Raven's Head Public House

My boyfriend had a craving for pub food, so after bypassing a few other spots in Astoria that were too crowded on a Friday night, we ended up at Raven’s Head. I had walked by this place a few times since it opened, but had never ventured inside until now.



I was impressed by how spacious it was inside - although the front bar area was packed with weekend revelers, there was a whole back room of seating for customers more interested in food than drink (we just wanted a late dinner, we'd had a long week and weren't up for a wild night!) And even more pleasantly surprising, they had a veggie burger!



It’s even listed as “home made black bean burger” on the menu – which I was really excited to read (since too many pubs take the easy way out and serve one of those awful generic frozen veggie patties!). When I inquired as to whether it was vegan or not, I was told that the home made recipe includes butter, so it is neither vegan nor dairy-free, but still vegetarian of course (although no guarantees that it is cooked on a separate grill – so if that is important to you, best to ask, as always).



The patty was definitely homemade – the main ingredient was of course the black beans, with some onions and peppers mixed in too. The consistency was good, but the overall flavor was disappointingly bland. It needed some spices to liven it up! Black beans on their own are not so exciting, but they work so well with many spices, so I was surprised that more thought was not put into the flavor. Still, it was a nice hearty, healthy burger - better than I had been expecting to eat when we had decided to go out for pub food!



The bun was a nice, soft brioche – lightly toasted. The toppings were your basic tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickles. All fresh, no complaints there. I just wish there had been some kind of sauce to give the burger that extra flavor boost though! You can order cheese or avocado for an extra price, but I didn’t feel like spending $2 on some avocado slices that night.

However, it did come with fries – and you know I always love a burger that comes with fries included in the price! There were a lot of other vegetarian options on the extensive menu as well – so if you are looking for a pub in Astoria with more exciting food options than the usual bar fare, Raven’s Head is a good option.

P.S. Bonus Trivia – did you know that a group of ravens is called an unkindness of ravens?
That’s one of my favorite language facts!

Cost: $8.95
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 4      Toppings: 3

Raven’s Head Public House
38-04 Broadway
between 38th and Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103
718.777.7565

YumVeggieBurger review #130

5 Napkin Burger Happy Hour

I’ve been working such long hours that I usually don’t have time to eat anything for dinner before yoga classes. So it seemed inevitable that one day I would end up at 5 Napkin Burger for a very-late dinner after a hot yoga class, since the Astoria location of this restaurant is only a few blocks from my yoga studio…

And, lucky me, by the time my yoga class is over, their happy hour menu is in effect! $4 for veggie sliders? Yes please!



If you recall, I already reviewed 5 Napkin’s veggie burger – and gave it 5 stars. So I was pretty confident I would enjoy their sliders as well…



Oh, sweet deliciousness! These sliders are just as amazingly tasty as 5 Napkin’s full-sized veggie burger. The patties are moist and flavorful, and in case you’re unfamiliar with the 5 Napkin Veggie burgers, that’s not undercooked meat that’s making them look pink – it’s beets! One of my favorite veggie burger ingredients!



They are topped with plenty of pickles, and that yummy, tangy “5N” sauce. Really the only difference between this and the regular veggie burger, other than the size (obviously) is that the sliders don’t come with tomato and lettuce. Probably because there’s no room left for them! And the bun seemed softer and sweeter, maybe a different type of bread. A $4 order of sliders includes two adorable little baby burgers. I also ordered a happy hour guacamole, and that along with the sliders was filling enough for me. But if you wanted to get really crazy, a hungry person could probably eat 2 orders of the sliders (4 total – about the size of a regular burger).

I’m going to go ahead and say these are 5-star sliders, because the full-sized 5 Napkin veggie burger is a 5-star burger, and these mini versions of that burger are equally awesome!

Cost: $4 for two sliders
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Burger patty: 5       Bun: 4      Toppings: 5

Read my original review of the full-sized 5 Napkin veggie burger here.

