Velvet Burger — Restaurant in Otago

Grateful for the Tuesday 241 deal! Finally had my first veggie burger ever here, didn't have high expectations but man was I blown away by the animal rights burger! The patty was delish, the accompaniment of veges were fresh and crisp, and as I neared the end of my burger, it was not at all soggy or dripping my gross. The mint yogurt sauce was a great addition to the burger, you could really taste the creamy-ness. Mini version is just as good. The fries here are also pretty good, they were well done and crispy, just how I like them. They could’ve been saltier, and found myself reaching for the salt shaker a few too many times!

Beetdrop is a cute little intro to velvet I reckon, and although not the first burger I ever ate from them, I've tried it and it's good. Not much to say, the beef patty is standard and the beetroot is alright, it's a good burger but it's nothing super special that made me go woW'. For the price, probably just indulge in something else a bit more exciting.

The goneburger upon first impression was not as big as I thought it be. However it was delish, love a good burger with all the meats (ironic having tried animal rights first I know) and all the meats were cooked well. Wasn't majorly blown away by it, but it was a fresh burg.

Babe is a goodie too, didn't have huge expectations but upon first bite into the burger, the crumbed chicken breast wasn't dry and it was crunchy and tasty.

Luxe bird was a bit of a let down, the fried chicken was dry and not very tasty, and the burger was filled with stringy pieces of rocket making it look very sad and empty when you opened it up. The only positive to this burger was the chili mayo which added a lovely kick, but otherwise definitely not spectacular.

Big bro is a great take on a kiwi classic 'kiwi burger' and I knew I was gonna enjoy it. The egg, beef, beetroot and bacon are just amazing paired together. So good, there's also mushroom and cheese-ultimate yuuumm, can't go wrong with this one, and the beef patty is tender and cooked well, just a little thin in my opinion but otherwise tasty!!

Just a note that for someone who's never been a huge fan of bread-the burger buns have consistently been tasty and done to a good standard. I love the speckled look of the buns and they're just always fresh and soft.

King saddleback is yuuuuum, the pork was real well sauces and paired with the greens, a really fulfilling burger with nice taste and just something perfect to go to if you're not feeling like a typical patty. Enjoyed this a lot!

Velvet holds some good memories for me when I was in Dunedin, really got me started on the burger train and the 241 is a steal. I’m in Auckland now and sadly it didn’t give me the mems Dunedin one bought, something but Dunedin velvet or maybe just so key in a...

Excited to try the new menu, we turned up before 6pm only to find a closed sign on the door indicating they'd be open at 6pm. Alright, we could deal with that. Went for a walk to keep warm and came back at 6pm, only to be told that we would have to wait for another 15 mins - but not inside in the warm where they were testing the menu. No, we would have to wait outside in the cold and stare inside whilst the 'testers' ate in the warmth. No thanks, we went somewhere else.

Update as of 28/8: Velvet Burger staff have since contacted us, and we have been back to give them a second chance. Their customer service pick up is great. They really did what they could (and then some) to make it right, and that speaks volumes about the values of those higher up the VB chain.

On to the food!!!

If you're hesitating, double is the way to go - I heard from a friend that the single wasn't enough,  and she may have been right because the double really hit the spot. Excellent meat to rest-of-burger ratio with a double mac daddy!

This new menu is a big departure from the velvet burger of old, but they're doing the reinvention right in my books (I'll still always miss that one breakfast burger with a hash brown that they had years and years ago, though).

The chips were pretty good - skinnies are always a good pick - and their aioli is still hands down the best in town.

What a redemption arc - great work, Velvet...

Visiting Dunedin after studying here years ago - the place is a shadow of it's former self and honestly it was really sad to see what velvet burger has become.

The burgers have gone to a brioche bun and smash patty - the original bun was less aesthetic but more filling, tasty and held together better. It very much feels like an attempt to copy re-burger and their instagrammable burger success, even though the OG velvet burgers were far tastier, varied and unique. The burgers are also really really salty. If velvet burger had just bothered to continue with their original theme/marketing but translated it to new online media, they would have found success.

The decor and specials haven't changed in about 10 years and many of the specials/posters are empty. It gives the impression of an establishment that's on it's last legs and that the owners have checked out.

I love velvet burger 10 years ago but it feels like the owners haven't paid it any care/attention or thought. Also - their 5 star reviews seem a bit...