VEGAN BURGERS IN WELLINGTON: MISSION EAT THEM ALL

Wellington is a haven for burger lovers!

And while vegan burgers in Wellington are a minority, lots of restaurants provide vegan burgers year-round.

And thankfully the majority of them are epic!

This post will document the vegan burgers I eat in Wellington (you can see vegan burger reviews across NZ here).

Hopefully, this helps you decide where to go to satisfy your burger cravings (there’s a map of the places listed below too). If it does, let me know 🙂

Note about photography: All the photos on this page have been taken by me. I’m not one who spends ages getting the food looking perfect before taking a photo, I’d rather just get eating.

MY BURGER TASTES

While I’m far from a foodie, I know what I like and don’t like in a burger. I like a burger that:

• Has a texture on the softer side.
• A burger big enough where you can consider it a meal on its own (no sliders).
• The more ingredients the better (within reason).
• A burger made and served by friendly and helpful staff.

VEGAN BURGERS IN WELLINGTON

Here’s a map of all the places featured in this post.

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1. PLANT BLAZED

Update May 2023: Plant Blazed has closed down for the most part, as they have done over the last few years…occasionally they’ll open here and there…keep up to date on the Facebook page.

The burger above is the Big John which is southern fried seitan, slaw, corn stampedo, pineapple, cheez, aioli, bbq ($16.50).

This is my favourite burger on this page! But it doesn’t matter what I order at Plant Blazed, they always bring the goods.

Founded in 2018 by Simon Lyons and Scott McLeod, these guys are the ultimate small business. They’re always hustling (they document their adventures on Facebook for their community), but are successful by consistently showing up, being honest, and cooking an epic burger.

Their location doesn’t help them in terms of walk-in traffic, but they’ve developed their plot into a cool little space which has a caravan where you order and covered seating. If you want to eat your burger in the sun, there’s some grass right across the road, it’s perfect.

The burgers are a regular feature on their menu, but they do offer up other options from time to time which ensures they keep people (and me) coming back.

Downside: They aren’t open on Sundays. And as they’re a small business they don’t always stick to their usual operating hours so check their Facebook page out (below) in advance to make sure they’re open.

Address: See update above.
Online: Facebook

2. LAUNDRY

The burger above is the Broc ‘n Roll which is tempura fried broccoli fleurettes, white bean & truffle hummus, capsicum coulis, bitter greens, chili & nut brittle, topped with sautéed shiitake mushrooms ($18).

Laundry is a not-so-hidden gem to Wellingtonians, but for tourists this place just appears to be a regular laundry shop given the outside decor.

BUT, once you go inside it’s usually full of patrons with burgers, beers, and other meals flowing through the night. Laundry doesn’t open until 4 pm most days which has been a hindrance for me previously, but definitely grab a burger for dinner (or super late lunch) if you’re nearby.

Inside you’ll be looking everywhere with the eclectic decorations and the pure numbers of alcohol. Later in the evening, the staff will move the tables out to open up the place for people to have a boogie.

They do switch up their burger menu from time to time, so you might not see the Broc ‘n Roll while you’re there but it’s the creativity with things like the broccoli fleurettes (SO GOOD) which keeps them interesting.

Downside: Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Address: 240 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Online: Facebook | Website

3. SWEET RELEASE

Update May 2023: They don’t always have a burger on the menu. Call up and ask before you go to avoid disappointment.

The burger above is the Jacked Up burger which came 3rd place in the 2019 Wellington on a Plate burger competition ($16). In it you’ll find Not Ribs, slaw, and garlic butter, on a housemade bun.

With their new location on Manners Mall, Sweet Release is going to be more and more popular I believe (especially with the larger seating capacity).

They’re 100% vegan, with one burger the menu. The staff are super friendly, both those at the counter and serving the food.

The Jacked Up burger has a huge rep and I finally got it after it was recommended as one of the places to eat in Wellington by Wellingnoms.

And the burger was delicious, but it’s not my favourite kind of burger as I like more ingredients and even before switching to vegan wasn’t a big fan of ribs because of the messiness. In saying that, you might want to go with a knife and fork to eat this. The bun and garlic butter were both awesome.

So while I can’t fault this burger if I take my preferences out, I’ll still give it 3rd place. It’s just not my favorite style personally.

Address: 99 Manners Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Online: Facebook | Website

4. EKIM BURGERS

The burger above is the Mum which is falafel, hummus, jalapeno salsa, and mushroom ($9).

This place is opposite Laundry, and yes they do specialize in burgers with over a dozen options. The restaurant is set up in a caravan, and it’s almost run like a takeaway shop with an outdoor seating area which is larger than Plant Blazed (most of the seating is sheltered).

It’s a super casual place which I like and the staff were straight up about mentioning all burgers are cooked on the same grill.

The mum burger was delicious, and with a price of $9 was the cheapest one in this post. It comes in the wrappers like you get at McDonald’s, but it definitely has tastes netter. If you want a cheap vegan burger in Wellington this is the place to be! They don’t serve beer either, so you won’t find yourself breaking the bank here.

