Superiority Burger

Not sure what the hype is all about. These burgers are minuscule and mediocre, at best. They don’t sell fries and should be shut down for that crime alone. I mean, what kind of burger place sells burgers without their other half (halves)?! They instead offered cole slaw as a replacement. How is cole slaw equal, in any way, to fries? My friend got the cole slaw and it was literally smaller than the size of her palm. She finished it it three bites. This place is expensive and the portions tiny. However, the woman who took our order was very kind.

Most of New York City has already weighed in on Superiority Burger, but I have to add in my two cents. As a lifelong omnivore, I typically shy away from places that focus on vegetarian or vegan fare, but once I heard that Chef Brooks Headley, the former pastry chef at Del Posto, had opened up a pint-​sized vegetarian eatery in the East Village, curiosity got the better of me.
Some basics: Superiority Burger is open from 6PM — 10PM daily, except for Tuesdays. It’s not an ideal place to plan for a sit-​down meal, given that most of the floorspace is taken up by the kitchen and seating (at best) can accommodate 10 or so diners at a time. The menu is compact, focusing on a select few items like their namesake burger and a few sides and drinks to round out the meal. Order at the counter, pay, and wait for your name to be called out; it’s s far cry from the one Michelin-​starred experience that you’d encounter at Headley’s former position.
Of the items I tried, the one I was least impressed with was The Sloppy Dave, or the SB interpretation of a traditional Sloppy Joe’s. The filling, a deep red concoction with bell peppers, tofu, and cumin, bears more resemblance to a chili and served in a container separate from the bread, which allows you to assemble your own sandwich. While the topping of fried («frizzled») onions was an appreciated crunch, the actual filling lacked any noticeable spice and was too sweet for my liking.
The Superiority Burger, on the other hand, was an impressive item. It’s modestly sized, resembling a slider moreso than an actual burger, but the patty is a dense and flavorful concoction that’s surprisingly filling. Quinoa, black beans, tofu, and various other fillings add plenty of flavor and texture to each bite; topped with a melted slice of Muenster cheese and the requisite LTP (lettuce, tomato, pickles), I’d venture to say it’s even more successful than a number of other (beef) burgers I’ve tried [1]. Add on a side like the Burnt Broccoli Salad, which lightly chars the vegetable and pairs it with a creamy eggplant purée, and you’ll be more than satisfied with your meal here.
Superiority Burger has recently undertaken a number of collaborations with chefs both in and out of New York City, and they frequently update a number of their sides and salads as well. Even for those who aren’t vegetarians or vegans, I have to say it’s well worth a visit; it might just change your mind about what vegetarian cuisine can and can’t be.
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[1] Trust me, I’ve tried a lot:

Overall, I liked it, but I’m not in a huge rush to go back. It is definitely creative and the prices are extremely reasonable, it just didn’t blow me away — the Superiority Burger in particular, which I thought was good, but not enough to trek back out there.
The one thing that I did really, really like was the Sloppy Dave, which I thought was outstanding. However, we also got the burnt broccoli salad, which I really didn’t enjoy.
I should also mention that this is really not my kind of food — all I could think of while I was eating the burger was that, while it may have been the best veggie burger I’ve had (without a ton of competition), I’d still be so much more satisfied if I was eating at Shake Shack. Definitely points for creativity, but I just couldn’t fully get there.

Let me start by saying that the burgers here are fully deserving of five stars. The Superiority Burger is very flavorful, the texture is exactly what your mouth wants when you crave a burger, and the bread and condiments combine to make it perfect. The reason for the lower stars is for the rest of the experience.
Unbeknownst to me the restaurant does not open until 6 PM. After rushing by subway and bus from Brooklyn, I found my way to Superiority Burger and arrived just before 6 PM. I found a long line down the block.
After waiting for the store to open I still had to wait on line for another 25 minutes just to enter the restaurant. It was crowded: wall-​to-​wall people. I could not even see the daily specials that were posted below the regular menu. I waited a while longer to place my order at the cashier. She informed me that the burger was kind of small and recommended that I order some more food. I really did want to order more food. I heard great things about the other items on the menu. However, there was absolutely no place to sit or stand in the restaurant. I was wearing a light colored heavy coat and it was dark outside. How could I eat any food standing randomly in the street or alone in the park? It was also cold and drizzly outside. I had come by subway and bus. So it’s not like I could just take it home. Some guy that came in after me pushed ahead even though he had no food. He held the last bit of standing counter space. As a result I only ordered the burger and did not have the opportunity to try any of the other dishes. Once I got it I simply stood there and quickly swallowed the burger in a few bites because I was being pushed and shoved from all directions.
Overall I would love to try more of the food at Superiority Burger. The prices are fair for what you get and the food I had was good. However, I would not ever want to experience the lines and crowds again

