First Look: Zen Burger
Amid rumors of financial problems (the Union Square Zen Palate closed two weeks ago), Zen Burger is scheduled to open the weekend of November 24th on Lexington btw. 45+46th. Here’s a look at a mock up of the inside:
Courtesy of The Angel Group for Branding & Design
It’s a lot more McDonalds’ish than I expected (down to the photos on the overhead menu, which don’t look like veggie burgers to me).
From the looks of a photo of the entire interior, leaving Zen Burger may require some sort of teleportation (achieving Nirvana perhaps?). That photo, after the jump…
Courtesy of The Angel Group for Branding & Design
Related Post: Zen Burger Takes the Madness to a Whole New Level
Posted: 8:22 am, November 9th, 2007 under *Lex btw. 45+46th, Burger, Vegetarian, Zen Burger.
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31 Comments
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Apparently, the burgers have LSD.
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Bloody Hippies DOH will find morocco’s finest in the buns.
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Daaaaaayy Glow
Daa a aaay Glow
Day Glow come and me want go home…. -
The original poster’s remarks (about people’s behaviors at buffets) highlight why my wife and I will NEVER eat at a buffet (restaurant, that is).
Frankly, I think that people who patronize buffet restaurants (especially so-called Asian buffet restaurants) are gambling with their health.
And my wife (proprietress of a successful laser hair removal facility) totally agrees with me.
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The new problem with Zen Burger is, Will it survive the constant changes to the operations management? They got rid of the previous Director of Operations which had the experience, knowledge and vision of what it takes to create a brand and whom had worked with Allen Bernstein from Morton’s chain, with George Naddaff to create Ranch 1, Ramin Kamfar to improve New World Coffee, and James Tanico to create Jimmy’s café’s. Now they have hired a consultant to finish the job James Henzi had started and created. We here that the consultant is making additional changes to make this be more of a grab and go concept than a fast food burger company!!. Where is the “…fresh, most innovative fast food concept that is going to revolutionize the industry”…? as ex-Director of Operation had stated in a conversation!
I tracked James Henzi down Last Tuesday 11/6/2007 through a resume found at careerbuilder.com. I called him and a side of making some positive general comments about what he expects the brand to do, he refused to say or make any further statements as to the direction or future of Zen Burger. -
I am vegetarian and I hope zen burger will be going well and open as soon as possible.
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The previous “Director of Operations” seems pretty bitter about losing his job with Zen Burger which is why he’s posting all of these negative comments while at the same time talking very highly of himself. Gee… i wonder why he was fired?
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Who cares about all this commentary. When are you going to open Karma? from zen-burger.com. Where are my vegetarian burgers! can’t wait to try the yam fries. My girl friend and I love the food at Zen palate but we are craving a change!!!
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You should forget about all this Asian imported foods. Wake up and come to Angelica Kitchen. Now this is great veggie food and safe……great ratings, great taste. no make believe foods.
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Sorry Lee, I don’t have any “insider” info for you… i’m just another NY vegetarian that cannot wait for this restaurant to open soon… their website says opening in November… I guess we’ll see. I hope that the food tastes good and is inexpensive ’cause there are no decent fast-food type veggie places that i know of in the city.
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Finally, a healthy, tasty, inexpensive and convenient alternative to the monopoly held by the multinationals that have gradually destroyed the health of this nation over the past 50 years. Kid-friendly and convenient. Fast food without the guilt that one is feeding %#@& to ones children. Will be great to develop this branding across the nation, so that soccer Moms everywhere can get a quick bite for themselves and their screaming kids, which is ACTUALLY GOOD FOR THEM ALL.
Professor Colin Campbell of Cornell supports this diet (The China Project - Google it), as did Dr Benjamin Spock (the father of Pediatrics).
Great work Zen Burger - keep it up! As a medical professional (general internist) who actually cares more for my patients than for my income (which is enhanced by the other fast [junk] food places), I fully endorse your efforts at using the free market economy to promote good health, in this country.
Too often, capitalism (although the least bad of a variety of bad systems) results in the poor being made to suffer, usually in a gradual manner, which is not realized until it’s way too late, and the nation has an obesity and diabetes epidemic on its hands!
Zen Burger will do more for this country’s health than any federal program has done in years.
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE - remember?
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Oh no, you did not just bring up Dr. Spock!?
What has this website become???Quick, post something about bacon Zack!
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I am floored by the potential of this concept and will pay a visit very soon to investigate the opening operations. All the very best of luck to you, brave veggie-pioneers!
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I read a blurb about this place on JuliB.com… can’t wait to check it otu when it opens!
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Still not open as of yesterday. In fact, it doesn’t even look close to opening yet.
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who is edward thomas?? no dought another zburger insider!
How can you comment on something that does not exist????
kid friendly?? how do you know——-give people the right stear won’t you -duff?? I am across the street five levels up and it does not look like it will open any time soon. I will keep happy with my Hale & Hearty Soups. -
[...] Zen Burger (Lex btw. 44+45th) is saying they will open on January 3rd. [...]
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correction on the comment above. Zen Burger is located on Lexington between 45th & 46th Streets.
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I stopped into ZenBurger today. The wait was about 30+ minutes for food, which was expected because it was their pseudo-opening day (tomorrow official opening day).
