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astro burger: vegan fast food on melrose
12March 27th, 2009astro burger, LA restaurantsfor vegans in hollywood who are looking for some quick, cheap and decent fast food…astro burger is your place. located on the corner of melrose and gower, the legendary burger joint has been around since the 70’s and has a really impressive vegetarian menu, with vegan items clearly marked.
i hit up astro burger for the first time with one of my vegan homies, and we both left stuffed and feelin’ happy. most of the vegan items at astroburger are provided by gardenburger; they offer several of their products including the chik’n grill, bbq riblets, flame grilled burger and more. while the food is mass-produced store-bought stuff and isn’t exceptional, it’s really well-prepared at astro burger and pretty inexpensive. (everything costs around 5 bucks)
chik'n grill vegan sandwich with no bbq sauce, + mushrooms, + onions, + avocado
my friend ordered the chik’n grill sandwich and (being the astroburger pro that she is) got it modified with from average to delicious by adding extra toppings. she shared some with me and i was wishing i had ordered this for myself as well. the chik’n grill normally comes with lettuce, tomato and bbq sauce…but she got it without the sauce, plus grilled onions, mushrooms and avocado. absolutely wonderful. the chik’n patty was really thick and juicy, the onions and mushrooms added tons of flavor, and the avocado provided a cool and creamy texture that complimented the cooked vegetables perfectly. it may have been falling apart, but it was one of the better vegan fast food sandwiches in los angeles, for sure. it would have been much more boring with just lettuce and tomatoes on it.
flame grilled vegan gardenburger
i ordered the vegan flame grilled burger which came with lettuce and tomatoes, and tasted like a standard store-bought gardenburger. not much to really describe about this one, it was lightly grilled and didn’t have much flavor…next time i am totally gonna add some onions and mushrooms.
vegan chili fries
we also split an order of vegan chilli fries, which were excellent. i was expecting the chilli to contain fake meat and probably be out of a can, but instead it was just beans with a really thick sauce, sliced round carrots, and huge chunks of chillies. the crispy fries were absolutely covered with it, and it was all topped off with a load of fresh chopped onions. i really, really dug the chilli fries and would definitely order them again. between the two of us, not a single fry or bean was left behind.
so there you have it, astro burger is definitely a place to grab some vegan fast food if you are hungry in the hollywood area. they have a parking lot and a drive thru, which is super convenient but they are cash only, which is not so convenient. they also have an atm inside the restaurant if you don’t mind paying a buck fifty surcharge in order to buy a burger.
oh and don’t get this astro burger on melrose and gower confused with the one in weho on santa monica blvd. i think they are owned by the same people, but the vegan menu at the melrose/gower location is much more extensive. and yes, the vegan items are cooked on a separate grill with separate utensils, it even says so on their website. enjoy!
astro burger
Tags: burger, chicken, chili fries, fast food, hollywood, melrose
5601 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 469-1924
11 responses to “astro burger: vegan fast food on melrose” 
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i ate here a lot when i worked over that way. they also have vegan mayo which vastly improves the veggie burger. really good for a fast, cheap, greasy meal.
but it’s no o!burger.
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I find myself craving Astro Burger. I too used to eat there a lot when I worked on that side of town. They’re just a good burger joint. I don’t recall that vegetarian sign. I would always ask to have my food cooked away from the other sh*z… They were cool but it’s good to know it’s the norm and I don’t need to ask.
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I generally find there food sloppy and bland. The one item I do like is the BBQ Riblet sandwich. That is pretty good.
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I’ve driven by this one 100 times since I accidently went to the other Astro Burger, lol. I definitely did NOT need to know about drive threw chili fries!!! 🙂
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I’m not really into fast food, but when I do want some quick ‘n dirty late night grub, Astro Burger is not bad! They certainly have way more variety than most places like it.
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Mmm. I almost missed this, you posting machine! This place is the best “on the way home from the side bar and need beer absorption” meal ever. Especially if my eyes are too red to actually set foot inside a restaurant 😉
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I went there in like 1997 on a High School trip & it blew my fucking mind that I could get fast food vegetarian options!
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are u sure about vegie burgers being cooked on separate grill? b/c they definitely are not at the sm blvd location…
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Forget the SM Blvd location, that place sucks. After being surprised at the lack of amazing vegetarian menu I knew from the other location, I once ordered the Flame Grilled Gardenburger, thinking it would be prepared the same. It came smothered in Thousand Island. Haven’t been back to that location, and never will.
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Schramm May 25th, 2010 at 13:41
from midnight ridazz stops to random trips by, sometimes astro burger just hits the spot.
i’m a big fan of a simple flame grilled with vegenaise and shrooms and onions.
it’s insane that astro buger has better veg eats than some ALL vegetarian establishments, and on the cheap!
of course it’s all store bought stuff, but sometimes, made with all the right toppings – it’s spot on.
there are other things too i think they have that might be vegan or might be worth inquiring about like battered deep fried zucchini and onion rings — does anyone who goes there regularly know the answer?
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[…] meals, and vegan stuff is clearly marked. I’ll have to probably visit again, after reading this post a few more times. Bring cash. […]
brea March 27th, 2009 at 08:02