NYCReview
photo credit: Kate Previte
Superiority Burger
Included In
To the unindoctrinated, Superiority Burger looks like a retro, East Village-themed diner, with photos of Taki 183’s graffiti and the legendary St. Marks eatery Dojo on the walls. It’s the kind of place you might take an NYU freshman who’s recently finished reading Just Kids and wishes they’d been around during the last century—a freshman who might be surprised to learn that Superiority itself only opened in 2015.
This vegan burger joint could easily feel contrived: an East Village theme park running on nostalgia and the chef’s scene cred (he’s a hardcore drummer-turned-pastry chef). But where that punk rock ethos comes off the walls and into the present is in the freewheeling kitchen, which supplements its culty vegan burgers with oddball experiments in diner-friendly vegetarian comfort food. Not every experiment works, but the ones that do keep us coming back.
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
Superiority Burger first opened around the corner, in an impossibly small space that quickly drew lines around the block for its burgers and gelato. It’s since moved into the old Odessa diner, a legendary Ukrainian late-night spot, where people would land for tuna melts and stuffed cabbage after shows at A7. They’ve kept the worn leather booths and if-walls-could-talk interiors intact, and they’ve even included an homage to Odessa’s stuffed cabbage on the menu, filled with sticky rice and earthy mushrooms instead of beef.
The cabbage is a hit, and it’s just one of many intriguing and ever-changing side dishes that play out like riffs in a jam session. Some, like the roasted white sweet potato, are still stuck in our heads, with labneh and pickles coming together harmoniously. The burnt broccoli salad is so crispy and salty that it makes french fries, which don’t appear on the menu, feel too mainstream for a place like this. But some ideas are definite skips, like wilted, bitter bbq okra, or a bowl of busted marcella beans that arrives with a hard, useless breadstick on top, and no flavor in tow.
Art school experiments aside, Superiority’s quinoa-chickpea veggie burger still impresses, but the best sandwich here is the collard greens on sesame seed focaccia. It may look and sound boring, but once you try it, you’ll forgive any failed sides. The dessert specials—and some of the city’s best gelato—are more reasons to return to this occasionally imperfect but always fresh restaurant.
You can expect a wait around prime dinner time, but walk in for a quick burger in the back bar area, or go for a late-night catch-up with friends. Or sit at the soda counter, next to someone who used to frequent A7 back in the day, and would be happy to tell you all about it over some tapioca pearl pie.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kate Previte
Superiority Burger
Collard Greens Sandwich
photo credit: Kate Previte
Yuba-Verde
Roasted White Sweet Potato
photo credit: Kate Previte
Spicy Lentils & Cornbread
Busted Beans
Sloppy Dave
photo credit: Kate Previte
Sweet And Sour Beets
photo credit: Kate Previte
Tapioca Pearl Pie
Citrus Funnel Cake with Labneh Ice Cream