Tonic Baja Jaja burger

Tonic is a favorite iconic downtown hangout spot, especially for GW students. While perhaps best-known for its wings, nachos, tater tots and totchos during happy hour, Tonic also has great entrees on its menu. It's also very cool to be eating in a former historical pharmacy. I have heard very good things about their signature Mac and Cheese, and decided to try out their veggie burger.

veggie burger topped with grilled avocado, pepper jack, tortilla chip strips, served on whole wheat kaiser bun

The first bites were very good. The lettuce was crisp and lively. The tortilla chip strips gave the burger an extra crunch. The portion of avocado was generous.  The tomato seemed fresh. The burger itself was full of veggies-black beans, etc...

Although the burger and overall experience was good, there were a few things that could be improved. First of all, the bun was a little dry. Additionally, about halfway through the burger, it started falling apart. This is common in many veggie burgers that use black beans. Lastly, I think it could use a little more flavor. The last couple bites were a little bland.

Overall, I would give this burger probably 4 stars. It was tasty and good, and with a few small changes could be exceptional.

2036 G St NW :: Washington, DC

Bobby's Burger Palace

I had great hopes for the veggie burger at Bobby's Burger Palace. Founded by reputable chef and Food Network star Bobby Flay, I thought for sure this would be a treat or at least an impressionable veggie burger. I was impressed they even had a whole vegetarian section on the menu! Walking into the restaurant, I was feeling very good vibes coming off of the twisty lamps and tables. While not super crowded, the people who were eating there seemed happy and well fed. But not very many of them seemed to be eating the veggie burger.

We'll start with the good. They offer a side called "The undecided", where instead of choosing between fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings, you can do half and half of each! How many times have you been standing in line thinking, "Do I do the fries or the onion rings?".  Bobby Flay clearly knows the feeling and lets you choose a bit of both worlds! Yes you have to pay a dollar extra, but I thought the idea was fun.

The sweet potato fries were good, but the onion rings were on the disappointing side. Their lack of flavor could be covered up by the ranch dipping sauce, which was much to rich to make it a nice flavor combination. Each meal also comes with a pickle, which could be plus for some people, but as more of a non-pickle lover myself, it didn't really get extra points.

Now for the burger itself. The menu described it as: BBQ wild mushrooms, chickpeas and quinoa, with American cheese, tomato, pickles, romaine, red pepper chipotle mayo. Sound exciting right?

Not so. Or maybe too much so. As one food critic described it, "I feel like I took a bite out of some herbal medicine."

For me, my biggest issue was i wasn't sure what it was trying to be. The barbequed wild mushrooms had kind of an earthy taste and could have been good, but combined with the romaine, American cheese and quinoa, it just felt like too many things were being combined into one. I liked the chipotle mayo sauce--it made the burger a little spicy, but it was probably what I liked the best.

Not terribly impressed by the bun. 

So interesting? Yes. Would I recommend this burger or order it again? Probably not any time soon. 

I'll have to try the shake next time.

K STREET

2121 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
T: 202-974-6260

Busboys and Poets

This place has great vibes. I guess they do a lot of community events and poetry evenings, so it makes sense that they would have some great hipster and vegetarian food options.

I ordered the Vegan burger: homemade vegan burger served with arugula, avocado, tomato, vegan chipotle mayo on vegan multigrain bun, and it was excellent! The pickle on top was a great addition, but the overall best thing about the burger was the cool vibes of the thing.

They also had great sweet potato fries. With cinnamon on them. Which I've never had before, but I liked, but not dipped in ketchup.

Guest Post: D'lish on McGregor

Although this veggie burger was not in DC, the quality and flavor make it worthy of any veggie burger blog. (Plus take a look at the scenery behind it -- breathtaking eh?)

This is the vegan burger from D'lish on McGregor--a fabulous little coffee shop on the JCU campus in Cairns Australia where I've been staying for about a week. 

I got mine with cheese, but it honestly would have been perfect without. The veggie patty was curry flavored with veggies chopped so that some were not quite recognizable but definitely not pulverized. The bun was also a thick with a nice texture and the perfect moisture level.

Oh and the weather was perfect with the rainforest behind it.