Five Napkin Burger
35-01 36th Street
Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
locations in Manhattan as well, check website for addresses

YumVeggieBurger review #111

Burger Club

It’s taken me awhile to check out Burger Club, even though it opened in my neighborhood last year. Why? I’m not sure, it seems like we’ve had a flood of new burger joints opening in the past couple years, and I guess there are just too many other veggie burgers that I know and love in Astoria, so it takes a lot to tempt me away from my favorites…


no, my camera didn’t flip the photo – that’s really how their sign is designed!

But I finally had a chance to stop in here one afternoon, and I was in time for their lunch special, which included their “farmer’s market burger”:



The patty is homemade, which I must give them due credit for. It contained a lot of beans, celery, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, and onions, which all sound great – but it was too mushy. It would have greatly benefitted from being cooked a bit more until the outside was a bit crisp, and some of the carrot pieces inside were not fully cooked either, and were unpleasantly crunchy. The flavoring was actually quite nice though – I ate a chunk of the patty on its own, after it fell out of the bun, and I really enjoyed the way it was seasoned.



The toppings were generous – tomato, lettuce, avocado (a good amount, too, they didn’t skimp like some places do!), sprouts, red onion, and a Portobello – which I, mushroom-hater than I am, even enjoyed! (it was well-marinated). I skipped the goat cheese, but that is one of the toppings that is included, if you want it. The bun (wheat) was a bit too thick and dense to eat with all the patty and toppings inside. And it was surprisingly cold in temperature compared to the patty, as though it had just come out of the fridge, although it looked like it had been lightly toasted on one side.

While the staff told me the patty is vegan (and if you order it without the cheese, the toppings are vegan too), they said they did not know if the bun was vegan because they do not make the buns there. So, eat at your own risk if you are concerned the bun might have dairy in it.

I’ve heard other people mention that this place seems like it is trying to be Astoria’s next Bare Burger, and the similarities are certainly there – Burger Club definitely has an extensive and creative menu, it’s not just another boring burger joint. But Bare Burger’s veggie burger is still superior, in my opinion.

Cost: lunch special - $9.75 (burger, fries, and soda), regular menu - $8.25 for the burger, fries $2.75
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 2      Toppings: 4

Burger Club
32-02 30th Ave
on the corner of 32nd Street
Astoria, NY 11102
718.777.7788

YumVeggieBurger review #106

Rèst-âü-Ránt

After an intense hot vinyasa class the other day, my friend Logan and I went for a post-yoga drink at nearby Rèst-âü-Ránt. This wine bar has been on my radar for awhile, but since it’s a little far from my apartment I hadn’t checked it out yet. But the yoga studio with the hot room that I’ve been going to lately is quite close, so I jumped at the chance to finally step inside.


Please forgive the quality of these photos – it was night, and I only had my iPhone.

And, since I was a bit hungry too, I looked over the menu, thinking I might get a snack. And then I saw “VEGGIE SLIDERS” – and of course I knew what I was ordering!



The three sliders were served on cute little brioche buns – the bread fresh, sweet, and lightly toasted. Quite perfect. The menu said the burgers were topped with “fresh tomato salsa” – but it seemed like it wasn’t more elaborate that diced tomatoes and red onions. There was also a nice tangy herbed mayo spread on the bun.



The patty itself tasted so good – beans and some kind of mash of vegetables, with lots of fresh herbs! It was fried to a crisp on top and bottom, but the inside was still so moist that it oozed out the sides as soon as I bit into the burger. I tried to lift up one of the patties to see the mayo on the bun underneath (I’m a bit of a freak when I’m eating a veggie burger for a review – I basically dissect it!), but I couldn’t even lift the patty without it oozing into a big puddle. I asked if the sliders were vegan, and was told that they are not – they have some egg and possibly cheese to help bind them together, although it doesn’t seem like those ingredients are doing that job so well (maybe some ground flaxseed instead?).



I was very impressed by the taste and the quality of the sliders, at such a reasonable price. And they weren’t too small either – three together definitely added up to more than one regular sized burger. Logan ordered some fries, which came with ketchup and a delicious chipotle mayo - I tried a few of them, and they were excellent. So if the sliders alone aren’t enough for you, I’d definitely recommend getting the fries too. And the bottle of red wine that we shared really hit the spot!



