A Hamburger Today
Happy Hour Veggie and Beef Burgers at National Mechanics in Philadelphia
National Mechanics
22 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (map); 215-701-4883; nationalmechanics.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: The veggie burger is good, and both burgers are a great deal during Happy Hour.
Want Fries with That? Thick, crispy steak fries come with the burger. They're not bad, but I prefer skinny.
Prices: National Burger and National Veggie Burger, $9; during Happy Hour, $6
Alex, my best friend and main eating buddy in Philadelphia, is a vegetarian. He's a good sport when it comes to aiding my burger quest and potentially facing a lack of vegetarian options every time I visit him, but I can only drag him around for so long before I feel bad for relegating his meat-free needs below my carnivorous ones.
That's why I was happy to see phillygrub's recommendation for the veggie burger at National Mechanics (named after the beautiful 172-year-old building it occupies, originally known as Mechanics National Bank). And hey, they have a regular burger too. We'd both be happy. We were even happier when we found out that during Happy Hour—5 p.m. to 7 p.m.—both burgers are discounted from $9 to $6, making for a great early dinner deal. Autopsy shots and more after the jump.
Both burgers come with lettuce, sliced red onion, tomato, and your choice of cheese. The National Veggie Burger fulfills the menu's description of, "Not your average veggie patty." Thankfully, it's the opposite of an unappealing lump of indiscernible vegetable/soy-based product mash; instead, it's a patty of julienned vegetables—mostly carrot and zucchini—in which you can actually taste the vegetables, flavor and texture-wise. It's not trying to be meat—it's just a tasty, cheese-topped (in this case, American) veggie sandwich. Alex gave it the thumbs up, followed by moans of fullness after finishing the whole thing.
Unfortunately, my cheddar-topped National Burger didn't fare as well. It wasn't bad, but it would've been better if it hadn't been overcooked (I asked for medium rare as usual), besides that I thought the meat was too densely packed. On the upside, it was well seasoned and was notably fat-oozy—just not enough fat to counteract the occasional dry spots. Near the end of my burger's life I went the open-face sandwich route since I found the top bun just a bit too dense and chewy for the patty.
While I wouldn't think of eating the burgers again outside of Happy Hour, $6 for an eight-ounce burger or veggie burger with more fries than you'll be able to eat while hanging out in a unique space is a great deal (besides that there's also a bunch of beers, but I couldn't rate them since I don't drink). I think most people have figured that out though considering how much the place filled up through the 6 o'clock hour.
Note: Don't bother leaving disparaging remarks about vegetarians; I'll unpublish them.
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