BAREburger
January 2, 2014
THE HUNGER JAMES OFFICIAL RATING:
Organic. Holistic. Vegetarian. Vegan. These are not words that I use to describe my diet.
Cheese. Bacon. Fried. Cheese. These, however, ARE words that I use.
I know maybe eating fried food with cheese and pig fat for every meal is not the best thing for my cholesterol, but it just tastes soooo good! But, as the year was coming to a close, I sat down at a Dunkin Donuts and pondered about how my eating habits should change.
Being someone who will never give up meat or dairy, I realized that I should start eating a little bit on the healthier side: opting for broccoli or green beans instead of fries, choosing grilled chicken instead of breaded, and only ordering 2 Boston Creams instead of 4.
This past Monday I did two things I thought I’d never do: Go to Astoria, Queens and eat at an Organic restaurant.
The name of the restaurant was Bareburger, and apparently it has somewhat of a large following. I had never heard of it, but was willing to give it a try. I looked at the menu online before we went, and once I saw the words “onion rings” I was sold.
The feel of the restaurant was very cozy and casual, being squeezed into booths like grass-fed cattle. They have a pretty decent-sized menu and the prices were not that bad, either. What I found amusing was on the bottom of the menu, there was a legend key with different icons in it; vegetarian, vegan, peanut free, gluten free, dairy free, absolute crap, no taste, etc.
On the burger side of the menu, they have over ten different burgers you can choose from, and also a “Make your own” option. You can choose your choice of meat patty, from beef to chicken, veggie to black bean, and elk to bison.
Nervous to try elk or bison, and not eating a burger made of vegetables and legumes, I chose just a normal “organic” beef patty, topped with “organic” cheddar cheese, applewood smoked “organic” bacon, on a gluten-filled bun. I know, not the healthiest. Especially because my friend ordered a veggie burger, no cheese, and replaced the bread with a lettuce wrap.
“Way to make me look like a fatass” I said with my mouth full of onion rings.
All “health” jokes aside, I actually loved this place. The food was delicious. The specialty beers they had were amazing. And the atmosphere was great and inviting. I would definitely go back to Bareburger, and maybe, if I am feeling healthy, I will try a turkey burger with no cheese, no bacon, and lettuce for bread.
But…that’s not looking very promising.
Hope everyone has a happy and HEALTHY new year!