Vegetarian Junk Food in New York

Kate's twin set up shop in Williamsburg last year with an identical menu and lackluster look. Perhaps the graffitied front offsets the drab interior? Or mock meat is best … consumed in a mocked environment? Who knows. (photo) [link]

Service can be spotty and burgers drippy, but Kate's is still one of my favorite veg spots for greasy junk food, specifically because I have always been a sucker for … pizza burgers in those times when I simultaneously crave both McDonald's and Pizza Hut. [link]

Remodel a White Castle and fill it with vegetarian West Indian/Caribbean fare, and what do you get? Veggie Castle! While "barbecue chunks" evokes images of summertime … digestion gone wrong, the buffet options will at least fill you up without destroying your leather-free wallet. [link]

Pizza fries, chili, meatloaf, and sloppy joes can be devoured at this tiny East Village spot. Try the Old School Public School Lunch, baked mac & cheese, or the New … School Public School Lunch (vegan and tofu version). [link]

This sparsely decorated restaurant, resembling any cheap Chinese joint, is a stone's throw from my apartment and prints one of the funniest take-out menus (not on … purpose). It reads, "the significant benefit of a vegetarian diet is that it promotes beauty." Forget Sephora and Equinox, it's batter-fried mushrooms you need! (photo) [link]

Vegan fast food in Billyburg? Why is that not surprising? I think Foodswings would be the perfect setting for a veggie version of "Supersize Me" where hipsters eat Vegan … Heart Attacks (soy burger with soy bacon and soy cheese) and fries every day for a month, all the while being monitored by alterna-physician/photographer Jay Parkinson. (photo) [link]

Next door to Red Bamboo in Manhattan is less nicely decorated Vegetarian Paradise 2 with yet another mock-meat-heavy menu, such as a turkey dinner or chicken nuggets. … Portions are ample, but avoid the faux fish entrees -- some edible animals aren't meant to be simulated. [link]

One night not too long ago, the menu's so-called "food that comforts the soul" came in the form of the lovely dish pictured here: the no-frills chicken and fries. There's … something very unfortunately deceitful about ordering this McDonald's equivalent for a much steeper price, and feeling OK about it because "it's vegetarian." (photo) [link]

The first Red Bamboo outpost in the West Village has a slightly more extensive menu than its counterpart in Fort Greene, and you'll find all the pertinent dishes to … satisfy your junk food needs: buffalo barbecue wings, fried fish sticks, Philly cheese steaks, and vegetable tempura. [link]