This place has the best vegetarian food I’ve ever eaten, and they change the menu daily so every time I go in there I get to try something new that is also the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
The service is also sensational. I eat here as often as possible, often bringing both vegetarian and non-​vegetarian friends there, and everyone always leaves happy. They have a hilarious instagram too, hats off to whoever writes those.
CONS:
— The 6 – 10 schedule. I’m dying imagining what they’d do with breakfast food.
— They aren’t a chain with over 500 restaurants nationwide. Pretty sure every city needs a few SB’s.

Man, this place is popular! All over different magazines and papers and online, everyone is raving about this place and I finally got a chance to come down and check it out. However, I didn’t eat until my second time here in three days because the first time I came, which I’m guessing isn’t an anomaly, the line was out the door and down the sidewalk a bit — roughly 20−30min order wait time.
Given it was late and we were starving, we left and came back a few days later.
It’s kind of hidden, in the middle of row homes on a quiet 9^th St in the east village. You walk down a few stairs into the small, cozy restaurant. There’s only a couple of things on the menu, and from my friends who have been here and other reviews, I already knew what I was getting — the sloppy Dave (vegetarian version of a sloppy joe).
The woman taking our order was nice, but not very selective when asking her what was the most popular or best dish. I understand people have different tastes, but there has to be an overwhelming favorite. I was really hungry so she suggested getting a side in addition to the sandwich, so I got the beets.
Sloppy Dave — awesome sandwich! Definitely sloppy but not too bad, and it was super tasty. The bread is warm and chewy, and it blended nicely with the ‘stuff’ in the sandwich, which had a little kick to it. I didn’t need to add anything. The texture is a bit messy, and the fried onions add a nice crunch to the sandwich that is definitely needed.
The beet side was not good at all. They were way too tangy/​salty for my taste and the nuts they put on top added some crunch, but it was a very bland dish overall. I recommend getting the potato side, as my roommate got it and said it was good.
The seating is very limited and if it’s busy, good luck even trying to sit. They have a few seats against the walls with slide out desktops, similar to what we had in high school. There’s also a small counter for a few people to stand.
Overall, the place is decent. I would definitely come back and get the sloppy joe, but for the price, this is not a place you can go to often.

I don’t normally like veggie burgers, but a friend of mine suggested this place based on the GQ review rating this place the best burger in New York. The burger is fantastic! They don’t try and imitate a meat flavor, but definitely match the heartiness of an all meat burger. They also offer a vegan option, which my friend tried and loved!
The downsides are that this place is just too small! The burger was tiny and for something that packs so much fiber, it just isn’t filling enough. There is also almost no seating inside the restaurant. There was hardly enough room for the line when I went. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we had to duck under the awning to eat before our burgers got cold. I would suggest coming for lunch and picking up food and finding a place to go enjoy your meal.

Love this place! Great food, and great service! Especially Katie!!!
Delicious burgers and even more delicious sides. For my family, top three is: sloppy Dave, the burnt broccoli salad, and the beet salad (love, love, LOVE this beet salad).
Really, we’ve been numerous times and have always had a good experience with both food and service.
The place is super small and sits only 6 people. We’ve gone in with our toddler a few times, and have been able to squeeze all of us in the tiny booths, so don’t be discouraged! They also have a stand up bar.
Also, this place can get crazy busy and it’s not uncommon to see lines out the door. Again, don’t be discouraged from going on. They are fast to take and make orders.
This place has a few steps going down before entering; so definitely not wheelchair and/​or stroller friendly.
They accept credit cards.

