Goodburger

I did not have high expectations for Goodburger – it looks like your standard fast-food chain, afterall. But I have to admit, when I walked up to the counter to place my order, and asked the cashier if the veggie burger was vegan, her confident “yes” took me by surprise... as did her quickness to alert me to the fact that “the works”, which the veggie comes topped with by default, includes mayonnaise, but I could order it without if I wanted the burger to be completely vegan.

Then I saw this sign while I was waiting for my food:



Fast food that not only knows what vegan means, but advertises a menu item as such??? That’s something I had not expected at all! (the grammar might be a bit off, but it's the thought that counts, right?)

But, lest you get too excited (or fans of fast food too disappointed) – this is how my burger looked when I received it:



That’s more like what I had expected from such an establishment as this.

Barely-green iceburg lettuce, tomato slices that ranged from “okay” to “not ripe enough to eat”, red onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard. The bun was one of those generic pre-packaged ones, but at least it was whole wheat (another option which the helpful cashier had offered to me when I placed my order) and it was fresh – lightly toasted, but not stale like too many generic buns I have encountered over the course of this endeavor.



The best part of this burger was definitely the patty – I was surprised by how good it was, sandwiched between such mediocre buns and toppings. But it was grilled to a crisp on the outside, and warm and soft on the inside, and actually quite tasty. Filled with a mash of vegetables, I could pick out pieces of individual ones to identify: carrots, corn, red peppers, soy beans, and – the biggest surprise – zucchini!



Is Goodburger fast food or not? I don’t know – it’s not as bad as other fast food burger chains which shall not be named here…But the interior feels like a fast food place, and with six locations in NYC I think it qualifies. It’s actually a little more expensive than you would expect a burger to be from a fast food place – or at least you would expect that price tag to include fries, which this one does not! It's not "the best in New York" as their advertising tries to claim, but I still have to say it’s probably the best veggie burger I’ve eaten or will ever expect to eat from a fast food chain.



Cost: $6.20 (does not include fries)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 4      Bun: 2      Toppings: 2

Goodburger
977 8th Ave
between 57th & 58th Street
New York, NY 10019
212.245.2200
five other locations in Manhattan - check their website for the addresses

YumVeggieBurger review #40