Shake Shack
154 E 86th St, New York 10128
(Btwn Lexington & 3rd Ave)
Multiple other locations around the city
Burgers, Hot Dogs, Desserts
Veggie Burger - $6.75
I've always heard Shake Shack this, Shake Shack that. As somebody who doesn't eat burgers, I paid no mind. I read what their "veggie burger" was and thought it sounded kind of gross, and it was definitely not worthy of standing in line for an hour or so.
Recently they opened a Shake Shack in my neighborhood. I still didn't really care. The one day I was walking home from work and passed the Shake Shack. It was 6:00- there was no line. Next thing you know, I'm ordering. It was like I blacked out for a moment and woke up to utter the words, "one shroom burger, please."
I brought it home and dove in. It was a standard size bun with this deep fried oval thing as it's filling. I wanted so bad to hate it. Then I took a bite. Wow! Cheese was dripping out the sides and the mixture of bread, cheese, and the crunchy fried patty was delicious. It reminded me of one of my favorite college hangover cures - grilled cheese with onion rings inside (I never wonder why I gained 20lbs in college).
The burger is actually a crisp-fried portobello filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato and shacksauce. Really, it is so fried it could be anything, I never once tasted mushroom, but who cares, it was delicious.
So, I didn't hate it, but I got it out of my system. To me, it's not really a veggie burger, not in the way I'm looking for. So, I'm not going to rate it officially, but I will say, Shake Shack-1, Ally-0.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
#3 - Energy Kitchen - Multiple Locations - 4 out of 5
Energy Kitchen
1628 2nd Ave, New York 10028
(Btwn 84th & 85th St)
Multiple other locations around the city
Health Food, Smoothies/Juice Bar, Sandwiches
Veggie Burger - $6.99 (occasionally have $5 burger months)
I have tried a lot of things on the menu at this place. Most are good though I wasn't crazy about the smoothies. Anyway, I've eaten this veggie burger many times, so I think that says it all. I love it. It's served on a delicious whole wheat roll that is always fresh. The veggie patty is made from soy, onions, carrots, zucchini, corn, peppers and it is served with lettuce and tomato. It's fairly mushy at times, but not falling apart the way so many do. Overall, it's a really great burger and designed as a fast food (healthy though) place so it's quick and good to take out.
I am not sure why I am only giving this a 4 when I have said nothing but good things, I am not sure what will get a 5 yet. I think it's consistently great, but doesn't blow me away or maybe I just need to continue my search to find out. Who knows, maybe after I try enough, I'll go back and adjust my previous ratings. Maybe there is no such thing as getting "blown away" by a veggie burger. We'll see!
Oh, and pictures to come soon. I usually only remember by the last bite, but I'll try harder next time!
1628 2nd Ave, New York 10028
(Btwn 84th & 85th St)
Multiple other locations around the city
Health Food, Smoothies/Juice Bar, Sandwiches
Veggie Burger - $6.99 (occasionally have $5 burger months)
I have tried a lot of things on the menu at this place. Most are good though I wasn't crazy about the smoothies. Anyway, I've eaten this veggie burger many times, so I think that says it all. I love it. It's served on a delicious whole wheat roll that is always fresh. The veggie patty is made from soy, onions, carrots, zucchini, corn, peppers and it is served with lettuce and tomato. It's fairly mushy at times, but not falling apart the way so many do. Overall, it's a really great burger and designed as a fast food (healthy though) place so it's quick and good to take out.
I am not sure why I am only giving this a 4 when I have said nothing but good things, I am not sure what will get a 5 yet. I think it's consistently great, but doesn't blow me away or maybe I just need to continue my search to find out. Who knows, maybe after I try enough, I'll go back and adjust my previous ratings. Maybe there is no such thing as getting "blown away" by a veggie burger. We'll see!
Oh, and pictures to come soon. I usually only remember by the last bite, but I'll try harder next time!
#2 - Anneliese's - Upper East Side - 4 out of 5
Anneliese's
1516 1st Ave, New York 10075
(At 79th St)
Deli, Desserts, Bakery
Veggie Burger - $6.95 (well worth the price)
I had never even heard of this place before when I had walked by it one day. They had a sign outside that listed some delicious sounding soups, sandwiches, and a veggie burger. Bingo! I wasn't hungry at the time, but I made a mental note to go back.
I ordered take-out. The phone service was insanely friendly. It almost felt like it was their first day in business and they were excited about taking one of their first calls. It was kind of cute. I ordered a veggie burger and was offered a side of honey mustard. I accepted. I also had to get a chocolate chip cookie because from some research I found that they are known to have some great cookies.
