Superiority Burger: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Superiority Burger is one of New York City’s most acclaimed vegetarian restaurants, and it earned that reputation without a single piece of meat. Chef Brooks Headley opened this East Village spot in 2015 after leaving his post as executive pastry chef at the four-star Del Posto, and the food he makes here is clever, ingredient-driven, and genuinely surprising. The current location at 119 Avenue A near Tompkins Square Park holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, three New York Times stars from Pete Wells, and a James Beard semifinalist nod. If you’re looking for real vegetarian cooking in New York, this is the place.

What’s vegan and vegetarian at Superiority Burger

The entire menu is vegetarian. Superiority Burger is a proudly lacto-ovo vegetarian restaurant, which means it uses dairy and eggs in some dishes. That said, a large portion of the menu is vegan, and the kitchen marks vegan items clearly so you don’t have to guess. You’ll find vegan burgers, vegan desserts including a chocolate mousse, and plenty of vegetable-forward plates that skip animal products entirely. If you eat dairy and eggs, you’ll have even more to choose from. Either way, there’s no meat anywhere in the kitchen, so vegetarians have nothing to dodge.

Signature dishes to order

The namesake Superiority Burger is the obvious starting point. It’s a handmade patty built from chickpeas, quinoa, carrots, walnuts, and caramelized onions, and it’s been called one of the best vegetarian burgers in the country. Don’t skip the Yuba cheesesteak, a vegetarian riff on a Philly that uses tofu skin in place of beef. The burnt broccoli salad with creamy eggplant puree and pickled Fresno chilis shows up on nearly every must-order list. The collard greens sandwich and the house salad with carrot-ginger dressing are worth ordering too. Headley’s pastry background comes through in the desserts, so save room for the date shake or a scoop of the rotating ice cream.

How to order

Superiority Burger takes limited reservations through Resy, but the diner counter and back bar are always first-come, first-served. Your best bet for a shorter wait is arriving right when they open. The restaurant is open late on weekends, so it’s also a solid late-night option. Delivery is available through Grubhub. If you’re going on a Friday or Saturday, expect a crowd.

What to watch out for

Prices are higher than you’d expect for what looks like a casual burger joint, so budget accordingly. On the gluten-free front, some salads and sides work without modifications, but the kitchen is small and not set up to prevent cross-contact, so it’s not a safe option for anyone with celiac disease. Call ahead if this is a serious concern. The namesake burger is on the smaller side, so ordering a few sides rounds out the meal nicely.

Is Superiority Burger worth it?

For vegetarians and vegans visiting New York, absolutely. This isn’t a restaurant that apologizes for not serving meat. It’s a fully realized, award-winning kitchen that happens to cook without it. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognizes good value, and while the prices creep up, the cooking quality backs them up. Pete Wells put it at number eight on his list of the 100 best restaurants in New York City in 2024. The wait can be real and the space is compact, but the food is the real deal, and few vegetarian restaurants in the country have a track record like this one.