Veggie Burgers Around the South Bay

Like many of you, I joined the Meatless Monday campaign. Given our busy work schedules, it isn’t always easy to prepare an interesting meatless entree for dinner. When my wife runs out of time, her go to dinner for us is a veggie burger using a Bocaburger patty. Since May is National Burger Month, I decided to try various veggie burgers around the South Bay.

Other than the different brands of frozen veggie patties you can find in a supermarket, I haven’t tried that many in a restaurant. Fortunately, the days of the tofu burger have come and gone and you’re starting to see innovative plant-based patties made with tastier ingredients such as beans and mushrooms.

Help Seed Burger from Mendocino Farms

After seeing a smear of red spread on the side of the bun of Mendocino Farm’s Hemp Seed Burger, I started having my doubts. After the first bite, I quickly changed my mind. The burger was bursting with great flavors. The patty was slightly nutty and nicely held up such that it was very much like meat. The turmeric, beet dressing, bread and butter pickles, and red onions nicely complemented the burger. Even the brioche bun was plant-based. I enjoyed every bite of the burger.

Three Mushroom Burger from Paul Martin’s

When I visit Paul Martin’s American Grill, I will almost always order the three-mushroom burger. I’m not sure how they bind the mushroom burger together, but it works and it’s tasty. I absolutely love the pesto aioli and arugula that comes with the burger. I also order slaw as my side. Using napa cabbage instead of regular cabbage removes the bitter taste and ensures that this is not your regular coleslaw.

The ‘Shroom Burger from Shake Shack

The ‘Shroom Burger from Shake Shack was a surprise. A portobello mushroom is filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese and coated with panko breadcrumbs It is then deep fried in canola oil. It was surprisingly tasty and very crunchy. Unfortunately, the melted cheese leaked out the back and filled the paper sack that wrapped around the burger.

The VG Beyond Burger

At Veggie Grill, I recently tried their signature VG Beyond Burger, which is on a sesame bun with grilled onions, melted American veggie cheese, tomato, iceberg lettuce and a house-made signature sauce. The plant-based burger was red inside, much like a beef patty that was prepared medium. It was probably the closest in taste to a real beef hamburger.

Lucky Star Burger – photo credit: Veggie Grill

Originally introduced as part of last fall’s seasonal menu, the Lucky Star Burger became so popular that it has been added to Veggie Grill’s core menu.  It is served on a pretzel bun, the Beyond Burger is topped with smoked gouda ‘cheese’, balsamic onions, blue cheese sauce, arugula, and Sriracha ketchup

Steakhouse Burger with Blue Cheese – photo credit Veggie Grill

The Steakhouse Burger is the newest addition to Veggie Grill. A Beyond Burger is served on a brioche bun and topped with provolone ‘cheese’, steakhouse sauce, vegan bacon, tomato, iceberg lettuce, blue cheese dressing, and cracked pepper. This too sounds like a winner!

Depending on what you are seeking, there are a variety of different veggie burgers available. While the VG Beyond Burger from Veggie Grill was the closest to the real thing, I found that I really enjoyed options like the Hemp Seed Burger from Mendocino Farms and the Three Mushroom Burger from Paul Martin’s. We are fortunate to have such terrific veggie burgers here in the South Bay.

Mendocino Farms, 840 S Sepulveda Blvd, El Segundo, CA 90245
Mendocinofarms.com

Paul Martin’s American Grill, 2361 Rosecrans Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245
Paulmartinsamericangrill.com

Shake Shack, 2171 Rosecrans Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245
shakeshack.com

Veggie Grill, 720 S Allied Way, El Segundo, CA 90245
veggiegrill.com