Me: “Vegan burger recommendations in Nelson?”
Friend: “East St is boss but has random hours. I would always go East Street if open.”
And so after giving East Street a call they confirmed they were open that evening. Phew. Would my friend be right? It was time to find out.
East Street opened in 2010 and is a 100% vegan restaurant. Their priorities (according to their website)?
- Hearty food
- Tasty refreshing drinks
- Great atmosphere
- …and making veges sexy 😉
In front of the store.
I arrived at East Street a little after 7.30 pm on a Saturday evening. In front of the store is a couple of tables and seats. The restaurant is on a quiet side street, so there’s definitely a time and place where this is a good spot to sit (the people watching benefits are minimal given the location).
The menu cover is super cool!
Inside there was a solid amount of people. Not too many where I’d turn around and walk out, but not awkwardly empty.
The staff greeted me with smiles as I went up to the bar to grab a menu, they’re in cool vinyl-like cases. I’m sure you could find a seat and the staff would bring you a menu.
I was on the hunt for a burger and must say I was surprised there were FOUR OPTIONS. Having looked at a couple of the menus from Google Reviews the menus get changed from time to time, I was expecting just the two burger options. The online ordering menu gives an idea of what they have on offer.
A quick look through the items and I was drawn to the jackfruit. It’s sounded pretty epic.
Jack and the Ninja – $18
Marinated jackfruit & hoison tofu, house made smoked paprika and charcoal bun, lettuce, slaw, green pesto, aioli, sauerkraut and pineapple.
I must say I didn’t notice the chip add ons at the time until the staff attempted the upsell (in a nice non-pushy way). I opted against the chips and heading to the outdoor area at the back and took the last available table.
What they’ve done with the potentially grey wall is amazing
The outdoor seating area at East Street Nelson
The outdoor patio area is awesome. There are maybe a half dozen tables, in what is a relatively small, but definitely NOT cramped area. One wall has an amazing piece of street art on it! There’s also a bar out here so it’s easy to get any drinks you need.
I wasn’t drinking, so listened to the cruisey tunes while waiting for my order. It took 11 minutes from the time of ordering until my meal was bought to my table. Awesome.
Now, let’s get into it.
EAST STREET BURGER TASTING NOTES & FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Blah
Note: This is my experience with the Jack and the Ninja burger.
And then you’ve got the knife going through the burger instead of what is usually a toothpick. I’d normally associate this with a steak burger, so it seems a bit unnecessary. The knife only just snuck onto the bottom burger bun as well. There’s plenty of ingredients in the burger, but it does all seem excessive.
You have to take the knife out before you pick the burger up to eat it anyway. Sure, there’s a knife and fork on the plate, but that’s not how most people want to eat a burger.
I ate around the sides of the burger as much as I could to start with. Then did my best to pick up the burger and eat it without too much falling out (fail).
- There were two slices of tofu, both quickly falling out of the burger. Maybe one large slice would be a better option. The tofu itself was delicious with the hoisin sauce.
- The house-made paprika and the charcoal bun = epic! It could be slightly bigger to fit all the ingredients better but it’s a cool design and didn’t go all soft and break up while I was eating (it was lightly warmed).
- The sauerkraut is pretty unique and was very noticeable taste-wise. I don’t know if I’m a massive fan of sauerkraut in a burger…it didn’t really come to the temperature of the rest of the burger.
- The slaw and pesto? All good. And I’m never going to say no to pineapple (even on a pizza)
- The jackfruit? Meh, I think in my mind I was expecting a pulled pork version (like the burger from Smiths in Queenstown). The marinade wasn’t super noticeable…I’m not even sure what the marinade was.
- The lettuce was a big letdown…I’m all for ugly food, but choosing better leaves would help the structural integrity of the burger
- Structural integrity needs work. Maybe I’m being picky, but reordering the ingredients could make the burger hold together much better (I would have happily waited another five minutes if that’s what it takes).
- Captain Obvious here, letting you know it’s not a great burger for eating on the move.
If the burger held together better I’d rate this way higher. It’s just a frustrating eating experience with all the admin involved.
That said, for $18 I feel like the burger was solid value as it left me quite full, even without the sides…maybe because I had to eat everything slower 😉
It’s safe to say I’d be asking more about the burgers next time (referencing my photos) and hoping for a better burger-eating experience with the same fun put into the ingredients.
The staff? Super friendly all throughout and there was no rush to get up and leave. If I was with friends in Nelson, I could easily see us going there, having a drink or two before ordering, eating, then staying for another couple of drinks afterward.
They seem to have live music on from time to time which will be promoted on their Facebook page.
East Street Nelson is located at 8 Church Street, Nelson 7010.
The opening hours can differ from what’s on Google Maps so call them on 03 970 0575 to see if they’re open (and reserve a table).
If you’ve been to East Street (formally known as East St Cafe, Restaurant and Bar), share your thoughts in the comments below.
p.s. if you’ve got any burger favorites for my next visit to Nelson, let me know!
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Vegan Burgers in NZ
Reviews of burgers found across the country.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.