Cost: $7 for three sliders
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 5      Toppings: 3

Rèst-âü-Ránt
30-01 35th Ave
Astoria, NY 11106
718.729.9009

YumVeggieBurger review #103

The Best Veggie Burgers in Astoria

This post is part of the Astoria Blog Carnival, hosted by We Heart Astoria

I have a lot of Astoria pride.
Sure, the first thing most people think of when they hear "Astoria" is "The Beer Garden!" (and I don't even drink beer)... and we may not have as many vegan/vegetarian restaurants here as Manhattan and Brooklyn do (I'd die happy if Vinnie's would open a location here)...

But I love my neighborhood. I love the people, the restaurants, the bars, the shops, the park, the bridges, my lovely apartment and front patio where I grill a ton of food in the summer...

And guess what? We have some restaurants serving delicious veggie burgers right here in Astoria:

Astor Bake Shop

This is #2 in my Top Ten list of the best veggie burgers I've ever eaten. Seriously. It's an amazing lentil patty with pickled onions and horseradish sauce on a deliciously sweet bun. Everything else from this bakery is brilliant as well, so if you've been putting off visiting because it's a bit of a walk from the more central areas of Astoria, let me assure you it is worth the trip.
[click for full review and more info]

5 Napkin Burger

Yes, 5 Napkin has locations in Manhattan as well... but it's become a pretty popular Astoria spot since it opened last year. And it's rare and awesome to find a burger place that gets tons of praise for its meat burgers but ALSO has a veggie burger equally worthy of such high praise! This one is #3 on my Top Ten list.
[click for full review and more info]

Sparrow Tavern

Don't let the pita fool you - despite the unorthodox bun, Sparrow's veggie burger is #7 on the Top Ten list. Richly-flavored and spicy, it's a delicious brunch... or dinner... or drunkfood (I think I've eaten it for all three occasions at various times).
[click for full review and more info]

Bare Burger

Of course I couldn't leave out Bare Burger, could I? This place has been such a hit in Astoria that it has now opened two (or more?) locations in Manhattan, and is opening a second Astoria location near Ditmars in the near future. Their veggie burger is hearty and satisfying - and with their extensive menu, you can choose from a variety of toppings so you'd never get bored if you wanted to come back and eat the veggie burger again and again... Which is why it's #8 on my Top Ten list too.
[click for full review and more info]

Just Burgers

A very recent addition to the Ditmars area, Just Burgers is another one of those burger joints that lets you choose from a long list of toppings to customize your burger. What makes them stand out though is their veggie burgers which are made from quinoa and fresh vegetables. I'm surprised I don't see quinoa in burgers more often, because it's great!
[click for full review and more info]

Petey's Burger

I'm always pleasantly surprised when fast-food-esque burger joints have good veggie burgers. Petey's is fast, inexpensive, tasty, and I hear they have now added a third variety of veggie burger to their menu! (I have only tried the Southwestern so far).
[click for full review and more info]

Café Bar

I came here for brunch one day and was pleasantly surprised to see a veggie burger on the menu - and a house-made one at that! Full of grains and delicious vegetables.
[click for full review and more info]

I know there are still more veggie burgers in the neighborhood that I haven't reviewed yet... Blackbirds comes to mind (I have actually eaten their burger, and remember it being quite good, but that was back before I started the blog), and I hear the newly-opened EcoTable has one on their menu as well.
What's your favorite veggie burger in Astoria?

Thanks to We Heart Astoria for the invitation to participate in this blog carnival!
Click HERE to return to the main page of the Astoria Blog Carnival.

Wall Street Burgers food truck

I must be a magnet for veggie burgers, I swear… or maybe my decision to join twitter has bought about some good luck… Because I was just walking home from the library (because I'm a book nerd) last night when I saw a new bright reddish-orange food truck parked on the side of the street.

“A new food truck?” I thought, “In Astoria? How cool! Hmm, burgers… I bet they don’t have a veggie burger though…”
But, they did!



Frankie, the guy working in the truck, was very friendly and told me that Wall Street Burgers had just started serving food, and that they are normally in Manhattan during the day, but come back to Astoria in the evenings – and have plans to be here by the Ditmars train station quite often.

