Open City

Last month I took a bus down to Washington D.C. to visit my friend Michael, and meet his lovely wife and baby. It was a great weekend – adorable baby, trip to the zoo… and they were so kind that they even picked out a restaurant with veggie burgers to take me to for dinner!



Open City was pretty busy at dinnertime on a Saturday night, and we had to wait a few minutes for a table to be available. Once we were seated, I was pleased to see that the menu had all the vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free items clearly labeled. Of course, I already knew I was ordering the vegan veggie burger.



The homemade patty consisted of lentils, barley, oats, and a mix of vegetables. It was nice and hearty – I liked the blend of lentils and grains. Sometimes a burger patty that is too heavy on one ingredient is a little boring. The best burgers are usually a winning combination of many different textures and flavors.



The toppings were fresh and crisp – pickle slices, lettuce, tomato, and red onion (far too much red onion for my taste, I only put a few slices on the burger – does anyone actually like eating huge chunks of raw red onion?). I wished there was some kind of sauce included in the toppings though – that extra bit of moisture would have helped (the whole grain bun was rather dense, although tasty), and a bit more spice or sweetness would have been a nice addition to the flavors. I substituted chips for the fries that came with my burger, because Michael’s wife Steph told me that the chips were made in house – and they were quite tasty indeed! So I’d recommend getting those as well.



Cost: $8.49
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 4      Toppings: 3

Open City
2331 Calvert Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
202.332.2331

The rest of my visit in D.C. was equally enjoyable. When I wasn’t stuffing myself with veggie burgers, I modeled for some of Michael’s photos:

© Michael Shevitz

You should check out Michael’s photography website here: MichaelShevitz.com
He is quite talented. And if you live in DC and want to hire a professional photographer, I would definitely recommend him!

YumVeggieBurger review #98

Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.

This is my 6th and final veggie burger review from my recent vacation in Hawaii (yup, that’s right, I ate 6 veggie burgers – 2 on each island that I visited!).

On the island of Kauai, I spent several days hiking the Kalalau trail and camping on Kalalau Beach, a.k.a. my favorite place on earth:






Eventually though, I had to leave paradise and return to the real world. As I hiked back out of the valley, I was looking forward to eating a veggie burger once I got back to the town of Hanalei. @janakj had given me a recommendation via twitter: The Hanalei Juice & Taro Co.

(oh yeah, I’m on twitter @yumveggieburger if you want to follow me and give me recommendations too!)



When I first stepped up to the truck window, the girl working there apologized and said they had run out of food after a big tour group came through, and all they had left were smoothies. I felt my heart sink – until she added “the only food we have left is the veggie burger.” And this is yet another reason why Kauai has always been a magical place to me – how lucky was that??? “Perfect!” I told her, “That’s exactly what I wanted to order!”

The Hanalei Taro Veggie Burger: a vegan patty made from taro root and leaves, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, flax seed, rice flour, acai, and a special blend of herbs and spices.



Now, I realize it’s a little hard to objectively judge a veggie burger when it is your first “real” food after backpacking for several days and eating mostly dried fruit and nuts and granola bars (with the exception of the amazing campfire pizza party I was invited to on my last night in the valley!)

But even if I hadn't been hiking all morning looking forward to this burger, I would have definitely still said it was delicious! The patty was richly textured and well-flavored. The bun was soft and fresh (and vegan – they checked the ingredients list for me, so nice!). The taro hummus was excellent, a little lighter than regular chickpea hummus but still flavorful, and a nice addition to the burger. And the cucumbers and lettuce added the perfect green crunch to the whole thing.



I had a taro smoothie as well, which was equally tasty. I’d definitely recommend this truck (or “lunch wagon” as yelp calls it) to anyone visiting Hanalei – although it sounds like it’s already a pretty popular destination for lunch without my help! But maybe some more vegetarians and vegans should check it out so this tasty veggie burger gets its rightful share of the popularity too :)

Cost: $5.50
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 4      Toppings: 4

Hanalei Taro & Juice Co.
5-5070 Kuhio Hwy B
in front of Kayak Kauai
Hanalei, HI 96714

808.826.1059

YumVeggieBurger review #95

Bubba Burgers

The third island I visited on my Hawaii trip was Kauai:

A rainbow before my flight even landed! No wonder this is my favorite island!