I ordered a #5, ZenChicken Wrap w/fries. The ZenChicken had the texture and the taste of real chicken and even had cute, little grill marks on the pieces. The sauce in the wrap sort of reminded me of the Big Mac special sauce but more vinegar-y.
The fries were good, nothing special — reminiscent of Burger King fries.
Other than that, I’ll probably try a ZenBurger next time because I probably wouldn’t order the wrap again. -
Went into to Zen Burger today not realizing it had just opened, so it was very crowded. Although, it only took 15 minutes to get my food. Ordered the basic Zen Burger meal w/fries and iced tea. The burger was on the cold side, probably from being prepared way in advance for the swarm of customers. Overall the taste of the burger was pretty good, a decent clone of beef but not dead-on. I was yearning for a cheese clone, but the Zen sauce was a nice substitute.
Nice selection of alternative beverages; 3 kinds of iced tea.
All for a price that you would normally see at a fast food joint in the city. -
During my 25 minute wait for my food I kept looking around expecting to see Trump’s camera crew filming for another NYC episode of “The Apprentice.” I’m guessing they were driven out by the theme colors, which are even more seizure inducing than in the pictures. If the colors weren’t enough, the rugby scrum to actually get your food finished the job. I actually heard one lady yell “BINGO” when her order number was called out.
The food itself was so-so. The “meat” was more like ham than beef, but it was better than veggie burgers I’ve sampled in the past. The fries were as Blair put it, “reminiscent of Burger King fries”..you know…the old ones that usually ranked the worst of the big 3 fast food joints. The one bright spot of my eating experience was that I didn’t get that “why the hell did I just do this to myself….again?” feeling I usually associated with fast food burgers.
Despite all the craziness, the staff remained helpful and courteous, so there’s hope for Zen Burger, but let’s see how raw nerves are after a week or two more of the madness.
Good Luck Zen Burger….I’m not holding my breath.
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[...] … but the faithful Midtown Lunch commenters provided valuable updates [Midtown Lunch] [...]
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Yes, I have complaints about Zen Burger, but I think they’re fixable, and I’ll be back. I’ve been vegetarian for over 5 years, and this definitely has the potential to cure my heretofore unsatisfied craving for “meaty” fast food.
After a 15-minute wait, I got my $10 Zen Burger lunch which consisted of: (1) an allegedly “crispy” zenchicken sandich, (2) zenshrimp sans tartar sauce because they forgot to put it in my bag, and (3) fast-food potato french fries. My sandwich had one, lone wilted leaf of lettuce and a thin, dime-size whisper of aioli that my tastebuds located, with great difficulty, in the otherwise bare sandwich. The shrimp is reminiscent of overcooked, tough, breaded shrimp from Long John Silver’s. The fries are, at best, ordinary and, I suspect, frozen.
My main objection is the COMPLETE ABSENCE of the yam fries for which Zen Palate is famous. According to the manager/investor who was guiding the line today, this was because of price. But ya know what, I WOULD PAY EXTRA FOR THE DAMN YAM FRIES!!!
Nevertheless, I have to say that I did feel the kind of greasy satisfaction I used to get when I ate at BK or McD or Wendy’s. And it’s really wonderful to be able to order ANYTHING off a fast-food menu for the first time in ages. So yes I’ll be back, probably in a month, after the mobs have dispersed, and after they’ve worked out the kinks in the (over)cooking.
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Went to Zen Burger yesterday for lunch and it was a mad house, not to mention they were doing a photoshoot smack in the middle of the lunch rush. Our order was wrong, instead of a tuna wrap we ended up with a crispy chicken. They ran out of tall three teas and ketchup while I was there and it took them an insane amount of time to replace them. Two different people went to get me ketchup, a third person was pulled in and I still went back to my table with no ketchup. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with enough mayo to choke a horse that actually drowned my dried-out tufu chicken and fries that may be the first batch I have ever left behind. There was NOTHING zen about my dining experience.
I threw out over half my lunch and headed to starbuck’s to get my Zen back.( now that’s sad)
I honestly don’t think I would go back, unless it’s to try the all-natural milk shakes. If so, I think I’ll wait a month or two or three. -
I just ate the sausage egg biscuit from Zen Burger. The sausage tasted like dogfood.
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I had fried shrimp they are smell good and delicious. I will go back to eat other food soon.
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The problem with zen burger is that they need to change there GM he has no control over his workers me and my family stoped by 1 friday to try the place out when a big fight broke out between the “GM” and some thugs it was crazy and unsafe you have some of the kitchen staff running out the kitchen with knifes in their hands i mean come on your buiness is never going to go no where with someone like that running it….
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“Good for you. Good for the Earth” is their tag line. I’m not at all sure about the Good for you part… just check this out.(Taken from their website).
Zen Beef Burger = 388 Calories
Southwestern Zen Beef Burger = 487 Calories
Zen Tuna Fish Sandwich = 551 Calories (Almost the same as a Big Mac!)
Zen Shrimp = 638 Calories!! Wow… That’s MORE then the big mac.It may be vegetarian, but zen burger is NOT healthy for you.
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I have been vegetarian for 5 years and I went this restaurant when I had business trip in New york. I love the Tuna Fish Sandwich. It’s delicious!! I will come back again try other foods next time.
Warning: Dining at Zen Burger may induce seizures. Diner discretion is advised.