Whole Foods

The Beyond Burger at the Whole Foods food court is very good. It is a close second to the Impossible burger from Founding Farmers in terms of veggie burgers that taste like meat. Although the texture and flavor was very meaty, it was not quite as convincing as the impossible color, and the coloring seemed a little off to me. 

I think the main reason I give the impossible burger the higher rating may be because of the fixings on it. I got the goat cheese impossible burger, which had awesome accompanying flavorings and was a complete package. Although when I was a carnivore, I would have enjoyed a plain meat burger with only cheese, tomato and iceburg, the veggie burger in these surroundings seems to be a bit of an imposter. Perhaps if it had had better tasting toppings I would be converted. Also the quality of the bun was also better in the Impossible Burger.

The advantage of the beyond burger is that it is also available for purchase. You can buy them uncooked and then season them up like a pro and add really good toppings and eat it from the comfort of your own home. I can see this being a really great addition to any summer barbecue.

Lindy’s Red Lion

Despite its reputation of being kind of a whole-in-the-wall greasy sports pub, Lindy's veggie burger really shone. This veggie burger was green-colored which made me a little nervous, but it was delicious. The bun was not super high quality, and the accompanying potato chips were not altogether impressive, but I really like the taste of this veggie burger. The cheese and lettuce went well with whatever kind of plant protein or legume was used to make it. I left feeling very satisfied. Additionally Lindy's has exceptional jalepeno poppers! The atmosphere in the pub is quite cozy and the waiters are very nice. This is definitely a place I will return to many times.

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Guest post: Polish veggie burger in Kraków

Although most traditional Polish food is rather heavy (think Pierogi, roasted mutton etc...) there are a surprising number of vegetarian restaurants that have popped up in Krakow.  They are all very hip and have healthy smoothies and juices and fantastic burgers. This is a falafel burger I ordered from one of the Polish vegetarian places. If you're looking for a great destination veggie burger city, I recommend Krakow.

Good Stuff Eatery

Did you know the Obamas once went to Good Stuff Eatery? There's a picture of them on the wall.

When I first saw the 'Shroom burger at Good Stuff, I was honestly not too impressed, but I had high hopes because of the good impression the one at Shake Shack left on me. It just looked kind of bland with just the normal lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion (I'm a remove the pickle kind of person usually). 

But then, I took the first bite, and things got wild! Cheese started oozing out of the 'shroom patty, and that totally turned things around for the burger. It made it way more fun to eat. I'm still think I prefer the Shake Shack one--maybe it was the sauce on it that made it better, but this burger is definitely an experience.

'Shroom Burger

Muenster & Cheddar stuffed Portobello Tops, Flash Fried With Panko Crumbs, Tomatoes, Onions, Lettuce & Pickle With Good Stuff Sauce

$7.65

One of the great things about Good Stuff Eatery is they have SO MANY dipping sauces. We tried both their regular and their rosemary fries, and dipped them in ALL THE DIPPING SAUCES. The shakes are also very good here, but seemed a little rich in cream.

The fried green tomato burger was also pretty yummy. The goat cheese was nice on it.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO VEG

Fried Green Tomato, Fresh Ruby Red Tomato, Sliced Avocado, Dreamfarm Goat Cheese, Peppery Arugula & Cilantro With Smokey Chipotle Mayo

$7.65

The fresh lemonade they serve is also pretty decent. It's rare to find a lemonade with the perfect amount of sweet and sour, but I think this one comes close.

 CAPITOL HILL

303 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20003

(See site for other locations)

Guest Post: Swizzlers Veggie Dog

THIS IS AN AMAZING VEGGIE DOG!

Swizzler's motto "Old Dog. New Tricks." says it all. These guys serve grass-fed beef dogs on local buns to our meat-eating friends, but all their combos can be replaced with these really yummy veggie dogs. I especially like the combo called FEAST MODE with herb goat cheese, carmelized onions, candied jalepenos and black pepper honey. It's a combination of spicy and sweet all on a brioche bun.

The sides are excellent as well. My favorites are the parmesan truffle fries and the fried sprouts.

FEAST MODEwhipped herb G.O.A.T. cheese 
caramelized onions | candied jalapeños
black pepper honey | brioche bun

It's a food truck, so you can find their schedule of where they'll be here. They're usually around someplace downtown weekdays.