My delivery arrived pretty quick. The veggie burger looked amazing right away. It was a colorful patty on this amazing looking bun. A 9-grain bun that I found out was homemade. It was so fresh and light. The burger had lettuce, tomato and mixed greens on top. The honey mustard offered on the side was really delicious. The patty consisted of: peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, lima beans (?), and maybe bread crumbs. It held together nicely. The patty was nothing original, but the whole package was really dgreat, that's why I'm giving them a 4 out of 5.
Side note: the chocolate chip cookie was amazing!!
1516 1st Ave, New York 10075
(At 79th St)
Deli, Desserts, Bakery
Veggie Burger - $6.95 (well worth the price)
I had never even heard of this place before when I had walked by it one day. They had a sign outside that listed some delicious sounding soups, sandwiches, and a veggie burger. Bingo! I wasn't hungry at the time, but I made a mental note to go back.
I ordered take-out. The phone service was insanely friendly. It almost felt like it was their first day in business and they were excited about taking one of their first calls. It was kind of cute. I ordered a veggie burger and was offered a side of honey mustard. I accepted. I also had to get a chocolate chip cookie because from some research I found that they are known to have some great cookies.
My delivery arrived pretty quick. The veggie burger looked amazing right away. It was a colorful patty on this amazing looking bun. A 9-grain bun that I found out was homemade. It was so fresh and light. The burger had lettuce, tomato and mixed greens on top. The honey mustard offered on the side was really delicious. The patty consisted of: peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, lima beans (?), and maybe bread crumbs. It held together nicely. The patty was nothing original, but the whole package was really dgreat, that's why I'm giving them a 4 out of 5.
Side note: the chocolate chip cookie was amazing!!
#1 - Green Kitchen - Upper East Side - 2.5 out of 5
Green Kitchen
1477 1st Ave, New York 10021
(at 77th)
Diner & Coffee Shop
Veggie burger - $6.95
For some reason I thought it was a "healthier" diner. I think it was the word "green" in their name. I was quick to realize it is no different from any other diner in terms of their menu options (i.e. a menu the size of an encyclopedia). For some odd reason, diners are a dime a dozen in the Upper East Side/Yorkville. But alas, they do their own veggie burger, so they get respect from me for that.
I gave this burger a 2.5. It's not bad, it's not great. The bun was your standard white bun, not much to it. It was served with lettuce and tomato, nothing exciting there. The burger itself was good, though I believe fried. It didn't have an abundance of taste, but it wasn't bland either. It was made up of veggies like: carrots, green beans, peas, and maybe a pureed squash. Something, probably breadcrumbs, were binding this together nicely. It was mushy, but annoyingly so.
I walked out underwhelmed, though I can't say I had high expectations for a diner veggie burger anyhow. However, living in this neighborhood, I doubt it will be the last one I try.
1477 1st Ave, New York 10021
(at 77th)
Diner & Coffee Shop
Veggie burger - $6.95
For some reason I thought it was a "healthier" diner. I think it was the word "green" in their name. I was quick to realize it is no different from any other diner in terms of their menu options (i.e. a menu the size of an encyclopedia). For some odd reason, diners are a dime a dozen in the Upper East Side/Yorkville. But alas, they do their own veggie burger, so they get respect from me for that.
I gave this burger a 2.5. It's not bad, it's not great. The bun was your standard white bun, not much to it. It was served with lettuce and tomato, nothing exciting there. The burger itself was good, though I believe fried. It didn't have an abundance of taste, but it wasn't bland either. It was made up of veggies like: carrots, green beans, peas, and maybe a pureed squash. Something, probably breadcrumbs, were binding this together nicely. It was mushy, but annoyingly so.
I walked out underwhelmed, though I can't say I had high expectations for a diner veggie burger anyhow. However, living in this neighborhood, I doubt it will be the last one I try.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The store bought veggie burger
I often buy store bought veggie burgers as well. However, my taste is becoming more and more favorable to restaurant creations. I think that is why my taste of store bought brands is changing so much. I used to be all about the Boca - Garlic burger. Now I can barely eat it. It tastes so bland to me and the consistency is kind of weird (think hockey puck).
My current favorite store bought veggie burgers are:
-The original Gardenburger
-Morningstar Farms Asian veggie patties
-Don Lee Farms veggie patties (Costco)
-Amy's California burger
-Boca bruschetta burger
Side note: I used to get SO annoyed when restaurants started making their own veggie burgers and they weren't that great yet, but they'd call them Gardenburgers. I was fooled a few times thinking that is what I'd be getting was the brand Gardenburger. I'd explain to people (and nobody cared), that it was a brand name and was false advertisement to call it that and have it be their own concoction. It should just be called veggie burger.
It was a stupid battle that I ALWAYS lost, but back then it was so much harder to be a vegetarian when you went out to eat, so it was frustrating to be duped.
