Connolly's Pub And Restaurant

My friends’ band, Vonesper played a show here last weekend – along with another awesome band, Erosian Exile. They played a kick-ass show, and it was a great night. I had just come from a long day of working on a video shoot, so I had to grab a bite to eat from the pub’s food menu before the music began….


Vonesper
Photo by Dwayne Burgess

So I ordered the “Big Apple Vegetable Burger”. Connolly's is a crowded pub right next to Times Square, so I didn’t have high expectations. I just wanted something that would fill my stomach, and couldn’t pass up the chance to review a new burger for the blog anyway.



It arrived loaded with melted swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms (which I, mushroom hater, promptly removed). In addition to lettuce, onion, and tomato, it was also topped with a basil mayo – a new variety of mayo in my book, but one that tasted surprisingly delicious, and added a really unique note to the otherwise standard burger. The swiss cheese was also a really dominant flavor – so I’m not sure that the burger would have tasted as good without it, but with that topping, it was quite flavorful. Although I don’t eat a lot of dairy, once in awhile I make an exception, and this was one that I enjoyed.



In case you couldn’t tell from my description of the toppings (swiss cheese, mayo…) this is not a vegan burger. The patty itself, beneath all that melted cheese, although an obviously pre-made one, was pretty decent. Cooked to a crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside – the usual mix of carrots, soy beans, and other indistinguishable chopped vegetables and binding ingredients. The bun was weighed down beneath all the toppings and patty; the bottom half was squished nearly flat, and a bit soggy, but the top was light and sweet, toasted just a little bit, crusted with sesame seeds.



Overall, I have to hand it to Connolly’s – this was not bad for a veggie burger at a pub in midtown. I was definitely bracing myself for something closer to inedible, but instead I found myself actually enjoying it. Having a pint of Magner’s to wash it down with helped too.

And the show was awesome. You should check out the bands’ websites and give their music a listen:
Vonesper
Erosian Exile

I mean to take photos of the show, in addition to the photos I took of my veggie burger… but I got distracted by watching and dancing, and forgot to. Haha.

Cost: $12
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 2      Bun: 3      Toppings: 4

Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant
121 West 45th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
212.597.5126

YumVeggieBurger review #52