Beefsteak "Beet"steak Burger

Don't let the name fool you, Beefsteak is actually one of the best vegetarian restaurants around! I actually don't know exactly how to feel about some of their dishes. Sometimes it feels as if they're just trying to throw together as many random vegetables together without regard to melding. The beetsteak burger, however, was amazing. I ordered mine with a half an avocado. Avocado, tomato, sprouts, vegan chipotle mayo, lettuce, and a big fat juicy beet slice. It's beet heaven.

Spoiler alert: the beet isn't red! I didn't know they made white beets, so I was very surprised.

Four stars, because I could see how you could be turned off by eating that much beet if you're not a total beet eater. But it was surprisingly filling and good. They also have these fancy juices that seem pretty healthy and eccentric. I got the apple spinach cilantro one. It was good but also you have to be in the mood for a healthy drink to really enjoy it. They also have beet juice, but I shied away from that.

Beefsteak -Vegetables Unleashed

800 22nd St. NW Washington, DC 20052 At the corner of 22nd and I St. NW

Beetsteak burger: $5.99 Marinated beet, pickled red onion, leaf lettuce, tomato, sprouts, vegan chipotle mayo, olive oil, sea salt on an olive oil brioche

Half avacado: $1.99

"Healthy" drink $1.00

BTS Falafel Burger

Today I tried the Haight-Ashbury from Burgers, Taps and Shakes and I would definitely give it a solid 4.5 stars. The crispy falafel patty combined with the cabbage and other pickled vegetables, a little bit of feta with some mildly spicy peppers and a yummy cilantro dressing made this a definite repeater. The falafel gave it kind of a mediterranean twist, and I thought all the ingredients went well together. It was fun to eat--for the most part it didn't smash or crumble away when I bit into it. The only downside is the bun was a little dry, as one of my co-critiquers pointed out. It could have just been the day, so I'd be willing to go back to try again.

Haight-Ashbury
Crispy Falafel Patty, Pickled Vegetables, Feta, Cilantro Raita
$9.35


FOGGY BOTTOM
2200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. | Washington, DC 20037
T. 202-587-MALT (6258) | F. 202-587-6328

Shake Shack 'shroom burger

This is really good! This is my first experience with a mushroom patty and I rather enjoyed it. It was deep fried and stayed together and had a very good taste overall.  The only downside is that the buns at Shake Shack are not very substantial. It was flat by the end of it.

b DC Penn Quarter Quinoa Burger

b

DC Penn Quarter Burgers Beer Bourbon

801 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20004

Metro Stop: Archives Navy Memorial Green & Yellow Lines

The quinoa burger here was delicious! Made from beans, quinoa and fresh veggies, it had a nice healthy taste.

Organic Veggie Burger

The only downside is that it was very crumbly. Almost all of the insides squished out before I could eat them.

 Besides the quinoa burger, there were not too many vegetarian main course options. The original Mac 'n Jack mac and cheese was really delicious though. I would eat it again.

Founding Farmers

FOUNDING FARMERS DC

1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20006

The best veggie burger I've found so far comes from Founding Farmers near Foggy Bottom. This is the first place I've ever tried the impossible burger, a 0% cow burger made from wheat, potato, coconut oil, and heme, this magical stuff that "makes meat smell, sizzle, bleed, and taste gloriously meaty". I was skeptical at first but I had to try it. It was incredible! The texture was meaty and it even got stuck in your teeth like a hamburger does! The flavor was good, and if I hadn't have known it was a veggie burger, I would have been convinced I was eating meat.

The cranberry and brie veggie burger was also quite good. But it struggled in the same way most good veggie burgers struggle in that it kind of all squished out the sides of the burger. It didn't taste like meat.

Cranberry and Brie Veggie burger and Goat Cheese impossible burger

 Other vegetarian options:
The menu has a whole section with vegetarian options including Mushroom Swiss Reuben and Cauliflower steak and Risotto. I also enjoyed the Butternut Squash Mascarpone ravioli. Additionally, as an appetizer, you should try the apple brie farm bread.

Apple brie farm bread with onion jam