Were You Fooled by the New Restaurant in New Paltz?

Forget "I can't believe it's not butter", a wildly popular restaurant in New Paltz, NY has been "fooling" countless customers with something else... but it's not on purpose.

Moonburger got its start in Kingston, NY, and its success allowed for their recent expansion in New Paltz. It's so popular that everyone's favorite Impractical Joker stopped by last week. Looking at their menu options, everything seems standard, at first. Customers can order a "classic burger", a "classic cheeseburger", as well as fries, cheese sauce, and shakes. There's one detail, however, that's hiding in plain sight.

Moonburger Now Open in New Paltz, NY

While "burger" is in the business' name, Moonburger is a vegetarian restaurant. All of their burgers are made with Impossible patties, and many of their items, like their shakes, are actually vegan. In fact, according to a recent Facebook post, Moonburger is one of the few vegetarian restaurants in the world who can claim that their meals can "fool" devoted carnivores.

Moonburger is "Secretly" Vegetarian

"I think I'm the only person in New Paltz that didn't know MoonBurger was vegan…", said a recent post in the New Paltz Community Facebook group. "it was [good] LOL... I was shocked", they continued. They weren't alone. "I didn’t know either until my son told me there is zero beef in a Moonburger. Very good", added a New Paltz woman. "Same here, but was too shy to admit it", revealed another. There's at least two possible reasons for the confusion.

Language is Everything

First, one can see how a menu title like "classic burger" could lead customers to assume that they were, in fact, receiving a classic burger (which by all accounts, contains beef). Moonburger also does not mention their meatless approach in their branding statement. Second, it was the Impossible company's main goal to create a meatless product that tasted as close to the "real" thing as possible, and they succeeded. Add a bun, dairy cheese, and cook it the way you'd cook a traditional burger, and it's hard to blame anyone for not thinking twice.

Read More: Impractical Joker Surprises New Paltz Burger Hot Spot 

Have you tried Moonburger yet? Based on the lines that have been forming in New Paltz, half the Hudson Valley has checked out the new location so far. Just remember... there's no meat in the burgers!