITY BURGER

An instagram follower recommended I try the Yuba at Superiority Burger and, again, I missed that epic-sounding sandwich — a philly cheese steak made with seasoned yuba, caramelized onions, and cashew Cheez Whiz. Everything here is vegetarian and a lot of it is accidentally vegan. Next time!
OPEN: Wed-Mon: 11:30am-10pm
Directions // Facebook

10. GREEN MACHINE BURGER // THE ORGANIC GRILL

Roasted mushroom burger patty on an Ezekiel bun, pesto spread, vegan cheese, roasted portabello mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted green pepper, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and sprouts. I mean, look at that thing!
OPEN: Mon-Thurs: 12pm-10pm
Fri: 12pm-11pm
Sat: 10am-11pm
Sun: 10am-10pm
Directions // Facebook