My plan was to hike the Kalalau trail – because I had fallen in love with that trail (and the beach and the valley at the end of the trail) five years ago, and have been dreaming of returning ever since. So I stopped in Hanalei for some supplies, and a meal, the day before I began the hike. Bubba Burgers seemed like a pretty popular spot, so I investigated their menu to see what vegetarian options they might serve. Sure enough, they had a taro burger!



The taro patty was vegan, but the bun was not. And it was served with toppings of lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo - although on their regular meat burgers the menu encourages diners to forgo the lettuce and tomato and try it “Bubba’s way”. I guess they assume vegetarians cannot go without their veggies!



It was pretty good, for being possibly the only real burger joint in town. The bun was nothing special, but the taro patty was tasty and fried well (although on equipment shared with meat-burgers, I should warn people who mind that sort of thing). And with the crispy lettuce and tangy mayo, it was not bad for the last “real” meal before I would spend the next several days backpacking and only eating trail food!



Hanalei is pretty touristy for a small town, so there are a lot of dining options, but Bubba’s was the only burger-centric spot that I noticed. The walls inside the restaurant are covered in photos of celebrities who have eaten there – like Bill Clinton and Matt Damon. When I met back up with Joe on Oahu, he told me about a South Park episode that takes place on Kauai where, guess what! The Bubba Burger restaurant appears in cartoon form! (you can watch it here) I always think it's pretty cool when such a well-known burger place includes a vegetarian option that is actually pretty good and not just an afterthought.

As I was leaving, and taking my obligatory photo of the outside of the restaurant, a man who was eating at a nearby picnic table with his family said “wait, you have to have a photo with you in it too!” so he took this photo of me in front of Bubba’s:

I look pretty sunburned and sweaty, which I certainly was at that point.

After I took my camera back, and thanked him, I heard his little daughter ask “why did you take her picture?” and the dad replied “She’s backpacking, so she doesn’t have anyone to take her picture”. I was so touched by that! Sometimes solo backpacking is lonely or frustrating, but then sometimes you have the most heartwarming moments with strangers you meet, like that!

Cost: $7.75 (includes fries)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 2      Toppings: 3

Bubba Burger
5-5161 Kuhio Hwy
Hanalei, HI 96714
808.826.7839

YumVeggieBurger review #94

The next morning I woke up, ate an apple and a lara bar, and started my hike…

The Na Pali Coast


approaching Kalalau Beach - 11 miles later!

Paddler's Inn

Hawaii vacation continued...



For our last day on Molokai, Joe and I finally checked out Paddler’s Inn – which seemed to be a popular social gathering spot on the island, since we’d seen lots of cars parked outside it on Friday and Saturday night, and they advertised live music most nights of the week.



We sat in an open-air patio area with a lot of other tourists who were presumably staying at the nearby resort. There was a live band, but it was pretty low-key, being a Sunday night (Paddler’s was one of the few places still open on Sunday, too!).



Although they had a couple other vegetarian options on the menu, I chose the veggie burger – described as a “garden burger”.



The bun was covered in sesame seeds, pretty standard bread, but soft and tasty. The toppings consisted of lettuce and tomatoes – and a little cup of mayonnaise, which I spread on the bun because it seemed it would be a rather dry burger without some kind of sauce.



The patty was just okay – lukewarm, and pretty much like every other generic veggie patty you’d expect to find at a restaurant that doesn’t make them in-house and probably buys them in bulk from a warehouse. Lots of rice and chopped vegetables inside it (not the faux-meat kind), but little flavor.



The veggie burgers I ate on Molokai were not as exciting as the ones I tried on Oahu, but given the very limited number of restaurants there are to choose from on Molokai, I was honestly just happy to find any vegetarian dishes at all. When you have very few other options, even a bad or mediocre veggie burger can be surprisingly appealing!