It started raining after I placed my order, so once the burger was ready I tucked it safely into my bag and hurried home – so the subsequent photos were all taken at my dining table, but the burger was still warm and fresh, I promise!


It came in a little paper tray – they covered it with foil [not pictured] so I could safely transport it home in the rain though!


On a plate now, because I like to pretend I am civilized sometimes.

Wall Street Burgers does not make their own veggie patties (I asked), but Frankie told me they are definitely vegan – although he said he would have to check on whether the bun was vegan or not. The patty was soft and juicy – packed full of veggies like peas, carrots, peppers, potatoes, and soy beans. It had a slightly spicy flavor to it, and I think it was a type of pre-made patty I have had before (it had that familiar taste to it). Not so bad, as far as pre-made patties go. Nothing beats homemade, but the excitement of getting a veggie burger from a food truck definitely enhanced the flavor for me...



The toppings you can get for free are lettuce, tomato, onion, and this tangy mayo-ketchup (definitely not vegan) dressing that Wall Street Burgers mixes themselves. Cheese is optional, for an additional dollar (right now they only have American, but Frankie said they are hoping to include more types of cheese soon). The potato roll that it was served on was soft and fresh. It’s been awhile since I had a burger on a potato roll, but they never disappoint. I’ve had potato rolls before which were vegan, so hopefully the food truck will check on the status of these and inform their customers appropriately.



It’s quite exciting to see a new food truck already including a vegetarian option. There are a lot of food trucks in this city that serve burgers, but few of them include veggie burgers. And this is the first one that I’ve spotted in Astoria.

Cost: $6
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 2      Bun: 3      Toppings: 3

Wall Street Burgers
spotted on the corner of Ditmars Blvd and 31st Street in Astoria, Queens
Parking in Manhattan and Astoria so far, check their twitter feed for current location

Note: the menu on their website does not list the veggie burger – but Frankie said that for now at least they are trying to offer it every day, hopefully making it part of the permanent menu!

YumVeggieBurger review #62



Do you know of any other food trucks in NYC that serve veggie burgers?
I reviewed GO Burger last summer, as well as Green Truck (but the later was only here from LA temporarily).

Just Burgers

UPDATE: Just Burgers is now CLOSED. Original review archived below:

A new burger joint opened up in my neighborhood while I was busy working on the film shoot, and I finally had a chance to check it out the other day. I knew from looking at their menu online that they offered a veggie burger, so I was eager to review it…



Since I’d read a couple blog posts reviewing Just Burgers, I already knew the difference between the “regular” burger and the “mini” burger option on the menu (hint: it’s not what you would think… the “regular” is really two patties, whereas the “mini” is just one. Rather misleading, I’d say…) Since I figured most people just walking in off the street, who hadn’t read blog reviews of the place, would automatically choose the “regular” burger, I ordered it for myself - even though, as I saw them toss the two veggie patties on the grill, I knew one (the “mini”) would have been plenty filling for me.

Speaking of the grill, I was initially very impressed to see that Just Burgers uses a separate grill for their veggie patties and buns, and does not grill them on the same surface as their meat burgers. The grill is right behind the counter where you order, so you can see everything that is going on. Unfortunately, just after I had admired the separate grilling surfaces, I saw one of the cooks use the same metal flipper he had used on the hamburgers to flip my veggie burgers.

I realize this probably happens with the majority of the vegetarian food I order when it is cooked in the same kitchen as meat – and I don’t personally police my food so strictly that I ask about that, or that I would refuse to eat it (I tend to date omnivores, most of my friends eat meat, and I have barbecues at my apartment with a “bring your own meat” policy and let my friends cook their meat on the same grill that I cook veggie burgers on. Life is too short to be uptight). But I realize many vegetarians and vegans feel differently than I do about this – so I want to make sure I make them aware of how the food is prepared at Just Burgers. And, honestly, it annoyed me too – because really, if they are already cooking the vegetarian food on a separate grill, would it kill them to have one or two dedicated flippers that are not used on meat?



