Friday, January 15, 2016

The Cinnamon Snail at The Pennsy

It’s here!!! The Cinnamon Snail is back, reincarnated not as a food truck but a brick-and-mortar location!

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It’s been almost a year since we said a tearful farewell to our favorite vegan food truck, so I cannot think of a better veggie burger to ring in the new year with! I stopped by the other afternoon to check out the Snail’s new home at the Pennsy food court in the old Borders Books location at Penn Station – and it was like visiting an old friend! There are 4 other vendors in the food court, but I ignored the others and went straight for the Cinnamon Snail:

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It was strange and exciting to see it in its new form, with similar signage and colors as the old truck, but new and sleek elements as well. The menu includes lots of old favorites (view it here!), but I already knew what I wanted: The Beastmode Burger Deluxe

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This is very similar to one of their daily specials which I reviewed last year (and loved!), except now it’s on a pretzel bun instead of focaccia bread. And I am happy to confirm that it tastes just as amazing!

It might not be the most photogenic burger, simply because all that delicious vegan jalapeno mac and cheese is oozing out of it, and you know your fingers are going to be covered in barbecue sauce by the time you’re done eating it, but it is WORTH IT!

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The pretzel bun is a great choice – it tastes just like a pretzel, but the outside is as soft as the inside (it’s not too chewy or tough to bite through). The seitan patty holds together perfectly (even when the toppings are oozing out of the burger) and has a nice hearty texture. It seems slightly spicier than I remember, so fair warning to anyone who is wary of a little heat in their food, but I really enjoyed it!

And the toppings… this burger is like the holy grail of perfect burger toppings! First: Maple bourbon barbecue sauce. I mean, you could stop right there and I’d already be drooling! But then on top of that, you get jalapeno vegan mac and cheese (brilliant!), plus lovely fresh arugula, smoked chili coconut bacon (cruchy like dried coconut, smokey like bacon), AND chipotle mayo!

Pro tip: Make sure you grab a stack of napkins before you sit down to enjoy this heavenly creation.

The Pennsy has a good amount of seating, so you can grab a seat at a nearby table to enjoy your Cinnamon Snail food right there, without having to carry it back to your home or your office or the steps of a nearby building (I love food trucks, but sometimes it is just so nice to have the convenience of a table and chairs when you’re eating lunch!). I came here at 2pm and it wasn’t too crowded, but I imagine lunchtime might get kind of crazy.

And The Cinnamon Snail is selling their signature amazing donuts and other desserts here as well:

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Of course I got a donut to go with my burger:

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Vegan S’mores Donut.

It was perfection!

I’m glad I’m working in Manhattan this winter, because it will make it oh so easy to stop by the Pennsy to grab some donuts to take home with me after work. The Cinnamon Snail will be serving food until 11pm Monday through Saturday now! (closing at 8pm on Sundays). My new year's resolution is just to eat as many Cinnamon Snail donuts as I can... no shame!
And as someone who travels by train quite often, I am very excited to be able to pick up lunch from the Cinnamon Snail before my next trip out of town!

Congrats to the Cinnamon Snail on their new home! If you haven’t stopped by to visit them yet, definitely go treat yourself to a burger or a donut this week ☺

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Cost: $10.95
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Burger patty: 5       Bun: 5      Toppings: 5

The Cinnamon Snail at The Pennsy
2 Pennsylvania Plaza,
7th Avenue and 33rd Street
New York, NY 10121

YumVeggieBurger review #159