My Guide to the Best Vegan Burgers NYC has to offer

Vegan. Burgers. NYC. Enough said.

Time in New York is never enough to content me with all of the amazing food it has to offer. I was there on a cheeky mission to eat my way through a New York itinerary of all the Vegan Burgers and, although I reckon I did a semi-decent job following these New York tips (and I have the belly flab to prove it), I still couldn’t sample everything. You can now find the Impossible Burgers in several locations in NYC, but I did give that a miss. Here’s what I managed to stuff my face with while I was there doing some freelance work, however.

THE BEST VEGAN BURGERS IN NYC

BLOSSOM DU JOUR

A small healthy fast-food chain in New York, 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.

Burgers from $9.75
Locations and opening hours
Facebook // Menu

Superiority Burger

A post shared by NYT Food (@nytfood) on Aug 29, 2017 at 4:19pm PDT

There are rave reviews about the veggie burgers at this little hole in the wall of the East Village and with good reasons. Look at that beast of a burger! Everything here can be made vegan and their most famous burger, the Superiority Burger, is only $6. It has actually won best burger (not vegan burger) in NYC twice. There’s an amazing selection of sorbet flavors too!

Burgers from $6.00
430 E 9th St, New York
Opened daily, from 11am-9pm
Facebook // Menu

THE 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 into town . 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’ FRIGGIN’ 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.

Burgers from $12.00
7th Ave & West 33rd Street
Opened daily, from 11am-9pm
Facebook // Menu

The Organic Grill

A post shared by Sylvia • Get in my belly! (@bellythebeast) on Jul 15, 2017 at 8:41am PDT

An all vegan cozy restaurant with a few burger options, their Green Machine Burger (pictured above) was voted “Top 10 Vegetarian burgers in NYC” “Best Veggie Burgers NYC” and it is indeed quite glorious! Roasted mushroom patty, pesto, vegan cheese, caramelized onions, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, & sprouts make for a healthier option than some of the other listed here, but it is no less delicious!

Burgers from $13.00
123 1st Avenue, New York
Opened daily, from 2am-12am
Facebook // Menu

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…

Burgers from $9.95
Locations and opening hours
Facebook // Menu

5 Napkin Burger

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If you don’t mind visiting a place where meat is also served, something magical awaits at 5 Napkin Burger. Although the menu reads “house made with too many ingredients to count, 5n sauce, b&b pickles, multigrain roll“, I was let in on the fact that is contains barley, beans, rice, sesame seeds, jalapeños, carrots, and beets, which is what gives it its red meaty huh, whether you like that or not… You may require all five napkins!

Burgers from $11.95
Locations and opening hours
Facebook // Menu

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 cheesesteak, 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!

Burgers from $14.00
197 Meserole St, Brooklyn
Opened daily, from 2am-12am
Facebook // Menu

I am hoping to be back in New York soon to continue this formidable exploration of all the NYC vegan burgers but, for now, that is all I have for ya. Perhaps getting an NYC local eating guide would have helped. Next time! That was in three days, so not too bad?