But I still ate the burger - I had selected lettuce, tomato, chipotle aioli, and jalapeno relish from the selection of “free” (well, included in the cost of your burger) toppings, and then splurged $1 extra for fresh avocado. I’m a pretty big fan of menus that give you a wide variety of toppings to choose from – and Just Burgers definitely offers that. I especially enjoyed the jalapeno relish, and all of the toppings were fresh and delicious.



The patties (remember, the “regular” burger came with two patties!) were definitely higher quality than you would expect from a cheap and quick burger joint. They are made with quinoa (which none of the staff knew how to pronounce) and “daily fresh veggies” – which seemed to consist primarily of carrots. I asked the staff if the patties were vegan, and they confirmed that they were – although they were not sure if the buns contained dairy or not. Each patty was definitely large enough to be satisfying on its own, so if I come back here I will assuredly only order the “mini” burger next time. They were a bit too soft, no crispiness on the outside – and fell apart quite a lot as I ate my way through the burger. But the flavor was still very good.

I ended up with a “regular” bun because I was so distracted by the unfamiliar menu with so many options to choose from for toppings, that I didn’t realize until after I had placed my order that I could have chosen a multigrain bun instead. I asked if they could change my order while the patties were being cooked, and they assured me that they would, but I still ended up with a plain sesame seed bun. I can’t blame them for that too much though, since I did confuse them with the request after my order had already gone though. While the buns may or may not contain dairy (the staff couldn’t tell me for sure), the girl who took my order did mention that they will serve the burgers on lettuce instead of bread – so you could conceivably order an entirely vegan burger from them.



They have a nice outdoor seating area – which I enjoyed although the day was a bit windy and I had to pin down my napkins to keep them from blowing away. And with the choose-your-own-toppings style of the menu, Just Burgers could be a good place to eat semi-frequently without getting bored. But their confusing approach to the preparation of vegetarian food alongside non-vegetarian food was a bit off-putting, even to a rather laid-back vegetarian like me - if I do return for another burger, I will have to ask them why they bother with separate grills if they use the same cooking utensils on both! Logic...

Cost: $5.15 for a regular burger, $4.15 for a “mini” (my order was $6.15 + tax)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3      Bun: 3      Toppings: 4

Just Burgers
33-01 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, NY 11105
718.777.1078

YumVeggieBurger review #57

Petey's Burger

It’s snowing again!

I ventured out of my apartment this afternoon to deliver Top Secret Cookies to my friend Jeremy, and decided to stop for lunch to try a new veggie burger on the way home.



Petey’s Burger opened a couple years ago, shortly after I moved to Astoria, but this was my first time visiting the restaurant. I admit, I wasn’t expecting too much from their veggie burgers, since although it is a locally-owned establishment, it’s still a fast-food burger joint. Even if their meat-burger did get a lot of praise from Time Out New York

But when I asked the girl at the counter if the burger was vegan or not (the first step in all of my veggie burger adventures), and she called back into the kitchen to ask the chef what ingredients he puts in the burgers when he makes them, I realized that this wasn’t just going to be another generic frozen patty heated up and slapped on a bun!

While the burger isn’t vegan (sorry, vegans!) it is house-made. They both are, actually – Petey’s menu boasts not one but two veggie burger options. The “Garden” (celery, peas, and carrots) and the “Southwestern” (black beans, corn, cilantro, and peppers). Maybe I assumed the burgers would be mediocre because those names sound like they are ripped from a box of Morningstar frozen patties. But now knowing that I had a house-made burger to look forward to, I excitedly ordered the Southwestern.



The bun was your standard fast-food burger bun, lightly toasted. Nothing special. And the lettuce was barely-green iceberg, although the tomatoes were fresh and the spicy mayo was quite tasty.



But the burger patty itself was a total treat – spicy and flavorful, with a fresh sweet crunch from the corn kernals, crispy on the outside just the way I like it, and only slightly falling apart as I bit into it. It’s burgers like these that really exemplify the difference between a homemade patty and one of those mass-produced frozen ones.



Not only was the quality of this burger a most pleasant surprise, it was also the cheapest veggie burger I have ever reviewed at a restaurant thus far! Not bad, Astoria (now can my neighborhood just get a vegan pizza place already? Please?) Plus, they deliver – in case you aren’t crazy enough to walk around in the snow like I am.



