Bareburger, Be Still My {Healthy} Heart

Taste-tested and approved by Rebecca Banchik

Bareburger has just released a new updated menu of lunch and dinner options that are not to be missed. The restaurant continues to offer organic and locally sourced food at a great price and even better taste. While I would only be fooling myself to claim that milkshakes, burgers, and fries are health foods, at least while eating anything from Bareburger I feel good about knowing I’m eating whole foods and nothing processed.

There are some old favorites that are still on the menu, like the buffalo chicken sandwich. Bareburger makes a mean buffalo sauce {the sauce itself is Whole30 approved if anyone cares} and smothers it over a perfectly crispy fried chicken thigh. Using dark meat for their fried chicken not only ensures that the meat is juicy, but it guarantees to provide a richer and more robust flavor. If it’s a lighter choice you’re after, the Guapo Chop salad has always been a go-to for me. I can’t say no to guacamole. Ever.

I love cheese almost as much as I love my husband, so I would never personally choose to go vegan. But I’m absolutely pro-delicious foods and treats that are vegan without any sacrifice to flavor or enjoyment. Bareburger’s new vegan “milkshakes” are a real treat, and you don’t even realize you’re not having actual dairy milk or ice cream. The Velvis is a fantastic take on The King of Rock n’ Roll’s favorite combo – peanut butter and bananas, with a rich chocolate goodness. The creamy base is coconut ice cream and hemp milk. Mmm. The other new shake is a mint chocolate cookie concoction made with Newman’s Own chocolate cookies. YUM. If you can’t decide between the two, just bring a date and order both. You only live once, right?

Have you tried the Impossible Burger yet? What about the Beyond Burger? These names make them sound like supernatural burgers and well, they kind of are…meaty goodness but completely vegan. What?! The Beyond Burger is even gluten, soy, and GMO free! Truly you can find something for everyone here regardless of diet, allergy, or preference. 

We tasted the Beyond Burger – a semi-firm patty made with beet juice for color, potato, and coconut among other ingredients. Compared to the Impossible Burger, the texture was more along the lines of a seiten. The Impossible Burger has the texture of ground beef. If you are trying to fool your carnivorous friend, give them the Impossible Burger. If you don’t need it to taste like beef or are ok with a different texture, try the Beyond Burger. Both are really quite satisfying and more distinct than I expected!

A new fried chicken sandwich features a pear compote and a sticky sweet sauce. This sandwich had a lot of sweetness, but was mellowed by a surprise guest of mustard. I was pleased that the chicken maintained its crispy exterior despite the sauce and toppings.

Let’s talk about fries, aka fried happiness. Bareburger’s new take on your diner fries are Queso Fundido fries which are fries covered in a melty cheese sauce, chopped black forest bacon (what?!), and coated with a stellar hot sauce called wham bam sauce. These were truly enjoyable ~ the spice from the hot sauce complemented the creamy cheese nicely, and the fries were crisp and salty. It took a lot of willpower not to finish every…last…one.

You won’t find anything else quite like Bareburger here in Forest Hills. It’s great to support this local restaurant, whose roots are in Queens {the original is in Astoria} and has become a mainstay on Austin Street. When you’re there, take a few minutes to admire the “artwork” and quirky design elements that make the restaurant a fun spot for date night, dinner with the kiddies, or a leisurely weekend hang.