Superiority Burger

"Housed in a vinyl-boothed former Ukranian diner, this cutting-edge vegetarian and occasionally vegan restaurant is a cult favorite for good reason. Brooks Headley, the former pastry chef at fine dining temple Del Posto, has created a fun, free-wheeling menu and quirky-cool atmosphere that brings everyone to the party. In addition to the rightfully famous signature veggie burger, which is topped with confit tomatoes and melted muenster, there’s an excellent collard greens sandwich and a comforting Sloppy Joe’s riff called Sloppy Dave, which features tender tofu and crispy frizzled onions. All are served unaccompanied, so round out your meal with sides like a twice-baked potato, burnt broccoli salad, or sweet-and-sour pink beets on a jalapeno cream cheese schmear. Desserts are similarly inventive. Try the griddled banana bread with coconut gelato or a malted date shake made with Bautista Family fruit from California’s Coachella Valley. —Emily Saladino"

"The former Odessa space taken over by Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger is in the brunch game on Saturdays and Sundays, with specials like the Chuck Bettis (a vegan breakfast sandwich), a crispy waffle with guava butter, and a buttery (flaky pastry with fruit compote). The restaurant is open all day — with no midday closure." - Eater Staff

"Superiority Burger for its not-clam pizza made with cauliflower and a lot of lemon that tastes like clam pizza ($11 for a 9.5 inch personal pie, weekends only after 11 p.m., three pies to choose from). You could also just order dessert, the gelato of the day, or a date shake for example, all of which are stellar here." - Robert Sietsema

"In the world of East Village restaurants, Superiority Burger is what we’d call a “chaotic good” character. The walls are covered in photos of everything from Taki 183’s graffiti to Dock Ellis' acid-fueled no-hitter. In the bathroom, audio clips switch every 15 seconds from old commercials to episodes of The Dating Game. There is a real soda fountain. They also make vegan burgers and space-age desserts, and have a fan club that borders on cultish. They also do a late night menu from 11pm to 2am Thursday through Saturday. " - willa moore, sonal shah, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman

"While there are a lot of indulgent things to eat at Superiority Burger, you can keep things pretty light at this vegetarian East Village retro diner. Their vegetarian sloppy joe might not be a part of any lifestyle that’s currently trending, but it must be healthier than the real thing. The veggie burger also tastes like it’s made from real vegetables, and the sides generally won’t do you much damage. Have some burnt broccoli. Have some focaccia. Maybe even a little gelato." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, will hartman