Cost: $4.29
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 4      Bun: 2      Toppings: 2

Petey’s Burger
30-17 30th Ave
between 30th and 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11102
718.267.6300

YumVeggieBurger review #43

Café Bar

Although I’ve lived in Astoria for several years now, I still had not been to Café Bar until last week. It’s quite a pleasant place – full of interesting decorations and faux stained-glass windows through which sunlight was streaming in. I met a friend here for lunch, and took the opportunity to try out their veggie burger.



The burger (which the menu describes as “homemade”, and which the waitress assured me was vegan) arrived with a side salad, and a small pile of lettuce and tomato in case I wanted to put them on the burger as toppings (I did, but I opted for some greens from the salad instead of the provided lettuce, because the greens looked tastier and the lettuce was just a sad-looking piece with a thick stalk. The tomatos were fine though!)



The bun was delicious, light and sweet and flakey like a pastry, and covered in sesame seeds. Not overwhelmingly sweet, but just the right amount.



The burger patty itself was pretty good too - definitely homemade, soft and flavorful with grains and bits of vegetables, but a little too mashed together to tell exactly what those consisted of. I would have liked it a little chunkier or a little crispier on the outside, something to give it more texture. Perhaps some kind of sauce (aside from the bottle of ketchup provided at our table) would have helped as well.

It was still far better than being served one of those generic frozen pre-made patties, which too many restaurants try to appease vegetarians with! A homemade vegan patty is quite a pleasant thing to find at any restaurant in your neighborhood. We came for lunch on a weekday, but I can imagine the restaurant is a great place for a weekend brunch too.

Cost: $8.00 (fries cost $3 extra)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3      Bun: 4      Toppings: 1

Café Bar
32-90 36th Street
between Broadway and 34th Ave
but the entrance is actually on 34th Ave, despite what the address is listed as!
Astoria, NY 11106
718.204.5273

YumVeggieBurger review #41

Astor Bake Shop

I had eagerly awaited the opening of this bakery, next to one of my favorite local bars - Hell Gate Social. When the bake shop finally opened its doors, the hours were a little funny at first so I kept showing up when they were closing, or at a time when they were not serving the lunch menu, etc. I tasted an insanely rich slice of chocolate cake, a breakfast sandwich, and a chocolate croissant, but I was dying to try the lentil burger…

Finally, I did – and it was completely worth the wait!
I had pretty high expectations for this burger. I was anticipating it being a 4-star one, but it completely defied my expectations and turned out to be a 5-star instead!



The patty was delicious – I have to admit, I am usually a fan of burgers that have more vegetables and grains than beans, but this is the best lentil burger I have ever tasted. The outside of the patty was crispy, the inside was soft, and it fell apart in my mouth but didn’t fall out of the bun in pieces. Perfect.

It comes topped with tomatoes, pickled onions (a first for me – they were great!), and an amazingly tasty horseradish sauce. My plate also contained a side of mixed greens, some of which I added to the burger since I like my burgers with a leafy crunch. And the bun was everything you would expect a bun from a bakery to be: sweet and soft and delicious!



I asked if the burger was vegan, and was told that they currently use egg as a binder for the patty, but are working on finding a replacement to make it vegan (how awesome and thoughtful is that?). The horseradish sauce is dairy-based, but you could definitely order the burger without it (although it was delicious… hopefully they will get a good dairy-free sauce that you could substitute too!)

Finally… the true test of a five-star burger: Was I already fantasizing about going back to eat it again, only one day later? YES!

Cost: $6.95
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Burger patty: 4      Bun: 5      Toppings: 5

Astor Bake Shop
12-23 Astoria Blvd
at the corner of 14th street
Astoria, NY 11102
718.606.8439

YumVeggieBurger review #27

Bare Burger

I’ve been to Bare Burger a few times since it first opened in my neighborhood. It’s kind of a fun and quirky place that proudly advertises its use of all-organic ingredients in its unique assortment of burgers. While I personally find their menu a bit too pricey on certain items to make it a place I frequent regularly, I have always enjoyed their veggie burgers - so of course I had to treat myself to another dinner here… for the sake of the blog.