Absolutely amazing experience. Very professional staff & the food is out of this world. I came one Monday night while waiting for the train expecting for a very long line. Luckily, for me the long wasn’t very long. I was greeted by this wonderful woman named Molly who was very patient with me explaining the differences between the vegan and regular things on the menu. We continued our convo where I told her all the wonderful things about the place including one of my professors who recommended the place. She went out of her way to give me a free gelato sorbet to try which was out of this world. The vanilla labne gelato was absolutely amazing with the toasted coconut flakes, I will never forget the perfect vanilla bean taste & the consistency of the gelato. The burger is to die for. It’s like a bigger than White Castle size with tomato, lettuce, pickles, MUENSTER cheese (mmmmm) and behold… The most perfect burger that contains no meat. The burger has almost the consistency of a regular beef patty with a kick of spices (felt Middle Eastern). The aftertaste is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a perfect burger. If you gave this to me & didn’t tell me this was a veggie burger, I seriously wouldn’t have known the difference.
Order everything on the menu if you can
P. S. There are White Castle posters around the store, I don’t know if that means they are trying to be a hipster White Castle.

We read an article saying this vegan burger is SO good that it’s better than a meat burger, so of course we had to try it. Having eaten my fair share of veggie burgers, I would say this is a solid veggie burger. It’s one of those burgers where you can’t quite tell what’s in it — so very different from your standard black bean burger or garden patty or lentil burger or anything of the sort. And there is something almost meat-​like about the texture of the burger. However, it’s pretty small and the flavor didn’t wow me. My favorite veggie burger that I’ve had in New York is still going to be the one at By Chloe.
However, the sloppy dave here is definitely worth a shot. The other reviewers are totally right — this vegetarian sloppy joe steals the show. It’s so full of flavor you don’t even realize you’re not eating meat. I’d definitely recommend this over the veggie burger.

Okay, this is definitely the best vegetarian burger I’ve ever had. It’s got the texture down for sure. The potato-​like bun is also seriously delish! And the pickle just made it all come together like whoa.
My friend ordered the loaded white baked potato (special) and I had the chicory salad (special). Thumbs up to both.

WHY ISN’T THERE A SIXTH STAR?!
What a great vegetarian place in a great neighborhood. East Village.
We’re familiar with and fans of the owners music and decided to give his restaurant a try. Wow wow wow.
As vegetarians we were happy to see an all veggie menu. It opens at 6 PM and we were there 15 min early and there was already a line but don’t fret… it goes by fast.
You can’t really sit down and eat, it’s more a grab and go deal. There are a few seats however it’s a very small location so eating inside could be a little difficult… and you’ll have lots of people in line staring at you drooling over the awesome looking food you are eating.
The menu and the décor are minimal. It makes deciding easy… just get one of everything :) their sides rotate daily but the main attraction is their veggie burger which is smaller sized… grab a few per person… you won’t be disappointed! DO IT.
The vegetarian yin to Chicago’s Kumas Corner yang.
STOP READING THIS AND GO!

The food here is good & the service were also good. 2 stars because it’s too expensive! The burger is pretty much a slider. There’s no way you would get full from eating just one or two. It’s $ 6 each. Yes, it’s good, but we don’t think it’s worth it. We ordered 2 vegan burgers & a sloppy dave, all total were $ 20. We came in hungry, we left still feeling hungry, we had to go to another restaurant nearby to have a full meal. .
This place is tiny with just few seats inside & it can be very busy. The staff were great. Very polite & friendly!

I should have known this place was going to be good when I walked in and saw a cooler full of lemon water composed of NYC tap + lemon. I practically live on the exact same beverage.
I was extremely lucky that my first visit collided with that of the Dizengoff Philly (hummus!) team. There is a rotating daily special menu, which seems to get pretty creative. I chose Dizengoff’s stellar spicy avocado and peanut hummus, which was served with puffy pita bread. Fantastic! I love the fact that they do collabs with fellow like-​minded chefs from neighboring cities.
On to the main reason I came: THE VEGGIE BURGER. I’m not vegetarian, but Westville’s amazing veggie burger led me down this delicious path, where at one point in my home cooking career I actually fried quinoa patties in a cast iron, and topped them with cheddar and Frank’s red hot buffalo sauce. I love meat, but I love veggie burgers now too.
Superiority Burger makes one. mean. burger. I love that there’s muenster cheese melted on it. I love that the quinoa was so crispy, and crackled between my teeth like tiny crushed capsules. I even loved the spice of the mustard, and I hate mustard. And I love that some things on the menu are labeled «accidentally vegan.» They’re just making veggie-​forward food they love without being proselytizing or condescending about it.
Finally, the kind staff pushed this one into 5 star territory. I got my food really quickly, and both the runner and cashier were supremely sweet. I can’t wait to tell everybody I know about the amazing burger I had Monday night… that was accidentally vegetarian.