My current favorite store bought veggie burgers are:
-The original Gardenburger
-Morningstar Farms Asian veggie patties
-Don Lee Farms veggie patties (Costco)
-Amy's California burger
-Boca bruschetta burger
Side note: I used to get SO annoyed when restaurants started making their own veggie burgers and they weren't that great yet, but they'd call them Gardenburgers. I was fooled a few times thinking that is what I'd be getting was the brand Gardenburger. I'd explain to people (and nobody cared), that it was a brand name and was false advertisement to call it that and have it be their own concoction. It should just be called veggie burger.
It was a stupid battle that I ALWAYS lost, but back then it was so much harder to be a vegetarian when you went out to eat, so it was frustrating to be duped.
The evolution of the veggie burger
Veggie burgers have come a long way. In 1994, when I first gave up meat, I am not even sure I knew about veggie burgers. That was probably because they barely existed. I remember certain grocery stores had one or two frozen varieties, but that was about it. Eventually, a few restaurants started adding them to the menu, but it was just a bun with one of the aforementioned store-bought frozen veggie patties.
Slowly more brands started to pop up and more restaurants started to carry them. I remember a point where healthier restaurants started making their own. I don't recall liking those in the beginning, they were always so mushy (a word you will find often in this blog). I was far to the texture you'd get from the Boca's and Morningstars. Suddenly, they started getting better, and more restaurants were taking their spin on them. Now, it seems like everywhere you go, a restaurant makes their own veggie burger, and let me tell you from experience, they are certainly not created equal.
You can do just about anything with a veggie burger, but there are some typical bases that are used: grains, vegetables, beans, or textured vegetable protein/soy. What is used to bind them together is always different, but a lot have some sort of dairy or eggs, so unless specified, I would never assume a veggie burger is vegan.
What brings me to writing this blog is that I LOVE veggie burgers. This latest boom of so many restaurants having one and the great variance from one to the other is incredible. I have found that I can't go to a restaurant and not order the veggie burger if I haven't tried it yet.
I have decided to start blogging my findings, offering an eaters guide to veggie burgers in NYC. I don't believe veggie burgers are just for vegetarians, some people eat them because they are simply tasty or just healthy alternative (which by no surprise I am finding can be entirely untrue at some places - ah America!).
A few things to note:
-I had already started this months ago and lost all of the notes I had taken when my Macbook decided to crash. So, I'm starting over. It's a tough job, but somebody as to do it (well, not really, but still..).
-Speaking of, this isn't really a job, it's a hobby. It could get expensive. If you want your veggie burger "reviewed" quicker, hook me up! I can't promise I'll like it, but I can promise I'll write about it.
-I am not a vegan, I am also a very low-maintenance vegetarian, i.e., I will go to a BBQ and allow my veggie burger to share the same grill meat is being cooked on, even the same utensils. In sum, if you are really hard core, please note that I am not dissecting where these are cooked or if they contain dairy.
-A lot of these will probably begin to be from places in my neighborhood in the UES, but I'll expand my horizons eventually.
-
Slowly more brands started to pop up and more restaurants started to carry them. I remember a point where healthier restaurants started making their own. I don't recall liking those in the beginning, they were always so mushy (a word you will find often in this blog). I was far to the texture you'd get from the Boca's and Morningstars. Suddenly, they started getting better, and more restaurants were taking their spin on them. Now, it seems like everywhere you go, a restaurant makes their own veggie burger, and let me tell you from experience, they are certainly not created equal.
You can do just about anything with a veggie burger, but there are some typical bases that are used: grains, vegetables, beans, or textured vegetable protein/soy. What is used to bind them together is always different, but a lot have some sort of dairy or eggs, so unless specified, I would never assume a veggie burger is vegan.
What brings me to writing this blog is that I LOVE veggie burgers. This latest boom of so many restaurants having one and the great variance from one to the other is incredible. I have found that I can't go to a restaurant and not order the veggie burger if I haven't tried it yet.
I have decided to start blogging my findings, offering an eaters guide to veggie burgers in NYC. I don't believe veggie burgers are just for vegetarians, some people eat them because they are simply tasty or just healthy alternative (which by no surprise I am finding can be entirely untrue at some places - ah America!).
A few things to note:
-I had already started this months ago and lost all of the notes I had taken when my Macbook decided to crash. So, I'm starting over. It's a tough job, but somebody as to do it (well, not really, but still..).
-Speaking of, this isn't really a job, it's a hobby. It could get expensive. If you want your veggie burger "reviewed" quicker, hook me up! I can't promise I'll like it, but I can promise I'll write about it.
-I am not a vegan, I am also a very low-maintenance vegetarian, i.e., I will go to a BBQ and allow my veggie burger to share the same grill meat is being cooked on, even the same utensils. In sum, if you are really hard core, please note that I am not dissecting where these are cooked or if they contain dairy.
-A lot of these will probably begin to be from places in my neighborhood in the UES, but I'll expand my horizons eventually.
-
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