Cost: $12
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 2       Bun: 3      Toppings: 2

Paddler’s Inn
10 Mohala Street
Kaunakakai, HI 96748
808.553.5256



YumVeggieBurger review #93

Molokai Burger

Hawaii vacation continued…

Joe and I flew from Oahu to Molokai for a few days to explore an island that was new to both of us. Molokai is very small, and quiet. We found beaches free of crowds, and slept in our tent on the sand underneath the most beautiful night skies, and saw shooting stars every evening.



There are only a handful of restaurants on the whole island, so I was a little nervous about finding vegetarian options. But luckily, even with limited options, I was able to find a couple veggie burgers!



Molokai Burger seemed to be one of the more popular restaurants – and it seemed like the closest thing to a fast-food chain restaurant on an island that has no chain restaurants.



The menu described it as the “Molokai Garden Burger – Boca”, and the patty was indeed some kind of chicken-ish Boca patty. I know not all Boca products are completely vegan, so I’m not sure if this one was vegetarian or vegan. It was cooked well, and nice and moist on the inside, although I am normally not a fan of imitation-chicken burgers because somehow I feel they are not “proper” burgers”. There’s something about them that seems too light, not rich enough to be a “real” burger (although I’m sure that’s what meat-eaters say about ALL veggie burgers!)



The toppings included shredded lettuce, fresh tomato, and some kind of tangy sauce. Not bad, just not particularly exciting either. The bun was the best part – soft and tasty like it was from a bakery rather than a fast-food place. All in all, not the most amazing veggie burger ever, but I was just happy to find something vegetarian for dinner - and it was not a bad meal to end a long day with, before we returned to our campsite on the beach.



Cost: $5.95
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 2       Bun: 3      Toppings: 2

Molokai Burger
20 Kamehamea V Highway
Kaunakakai, HI 96748
808.553.3533


YumVeggieBurger review #92

The Downbeat Diner And Lounge

More Hawaii adventures:




Haiku Stairs, a.k.a. Stairway To Heaven - we hiked up in the dark, and then watched the sunrise. Amazing!

And another veggie burger, this time from The Downbeat Diner & Lounge– a place that Joe was very excited to take me to because of the vast range of vegan options they serve.



Those vegan otions include buffalo wings and vegan milkshakes! I was quite impressed. And they are open until 3:00am. This place is like Honolulu’s version of Foodswings!



And in addition to a menu of several different styles of burgers, all available with a vegan patty, they also serve... The Loco Moco: Beef patty or vegan patty, “downbeat gravy”, two eggs over easy, over brown rice.
Wikipedia says that the loco moco is “a traditional meal in Hawaiian cuisine” – although it is normally made with a hamburger patty and white rice. I was excited to try Downbeat’s healthier, vegetarian version of this, since Joe had told me how he had developed a love of the non-vegetarian loco mocos.


Okay, that may be the most unattractive photo ever taken of two eggs – but trust me, they were delicious! The whole thing was, really. While a loco moco might sound like a bizarre combination of foods, the result is tasty, satisfying comfort food.



The patty is vegan, and homemade – the waitress told me it was made from black beans and mushrooms. It was slightly spicy, rich, and hearty. And paired well with the rest of the dish. The waitress told me that the gravy is vegan too, and asked if I wanted “real” eggs or not, so I assume there is a vegan option for those as well – although I opted for the real ones myself.



I’m sure the regular burgers are delicious as well – but I was really happy with my loco moco. I think I might even try recreating it back home in New York – it would be a delicious weekend brunch!


Joe makes a face at my camera, but you can see from his empty glass that he enjoyed his vegan milkshake!

Cost: $8.00 (for the loco moco - wings and milkshakes are extra!)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: N/A      Toppings: 4

The Downbeat Diner & Lounge
42 N Hotel Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
808.533.2328



YumVeggieBurger review #91

Greens & Vines

I spent the last two and a half weeks in Hawaii – warm, sunny, wonderful Hawaii (thanks for the cold, snowy, welcome home, New York… haha). It was the first real vacation I had taken in three years, and it was even more amazing than I could have hoped for.