The cool thing about Bare Burger’s menu is that once you choose your meat (veggie for me, obviously – but they have some more “exotic” meats that my carnivorous friends quite enjoy, like ostrich and bison) you can then choose from an assortment of topping options, each with a name like “jalapeno express” and a suggestion of which type of burger the toppings go best with. For this review, I stuck with the basic “Original Bareburger” with Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, raw red onion, and Bareburger special sauce. The veggie burger and the bun are both vegan, so ordering the burger without the sauce or cheese will make it completely animal-product-free.



A couple warnings about the menu, though – some of the different toppings are not available on all burgers. I tried to order a veggie burger with the carmelized onions and cucumber mint yogurt and was told that this was only available with the lamb. I’m still not sure why they have this policy, as it seems like it would be as easy to put those toppings on any patty, but alas!

Second warning: Unlike most restaurants, fries are not included with the price of your burger here, which is why I consider it a pricier-than-I-normally-prefer place even though at first glance it doesn’t seem to be (add an extra $3 to each price if you want fries with your meal, then you’ll see what I’m talking about). But you should order the fries anyway, because they are really quite good – and they have a great selection of dipping sauces, and I’m a sucker for fries with good chipotle mayo. The milkshakes are also delicious, but definitely not cheap either.



But like I said, I was treating myself to this dinner for the sake of the blog. And it was definitely worth it. My burger was delicious, hearty and healthy – not trying to be mock-meat, but with more substance than vegetables simply mashed together. The Bareburger special sauce is quite tasty too, although I felt like there should have been a bit more of it, or maybe the patty itself could have been a bit juicier. The bun was excellent – I’ve tried Bare Burger’s brioche bun before, but prefer the 7 grain (and recommend it to others).

I chose the “Original Bareburger” toppings for this review, but I would like to come back and do a proper review of some of the other ones I had tasted in the past before I started this blog – I recall the Jalapeno Express and the Avocado California both being excellent, and a little more exciting than the basic “Original”… as is to be expected.

Is it “the best burger in town” as their restaurant claims? Well, not quite… but it’s certainly one of the best in my neighborhood (I hear they are opening a second location in Manhattan soon as well). And it’s refreshing for a place that is famous for its burgers to incorporate veggie options so easily into its menu (yes, options plural - they also offer a portabella mushroom). This is far from a generic frozen veggie patty tacked onto the menu to make a few bucks off of vegetarians who get dragged into the restaurant by their meat-eating friends… this is actually a place I recommend to other vegetarians.

Cost: $8.98 +$3 for fries
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4    Bun: 5    Toppings: 4

Bare Burger
33-21 31st Ave
Astoria, NY 11106
718.777.7011

YumVeggieBurger review #23

EDIT: multiple locations around NYC, and around the country now!

5 Napkin Burger [Astoria]

UPDATE: The Astoria location of 5 Napkin Burger is now closed. Manhattan locations are still open, see website for addresses. Original review of the Astoria location archived below:

I thought it rather serendipidous that just after I had conceived the idea to start this blog, I heard about Five Napkin Burger opening a new location in Astoria. I checked their website to see if they served a veggie burger, and not only did they list one on the menu – they also featured a delicious-looking photo which made me very eager to sample it.

So a couple carnivorous cohorts and I finally went over to check the place out one evening. It was a slightly nostalgic event as well, since the last time I had been in this building was back when it was known as Cup Diner (I ignored its brief reincarnation as “Café Bizarre” or whatever it was), one of my earliest memories of this neighborhood. The place has been given quite a makeover now – the layout is about the same, but the whole inside feels a lot shinier, and although you might not notice them immediately, there are meat hooks decorating the ceiling - as if you had come to dine in an abattoir.

It was dinnertime, and a bit busy, so we opted for a table instead of waiting a little longer for a booth. While my friends debated which of the meat-burgers they would try, I read the description of mine: “5 Napkin Veggie Burger – housemade with 5N sauce, b&b pickles, lettuce & tomato, multi grain roll”. Yum.