Downside: If it’s a windy/wet day, it’s not the most comfortable place to eat.

Address: 257 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Online: Facebook

RELATED POST: OTHER THINGS TO DO IN WELLINGTON

5. BURGERFUEL

The burger above is the V8 Vegan which is crumbed pumpkin, carrot, chickpea and ginger bites, melted vegan provolone, miso pea mash, raw grated beetroot w/chia seeds, salad, relish and BurgerFuel Vegan Aioli ($12.90).

BurgerFuel is the cool, upmarket, takeaway joint found all over NZ. As soon as you walk into any of their stores you get the hipster-like vibe. And their burgers are good, regardless of which store you goto they do a consistent job.

They only have three vegan burger options, with my favourite being the V8 Vegan which is hearty and soft at the same time without feeling greasy. Don’t forget to order some motobites and vegan aioli sauce, both go down a treat!

BurgerFuel leans more towards the takeaway vibe than a sit-down restaurant so I tend to get BurgerFuel when I’m looking for something quick to go. What I love is that this is a kiwi brand (54 NZ stores) that has expanded internationally into five other countries with a total of 88 locations worldwide (at the time of writing).

Address: click here – there are four locations in and around Wellington CBD.
Online: Website | Facebook

6. BURGER LIQUOR

The burger was a special edition of THE SMOKEY [WORLD FAMOUS] Vegan version with the ‘not beef’ patty. This isn’t a regular menu item (the patty is though).

Burger Liquor is all about burgers and liquor! Who would have guessed? I ate at the pop-up store and walked into a place that reminded me of a US diner. The bar was really sharp looking, staff friendly, and the light was moody.

I was given the drinks menu to start with, but skipped straight to the burgers and was informed that they can pretty much make all their burgers vegan-ised by replacing ingredients with their not beef patty, facon, and vegan cheese. So it’s perfect for those eating with friends who want a ‘hearty’ burger. I ordered the nights special and was impressed with the quick turnaround time.

At $16 it was one the smaller side, and my first thought was, yup, they aren’t trying to be healthy with these burgers to keep people happy with a piece of soggy iceberg lettuce. The patty was awesome, as was the rest of the burger and I was impressed with the melted cheese (this isn’t easy for vegan cheeses). But, it was a little bit flakey for mine and the bun quickly collapsed which made it tough to keep together. But, when I was eating it, it was great! A little on the small side, but I would eat it again if a friend took me there.

Address: 129 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011 (Temporary popup shop in early 2020 is at 14 Majoribanks Street)
Online: Website | Facebook

7. LORD OF THE FRIES

The burger above is The Lot which is pineapple, beetroot, egg, tomato, cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce, veg beef patty & ketchup.

Review coming soon.

I have eaten at Lord of the Fries in Queenstown and really liked it!

Address: 117 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Online: Website | Facebook

8. GORILLA BURGER

The above burger is the veganised Jungle Boogie with Kale, broccoli & taro patty, halloumi, beetroot mayo, grapefruit, pickle, turmeric, fennel, rocket & kale pesto, milk bun ($16).

For a burger with that many ingredients, I was pretty darn excited! When the burger arrived though, I was definitely deflated when it looked so flat with what apparently no more ingredients than a McDonald’s cheeseburger. I’m not sure how they changed the ingredients to make this burger become vegan but while it tasted good, it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it’d be. The fries? Delicious.

At $16, I rather pay much the same and get a burger from Laundry or Plant Blazed. Or for a cheaper, similar option, Ekim.

The decor of the place was cool though. You can get a glimpse from the photo above, but that was just a piece of it. If you love a funky interior, this is the place to be. And they’ve got Fortune Favours behind the tap which is pretty sweet too.

Address: 125 Featherston Street, Wellington 6011
Online: Website | Facebook

9. MOCKINGBIRD

UPDATE 2023: Mockingbird is now closed. The Champagneria is open in its place, with no burgers on the menu.

The burger above is the Gado Gado which is marinated tempeh strips with pickled red onion, beetroot, shredded cabbage, lettuce and satay sauce ($15). UPDATE July 2020: The Gado Gado burger is no longer available. I tried the Mockingburger and it was a good burger, as mentioned below it would appear there burgers have gotten better.

Located close to the end of Courtney Place this place is the most formal than most places here but still feels casual so I wasn’t uncomfortable.

I loved the service here, and the selection of craft beers was great (there are some on tap too). This plant-based (pretty much all vegan) place opened in late 2019, and I trust the burgers will get better in time. I say that because the burger was my least favourite on the list (if the first six).

I have to caveat that with it also being the burger I had the highest expectations for. Gado Gado is my favourite Indonesian dish that I order almost every time I see it on a menu, so thinking it could be in burger form blew my mind. It just didn’t do it for me though. But as it has been open less than two months when I visited, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and believe their burgers will improve overtime.

Address: 8 Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Online: Website | Facebook

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If you’d asked me in 2010 to name any places selling vegan burgers in Wellington, I’d have had no idea. But now I know plenty of options! Oh, how times change.

What do you think is Wellington’s best vegan burger? I’d love to know!

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