I’d been to Hawaii five years ago, before I started this blog – and I remembered eating a ton of delicious vegetarian food while I was there, so I was looking forward to seeking out some veggie burgers this time. I ended up trying 6 different veggie burgers over the course of my vacation, so for the next couple weeks I’ll be sharing my reviews of them here!

The first Island I visited was Oahu, where my friend Joe lives in Honolulu. We did a lot of amazing day hikes:

hiking the three peaks of Olomana



And one day after an afternoon at the beach, I stopped by Greens & Vines for a raw, vegan burger before going back to the beach to watch the sunset.




The zucchini crisps they served as a starter were so delicious, I could have eaten a huge bowl of them!

It’s been awhile since I last ate a raw veggie burger, so I was looking forward to trying “Syl’s Garden Burger w/ Jicama Fries”



The onion “bread” that this raw burger was served on was probably the best bun I’ve ever seen/tasted on a raw burger (usually they are too similar in consistency/ingredients to the burger patty itself – but this one was notably different in texture and taste). It was thin like a pita or tortilla, and chewy, but sweet and flavorful.



The burger patty itself (which the menu notes is “an all veggie patty (no fillers like bread crumbs)”) had a nice healthy, earthy flavor – but it was a tad dry, and could have benefited from a bit of spice or something to add more flavor. The date mustard and cashew mayo toppings were good (the mustard in particular was deliciously tangy), but there just wasn’t really enough of them to balance out the patty. Although the fresh, crisp lettuce and tomato helped a bit. I should have put some of the sun-dried tomato ketchup on the burger instead of using it all to dip my jicama fries in – because that stuff was delicious!

A lot of people in the restaurant were ordering the raw lasagna, which the waiter said was their signature dish. If/when I go back to Honolulu, I'd love to try that - as well as any of their other dishes. It's nice to vacation in a place where you don't have to worry about finding food that will fit your dietary requirements! Hawaii certainly has vegan/vegetarian food in abundance.



Cost: $11.75
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 4      Toppings: 3

Greens & Vines
909 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.536.9680

YumVeggieBurger review #90

Amtrak

I went down to Virginia to visit my family over the holidays – traveling by train, which is really the most comfortable and civilized form of travel these days. You don’t have to show up early, there’s no security line to deal with, you get plenty of leg room, electrical outlets, wi-fi, and they have a “café car” where you can order food.



This café car happens to have a veggie burger – so, although I was wary of what the quality would be (as nice as Amtrak’s amenities are, no one expects food cooked in a microwave oven on a moving train to be five star quality) I was determined to try it – for the sake of the blog!



The “Vegan Burger with BBQ Spread” came sealed in the same plastic bag that the café car employee had microwaved it in. The ingredient list was rather terrifyingly long, but did indeed appear to be vegan as the name claimed. I carefully opened it up, revealing the fully assembled burger patty sandwiched on a bun inside.



The taste was shockingly not terrible! It was actually better than the usual infamous “hockey puck” veggie patty I had been expecting. The texture and flavor were definitely a step above that. It was chewy, a mix of different grains and other bits of vegetables and things. Not really trying to be faux-meat. And the BBQ Spread was pretty good too – the barbecue flavor dominated the whole burger, I’m not sure what the patty’s taste would have been like without it, but I’m a barbecue fan, so I was satisfied.



The sauce had soaked into the bun completely, so I would have liked a little extra sauce (burgers should be juicy and drippy, right?). The bun itself was soft and chewy. Of course some nice crisp lettuce and a slice of tomato would have been ideal too, but I guess that would be expecting a little too much.

All in all, it was still fast food made on a moving train – but it was still better than I expected it to be! I still prefer picking up some takeout before catching a train, but if you are in a rush, or stuck on the train for so long that you’re just dying for a warm meal, it’s not a bad option. And major props to Amtrak for having a clearly labeled vegan option on the menu, too! I was quite impressed by that alone.

Cost: $5.25
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 2      Toppings: 2

Amtrak's cafe car
I was traveling on the Northeast Regional from NYP to CVS– I do not know if the same burger is available on all Amtrak trains.

YumVeggieBurger review #88