So I’m not a vegan, vegetarian anything of the sort. I love a big juicy beef burger on the medium side with a bit of blood. But a dear old friend of mine was itching to go to this place and she had come from D.C. and was getting herself a burger there, by hell or high water. I of course went with the Superiority Burger and it was mouthwatering good. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a vegetarian burger I liked so much. It was also damn filling and the price is on point — $ 6 — preach! We also shared the burnt broccoli salad and I think some sort of bean salad as well that was likely a daily special. Honestly, we were a coupe of bottles of red wine in, so the memories are a wee bit foggy.
I don’t make it down to the LES that often, but next time I do, I will be sure stop by Superiority again. Interesting thing to note, they don’t take tips there. I tried to add tip and they woman at the counter wouldn’t let me, I can only hope that’s because they’re paying all their staff decent salaries. Check em out — red meat lovers open your mind to some vegan/​vegetarian glory!

Always on the search for the ultimate veggie burger, I waited months to try this place: it was on my ultimate summer bucket list, and I told everyone who would humor me about me. Recently, I dragged my friends into the tiny storefront so that I could judge Superiority Burger once and for all.
Even though it’s a small space, they did a pretty good job adding pockets of seating. My order was taken quickly, and my food was brought to me in about five minutes — faster than I thought! However, when my good arrived, I was so disappointed.
The burger looked like a tennis ball wrapped in wax paper. The burnt broccoli salad (which I had ordered as a result of a recommendation from an Instagram friend) looked more promising. I unwrapped my burger, and my friends said, «Why did you order such a tiny burger?!» I explained that the size is standard. I’m a small lady, and I don’t usually eat big portions — in fact, I’m happy when food is more «my size.» But this was way too small for a hungry Laryssa.
Furthermore, the burger wasn’t even that remarkable. The party had a great texture, but nothing about the sandwich stood out to me. The flavor couldn’t be found. The bun was just there, serving as a delivery vehicle. The broccoli salad was spicy and crunchy, but the chunks of cilantro were distracting. The thick dressing barely stuck to the pieces of broccoli, and I wasn’t sure what it’s purpose was.
I’m so disappointed! Marty’s is still my favorite vegan burger in all the land.

Hype. I never believe it until I experience it. I’ve been reading a lot about the new, quick-​serve, vegetarian spot, Superiority Burger in the East Village. And, being predominantly veggie myself, I knew I had to check it out.
So, they’re only open from 6pm-​10pm, and closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly. But, you’re definitely going to want to make it over. The staff is really nice and welcoming, and the menu is really easy to navigate through, only offering a handful or two of options. The portions aren’t very large, which is great, since it allows you to try different things. And, everything is affordably priced, so, even more of a reason for you to try lots of things.
First, I had their Burnt Broccoli Salad (eggplant, red chile, coriander vinaigrette). Holy hell, this was great. I really love broccoli, and it’s one of those vegetables that’s really easy to screw up. These were cooked perfectly, leaving them with a bit of crunch and char on the florets. Then you get a kick from the red chile. My favorite surprises were the chopped cashews, and then, at the bottom of the dish, there was this amazingly flavorful eggplant purée, similar to baba ganoush.
Next I had a special menu item that night. Since the daily specials are written on a paper posted to the wall, I completely forgot to take note of exactly what was in this, but, it was a potato side dish with olive oil and white wine, in some capacity. Whatever the exact composition was, it was super delicious, and I may or may not have wanted to bathe in the oils. The seasoning was on point and the potatoes were just the right balance of firm and tender, no mushy spuds here.
And then, of course, I had to get their namesake menu item, the Superiority Burger (muenster cheese, iceberg, tomato, dill pickle). I’ve had a couple veggie burgers in my day that I’ll never forget. Say what you want, call me a weirdo, but, they were amazing enough to remember. And, I’ve had some that were pure garbage. Don’t worry, this wasn’t one of them. This little guy was small but mighty. You can dress a burger, of any variety, up however you want, but it all goes back to the burger itself. The flavor here was really great, and I especially liked the texture. Some veggie burgers are only slightly softer versions of a hockey puck, and some are so mealy that they just crumble and fall apart. This one was the Goldilocks version, it was just right. So, yeah, the hype was real.
Finally, dessert. They offer gelato and sorbet grab bag, so, you gotta be up for whatever. I was. I got a cup with a scoop of Blueberry and a scoop of Labane (topped with toasted coconut). So, so good, and really went well together. The blueberry tasted just like a scoop of frozen, creamy, blueberry pie filling. And the labane, similar to the taste of greek yogurt, was just the tiniest bit tart, but instantly sweetened with the toasted coconut.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a meat eater! The vegetarian burger at Superiority Burger is one of the most amazing burgers I’ve ever put in my mouth. Damn, son.
I knew they weren’t going to open until 6 so I timed it perfectly to arrive a couple minutes before, knowing there’d likely be a line. There were a few groups of people waiting around, but no formal line. I ended up being the 3^rd person to order.
When my order was up, I took it outside to a nearby stoop and unwrapped the tiny bit of heaven. By all accounts, this looked like a regular burger. If I didn’t know it was vegetarian, I very likely wouldn’t have caught on. Sure, I might have questioned it for a split second, but would’ve moved right along into flavor-​land.
The bun was perfection. The patty was charred and crisped on the edges with a little crunch to it. The produce was SO ripe. Everything melted into one another resulting in a fabulous union of deliciousness.
If I were making this a meal, I would’ve had more than one, but this was merely stop one on a food adventure evening. I’ll definitely be returning again and will make room for the sorbet/​gelato.
Full marks, guys!

