Superiority Burger — Restaurant in New York

Update: I've been back to Superiority Burger a few times, and it's been a delight. They now serve the TFT (I believe all day), the service is lovely, and, I've generally been able to get a table (when I come for lunch or early for dinner).

The date shake is sublime too, and I've really enjoyed some of their new specials (like a chocolate mint cake and a yuba side dish).

It's still a bit pricey but it's a wonderful treat and one of the first places I'll recommend to plant-based friends who are visiting from out of town.

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My previous review, from 2023:

I've been going to Superiority Burger for years, love their food, and have been so excited for them to reopen. Parts of the experience delivered but, overall, I was really disappointed.

In brief, here are some tips:

(1) The line gets really long. If you want to get seated right away, get there by 4:30. Otherwise, you risk waiting 2+ hours for a table.

(2) Go in a group of 1, 2, or 4. Tables for 3 and 5 are much harder to come by.

(3) If you want to leave full, be prepared to get at least a main and a side (potentially more) and to spend $30+.

To put all that in context, here's more on my experience.

My party of 3 got there at 4:40 on a Saturday, which is 20 minutes before they open. There were around 30 people in front of us in line, and the space seats 70.

Even though there were plenty of tables open, they wouldn't seat a party of 3. They told us that 3 people couldn't sit at a table for 4 because "they wanted as many people to experience their restaurant as possible." They also wouldn't let us sit at the bar, even though there were 5 or so seats open.

They put us on a waitlist and told us it would be 20-30 minutes. It ended up taking 80 minutes to get a table. It was extremely frustrating because dozens of people behind us in line (who were in groups of 1, 2, or 4) were seated before us for seemingly opaque and arbitrary reasons.

Once we were seated, the service was great and the food came quickly. I was disappointed that some of my favorites (like the Hippy Wrap and TFT) weren't on the menu but glad that the Yuba Verde was.

The food was delicious but everything was expensive and came in shockingly small portions. My $19 Yuba Verde felt like a finger sandwich and was much smaller than it used to be. The $15 burgers looked like sliders. And the $8-10 sides were small too (the sweet potato side was half of a sweet potato).

Overall, I loved the food, people, and vibe. But the long wait, poor communication, small portions, and expensive prices put a huge damper on the experience. I hope they can get back into a rhythm but, until then, I can't call Superiority Burger a favorite like...

This was our first time visiting SB in the new location. Before, it was more fast-food with a healthy undertone, creative, quick and delicious. This time, it was neither quick nor particularly delicious, sadly. (I will start by saying the superiority burger itself remains great, a vege version of a classic snarf-able burger. Virtually everything else, from the service to the food to the price, was a disappointment. ) *The wait: we waited over 1h15m for a table which, with no reservations, is expected. Meh. *The service: Slow and bored, which was surprising since the chef Brooks Headley was actually there. Didn't make a difference to anyone except maybe the host who was sweet. *The (other) food: Cold beet appetizer was too vinegar-y, had approx 2 pretzel chunks on it, and was paired with cream cheese that had no jalapeno flavor.. it just didn't work. The broccoli in the (also cold, as if straight out of fridge) charred broccoli salad tasted par-boiled and had no visible charring.... a sad version of the formerly fab dish. The sweet potato was fine, interesting use of chopped-up pickles, but a tiny portion and part-cold. The single stuffed cabbage was also ok but lacked cohesiveness particularly in the use of panko sprinkled on top. We were super excited for the desserts, which were lauded by Pete Wells, but they also didn't land. Peanut butter pie had a decent balance of salty-sweet-fatty flavors but the fudge cake tasted truly like it was from a boxed mix. The coconut cake was bland and overall the dishes were giving Costco bakery. The prices: Yes, we are amidst inflation. Yes, the location is in the heart of alphabet city and labor/food costs are higher than ever. But our dinner, which included only one alcoholic drink, came out to $70pp. For tiny cold plates of not-great food, lacking any expensive proteins, this seems excessive. Maybe if portions were more generous or more care was obviously put into the dishes it would've felt worth-it. We sadly...

Well, don't really know how to express my disappointment. It was my birthday, July 1st and we made it a point to be at the restaurant by 5. We were 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 kids. They said there is only one table for 5 and that it was booked by at least 2 families before us...

We looked at the table, right next to the entrance and it was empty! Wait a minute! I thought there is no reservation!!! There were several cubicle seatings empty, too, where 4 people can sit and 5 can probably sit if the 5th person is a child. My son is 11 and could easily fit in. But, no, can't do!!!!

It felt like there was some law passed by the authorities and the hostess lady was unable to break them!!! She was extremely rude, to say the least. She was on a power trip to show what she can do. And, we also knew what she can do which is that she could, if she had a heart, get us the 4 persons cubicle and let us manage it.

Side note: I manage places too and I know that I have the power to make things work, if I want to!

Not really sure what to recommend to people. Can't say much about the food or the atmosphere because we never got to experience it. So, the only thing I can say to the general members of the public is that, be aware of the nasty and rude hostess. If you get past her, I guess you could have a good time!

A restaurant isn't defined by its food alone, we go there to have a good time, which includes how you are treated by the hostess at the door! The experience starts at the door!

A quick note to the management (if they read it). Please make some effort to have a courteous hostess who can think independently and is quick to figure out alternative options, should a situation...