The World's Most Famous Veggie Burger Finds A Home In The East Village

The latest in our Quick Bites series brings us to East 9th Street for a much-hyped veggie burger.

THE VIBE
Remember last Christmas morning, when you woke up all excited, jumped out of bed, and headed to the East Village to stand on line and eat a veggie burger?

No?

Well, that's how I spent my holiday, along with a couple hundred other folks eager to sample Brooks Headley's creation, which was rumored to be not only the best of its kind, but also better than most actual-meat burgers. (The first part was true; I'm still not convinced about the second.) That one-day pop-up, called Superiority Burger, took over the former Dirt Candy spot on East 9th, and Headley apparently liked the space so much, and the whole veggie-burger-restaurant concept, that he's now opened a permanent location here. And the lines, at least for the first days, have been long.

The interior of Superiority Burger has been completely redone from its Dirt Candy days, with gleaming subway-tile walls, kind of random artwork (a White Castle ad; a beat-up old Tower of Power LP from the '70s), and five nifty space-saving seats with trays that swivel out so you can get in. You order from the five-item food menu at the counter, then stand around awkwardly listening to good music until one of the friendly cashiers or a kitchen worker calls your name. There are an impressive number of active employees for such a tiny restaurant.

(Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

Most people get their food to go, for obvious (lack of) space reasons, and it's all eminently suitable for wolfing down on a bench in Tompkins Square Park, just steps away. Note: In a classic NIMBY move, after the opening day hubbub Superiority Burger's next-door neighbor glued pebbles all around the city-owned tree planter, so people couldn't sit out front and enjoy their veggie delights.

THE BITES
The Superiority Burger at Superiority Burger is the reason the restaurant exists, and if you're vegetarian you should be psyched to add this to your neighborhood list: it's got satisfying heft (the patty itself seem to include, probably among other things, black beans, quinoa, and lentils); it's smokey and rich and packs big, umami-ish flavors, thanks in part to the mustardy sauce and pickles on top.

(Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

But the real winner at Superiority Burger is the Sloppy Joe, which is some sort of magical tofu concoction that mimics the texture of ground beef, topped by a chunky tomato sauce and crisp "frizzled" onions on a super soft roll that soaks it all right up and keeps things from being a mess. If you had to choose between this and the burger, I'd go with the Sloppy Joe, but getting both ($13 total) seems like the best move.

Right now there's one side dish on the regular menu, a Burnt Broccoli Salad for which the superfood is charred, chopped into small pieces, tossed with fiery red chili peppers and cashews, and placed over a smear of eggplant paste. Again, and like everything I've eaten here, this dish comes loaded with bold flavors.

For a more summery side dish, order whatever fresh, greenmarket treats Headley and his crew are serving as the daily special. My little boat of Rockaway Snap Peas was terrific: crunchy, juicy, and, thanks to a generous sprinkling of breadcrumbs from Addeo's in the Bronx on top, much more than just a crudite type deal.

Headley, as you may have heard, didn't just come out of nowhere: he reigned as the pastry chef at four-star Del Posto before devoting his life (this part if it, anyway), to veggie burgers. So although the Superiority Burger dessert menu features zero pastries, a double scoop of Headley-made Vanilla Labne gelato and Strawberry sorbet is refreshing, tart, lively, and the perfect way to end things here.

(Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

THE VERDICT
If you're vegetarian or vegan—most everything on the menu is either "accidentally vegan" or can be made that way—you will be psyched to add this to your East Village quick-bite list. Meat-eaters will have a good time, too, especially with that Sloppy Joe.

Superiority Burger is located at 430 East 9th Street, just west of Avenue A and, picnic alert, Tompkins Square Park. The hours are Thursday through Monday, 6 to 10 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. (superiorityburger.com)