Well I guess I drank the kool-​aid with this one because I thought the food here was pretty amazing. I ordered almost everything you can order and after it all the superiority burger and the yuba philly cheesesteak were definitely my favorites.
I am not vegan or a vegetarian and I don’t really love veggie burgers. I read the below reviews and definitely did not expect to have one of the better burgers I’ve eaten recently. To my surprise the superiority burger was.
The superiority burger itself is moist and has kind of an In-​N-​Out flavor with the special sauce, cheese, and pickles. The patty has an amazing nutty/​meaty flavor and I did not really find it to be as small as other people day.
The Yuba Philly Cheesesteak, which was a special, was nearly as good as the burger. Yuba is tofu skin and to be honest I can’t even comprehend how they made this taste so much like a philly cheesesteak. It was pretty incredible and I strongly recommend this if you see it on the menu.
The Sloppy Dave was third best. Not earth shatteringly good but still really solid and, like the philly, it did taste a lot like its namesake food, though I did feel it needed a bit more filling and a little less fried onion. The broccoli salad was pretty good but when I looked around I saw that everyone had gotten this new fried potato side that was a special so you should probably go with that one if you see it. People were honestly going ham over these little fried potato things. Oh well.
As for sweets, the gelato is wayyyyy better than the sorbet. I had an amazing lemon verbena gelato and a so-​so blackberry sorbert. The sorbet is clearly thickened with apple pectin because it actually tasted more like apple than blackberry. The gelato however was pretty amazing, and absolutely awesome for a vegan gelato.
So, I don’t know, I think this place rocks. I don’t even like this kind of food but you can tell the chef here is reading reviews like Mike C.‘s and taking the suggestions to heart bc now they apparently have a much better side than the so-​so broccoli salad. The burger here honestly is amazingly legit. I will definitely be back.

Add a star if you can’t eat meat.
Otherwise, I’d go eat meat instead. But, for vegetarian food, it’s really tasty.
The burger is tiny, more like a White Castle slider like the one pictured in the random poster on the wall. So $ 6 sounds like a good price, but it really is very small. As a strict non-​vegetarian, I must say it is surprisingly delicious for not being meat. I wish they would do some kind of version of fries though instead of the Burnt Broccoli Salad ($ 4), which with the cashews mixed in is good, but is no substitute for the fries you need with a burger. In fact, offering fries might make it feel more like you are eating an actual burger.
I also tried the Sloppy Joe ($ 7), which I actually liked even more. It somehow really felt like you were eating a sloppy joe, and I’m not even quite sure what the beef substitute was made of, but it was good.
Finally, the Vanilla Labne Gelato and Strawberry Gelato were awesome: really refreshing and a perfect way to end the meal.
The spot is tiny, with just a few seats along the sides, and most of the area taken up by people waiting, which confuses the line situation quite a bit.
I’m not sure if I would come back. Maybe when my doctor tells me I’m eating way too much red meat, which should be very soon, this place will be a godsend. I’ll definitely be interested to try more of their creations if they expand the menu. And add fries.