Burger Village opens in Farmingdale

Great Neck's loss is another village's gain, at least when it comes to elk burgers: Burger Village, they of organic, exotic-meat patties and industrial farmhouse vibes, has landed in the food-dense nucleus of the Walmart shopping plaza in Farmingdale.

The growing chain takes over a former mattress store in a strip mall that also hosts Chipotle, Blaze Pizza, Panera Bread and The Halal Guys, making it the only full-service restaurant of the bunch (and the only full bar, although sitting at the bar itself is verboten for now).

"We signed this lease three years ago," said partner Nick Yadav, half sighing as he recalled the ups, downs and delays of 2020. With his brothers Ravi, Sam, and Vick, he opened the first Burger Village in Great Neck in 2013, which never reopened after the first coronavirus-related shutdown earlier this year.

Like its culinary kin and predecessor, Bareburger, Burger Village stretched the possibilities of what could be wedged in a brioche bun (or collard green) with patties made of elk, boar, salmon, lamb, mushrooms, beans and even ostrich; the beef, bison and turkey are organic and antibiotic-free.

About two years ago, Bareburger — which as founded in Queens in 2009 — removed exotic meats from its menu, leaving Burger Village mostly alone in the elk- and ostrich-burger department.

There are now Burger Villages in Brooklyn, California and Edmonton, Canada, as well as a brand-new location in Astoria, Queens; a few of those are franchises. The other remaining Burger Village on Long Island is at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville, and proximity there to a Blaze Pizza, too, "is just a coincidence," Yadav said. He added that 24 employees had been hired for the new location.

The décor in Farmingdale matches that of Hicksville, with reclaimed wood walls, hanging Edison bulbs, charcoal-grey leather booths and distressed-metal chairs, plus a bar. The mostly organic meat burgers (starting at $11) are sourced from Blackwing Meats, and are modular: Choose a patty, then a delivery method (toasted brioche bun, wheat wrap, collard-green, lettuce, or gluten-free bun) and then from a wealth of toppings, such as sautéed onions, slivered jalapeño peppers, fried eggs, or various cheeses and sauces. The vegetarian-burger field is particularly strong, with Beyond Burger, Impossible Burger, and various house bean and veggie burgers represented, plus vegan cheeses.

Shakes (made with Blue Marble Organic Ice Cream) and fries are also part of the formula, as are soups ($7), salads ($6 to $12) and sides ($5 to $10). On the beverage front are Maine Roots sodas and Tractor organic iced teas, as well as cocktails such as Moscow mules and blueberry bourbon smashes, plus beer and wine. Though you can dig into all of this in the half-capacity dining room, Burger Village is doing takeout and curbside delivery, using the same biodegradable paper containers they've used for years.

Burger Village is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 901 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale. 631-396-0214. burgervillage.com Temperatures are being taken at the door.