Look at those pickles!

I was a bit confused when, after our burgers were served, we were each still left with only the one napkin that had been at our place setting when we arrived at the table. Shouldn’t a place called “5 Napkin Burger” actually give you five napkins to eat your burger with? The food looked too good for me to ponder this for long, however…




Mmmmmm.
I had told my friends that (after seeing the aforementioned website photos) I had a hunch this could be a contender for another 5-star burger… I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high, but I was right!

It is not too different from my first 5-star burger, actually. Both patties rely heavily on grains and beets. I’m starting to think beets are the secret ingredient to the best veggie burgers on the planet. Also beets are just amazing on their own – but no worries if you are not a fan of them, I swear you won’t be turned off by their presence in these burgers! Honestly, I ate Houston’s veggie burger before I even liked beets, but they are so well-mixed in with everything else that they do not stand out although they definitely contribute to the overall quality in the best way possible. 5 Napkin’s burger is not quite as crispy on the outside as Houston’s (I can’t help it, comparing the two is inevitable, as they are the only 5 star burgers I have encountered so far!), nor is it as richly flavored with sauce cooked into the patty.



But the toppings make up for that – the pickles are amazing, and whatever the 5N sauce is (I’m assuming it’s dairy-based... although the patty itself contains eggs, if ordered without the sauce it could at least be a dairy-free burger), it is delicious as well. Thick juicy tomato slices, bright green lettuce… yeah, perfect toppings.

The bun is hearty, almost a little too thick to the point that it could have overwhelmed the rest of the burger, but I forgave it because, well, look at all those grains and seeds on it!

So it’s definitely another 5-star burger. Does it knock Houston’s off its throne? Not quite (honestly that is a feat that will take some miracle-work to accomplish) but it is definitely in the same league. And I would most decidedly happily return to eat it again at the soonest possible excuse. I also feel less guilty for liking 5 Napkin than I do about liking Houston's, since it's not as big a chain restaurant.

Cost: $11.95
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Burger patty: 5 stars       Bun: 4 stars       Toppings: 5 stars

Five Napkin Burger
35-01 36th Street
Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
multiple locations in Manhattan - check their website for the addresses

YumVeggieBurger review #20

Sparrow Tavern

Welcome to YumVeggieBurger!

This is my first review – Sparrow seemed the perfect choice because I had eaten their veggie burgers many times before starting this blog. And geographically they are the closest to my apartment of all veggie-burger-serving restaurants (just a few blocks away!) Which is perfect because I have a strong appreciation not only for good veggie burgers but also for candle-lit bars with beautiful interior décor and delicious wine.

My burger tonight was just as good as the ones I have previously eaten at Sparrow – they are served on both the brunch and dinner menus.



The veggie patty itself is excellent– a mix of different veggies (chopped so finely that none stand out awkwardly) and breading, slightly crispy on the outside and warm and rich on the inside. The flavors and textures are exactly what I enjoy in a veggie burger. And topped with greens and a very tasty spiced mayo it is an immensely satisfying combination. I’m a sucker for a good mayo-based sauce, and Sparrow’s is superb. The sauce comes on the side though, so if you don't add it to the pita, the whole thing is vegan without it.

The burger comes in a whole wheat pita rather than a normal bun, which is tasty and an interesting change from all the other veggie burgers I eat… it almost begs the question “does it really qualify as a burger?” Sparrow’s menu says it does, but the experience of eating it is just different from what you imagine when you think of eating a burger. It’s not that it ruins the overall taste – I think the pita actually works in favor of the patty and other fillings in this case. But the texture is not the same and the very act of picking it up and biting into it is not the same.

A choice of green salad or fries (herbed or spicy) is offered with the burger. I have had the burger served with the green salad before, which came with a nice dressing and was very enjoyable. But the herbed fries are my favorite. Whether with a burger or just on their own, actually... if you are here drinking late at night and find yourself slightly hungry before the kitchen closes, you should definitely order them!

Cost: $9.50
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 5   Bun: 3   Toppings: 4

The Sparrow Tavern
24-01 29th Street
Astoria, NY 11102
718.606.2260

YumVeggieBurger review #1