Veggie Burger from Burger King
I was a little worried about trying this product. Now that it’s over, I’m just confused, and reaching out for the first piece of real meat available, in hopes of forgetting the whole unpleasant experience. Alas, somebody had to do it.
There are things called vegetables. They are rare in the fast food world, but they DO exist. Things like green beans, carrots and such. I’m sure most of us feel the lettuce and tomato on our burgers is enough vegetation, but sometimes it’s nice to eat some additional healthy grub. Personally, I suggest eating a serving of your favorite veggie on it’s own, as a side dish. Perhaps 2 or 3 veggies, why not. But some people feel that’s too complicated, so they decided to take their veggies, grind them up together, mix with a bunch of soy, and create their own blend. Next they took this blended substance and shaped it into the form of a hamburger patty.
I don’t even feel right, putting this in the “Burgers” category, but what am I going to do? That’s what it’s called, and that’s how it’s marketed. So that’s where it goes.
The meat — There is none.
The cheese — There is none.
The bun — It’s a decent bun, much like BK’s REAL burgers.
The toppings — Lettuce, Mayo, Ketchup and Tomato. The lettuce was crisp and tasted fine. The mayo was average fast food variety, the ketchup the same. There was no tomato included because of the current Salmonella scare.
The taste — If I cut a piece of the foam padding from my desk chair that’s currently poking out from a rip in the fabric, added a little bit of carrot, pepper and mushroom, I’d imagine this is what it would taste like. It’s the first fast food item I have reviewed, and for that matter can even remember, that I did not finish eating.
To be fair, if a person ever found themselves stranded on a deserted island with no other food source, they would eat it. I’m confident Gilligan, Skipper, Ginger, Mary Ann and crew would dive right in. However… foam padding isn’t very flavorful.
Where does the patty come from? It comes from MorningStar Farms, and this link will take you to what appears to be the exact product used by Burger King, for those interested in learning more about this unusually tasteless creation.
How is it cooked? It definitely was not flame-grilled like Burger King’s standard beef burgers. The manufacturer’s website says it can be microwaved or cooked in a regular oven. Considering the regular oven directions call for a 15 minute cooking time, I think it’s safe to assume that Burger King is using a microwave.
Here’s the official description — Savory vegetable and grain burger with a blend of carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, brown rice and rolled oats.
Here’s a crazy idea — JUST EAT SOME VEGETABLES. Have some corn, beans, peas, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, WHATEVER. But eat them on their own. Don’t smash them up together to create a tasteless circle of fake-meat and call it a Burger. Certainly I do support eating as healthy as possible, and I also support those who choose to be vegetarians, but this is NOT the answer.
The Veggie Burger from Burger King is Bad, and not in a “good” way. Vegetables are awesome, but this is gross. Please make the scary “Burger” go away.
Price: $2.69 — Website: BK.com
Fast Food Critic Score: F
Click here for rating system details.
Nutrition Facts - Veggie Burger from Burger King.
Calories - 420
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 16 grams
Carbs - 46 grams
Saturated Fat - 2.5 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 10 milligrams
Sodium - 1100 milligrams
I like the boca burger patties a lot more than the morningstar, they are actually somewhat edible.
We have these in BK here in the UK and they are just as nasty as the US counterpart sounds.
I have had veggie burgers from the freezer section of the supermarket and they are fine. I’m wondering if BK nuke every ounce of flavour out of what is a mild tasting burger to start with in there cooking process.
If they are microwaved I wouldn’t be surprised if thats the case.
I just don’t get this “fake meat” thing. OK, if you’re a vegetarian I applaud you, if you want to only eat veggies. But why would you want to make believe you’re eating meat? I don’t eat grasshoppers. I also don’t form meat patties into fake grasshoppers! If I was in a room full of vegetarians, I wouldn’t bring along a steak formed in the shape of a carrot and hideously colored orange.
Someone explain the concept.
I don’t think us carnivores are the best qualified to judge a veggie burger. Maybe you should ask your newfound friends at PETA to write guest review. I’m serious!
Hey guys!
Well, I sent a message to the girl I met from PETA, and invited her or a vegetarian friend to be my guest reviewers / correspondents for the various veggie items that are available.
And I’m serious, too!
If she ever speaks to you again, be sure to ask her why some people who don’t eat meat want to make believe they are eating something vaguely meat-like.
FFC, thanks for taking one for the team! I sure as hell wasn’t going to try this scary thing.
They serve a similar, but more oval shaped patty at my local subway. I don’t know if that is a franchise specific thing or if we are a test market. I might eat one on halloween just to make my wife/friends/coworkers think I have been replaced by a pod person.
You guys crack me up.
I have another one of these in my refrigerator. I purchase multiples of everything. Normally that’s not a problem, because I eat the ’subjects’ after I finish photography, but in this case… I was not going to eat any more. I tossed it into the fridge because I don’t like wasting food.
Hmmm… maybe eBay? Ha!
hancock.tom, the Subway gardenburger is actually pretty darn tasty, if you get it prepared right. I might be biased since I used to work at Subway and made it the way I liked: microwaved a bit longer than usual, then add some onions and peppers on top and microwave a bit longer, then add cheese and pre-nuked bacon, and microwaved just a bit more. Almost tasted like a real bacon cheeseburger, and much healthier.
For anyone else who works at Subway and reads this, try the following. Take one of the little paper trays the steak and cheese is portioned out on, and fill it with onions, green peppers, and olives. Use the 12″ steak and cheese setting on the nuker. Once it’s done, top with a slice of provolone and a slice of american cheese. Nuke again for the 6″ steak and cheese setting. Slide off on a 6″ roll and nuke one last time, this time for the lowest bacon setting. Very delicious, and typing this ‘recipe’ almost makes me wish I was 17 again :p
I am not a vegetarian, but I do like some of the morningstar farms products. The black bean burger is our favorite. Like all of those products, they are not a meat substitute….but some of the products are delicious on their own.
First — Thank you to everyone for visiting the site, and taking the time to reply. That means a lot to me.
Second — I must admit, the Veggie burger was a bit of a shock to my system, and the whole concept goes against what feels natural, to me.
But I love vegetables, on their own. And I will try to keep an open mind on these things. To that end, I have indeed invited a member of PETA, and /or her vegetarian friend, to be my guest here at FFC, to cover some of the options available to those who don’t eat meat.
I’m all about giving fair and balanced coverage.
I’m also pretty sure FOX NEWS uses that as their slogan, so… Dear Fox, please don’t sue me. I just a guy with a blog about fast food.
aw loves. Really, you have to go to peta to find someone to review a veggie burger?
As a vegetarian with an oral fixation, trust me, i’ve sampled some great sandwiches - both filling and a nice change from meat options. They exist and you don’t even really need an open mind either.
I’ve served Lick’s burgers to staunch meat-eating, mouth-breathing carnivores and they liked it better than the meat version. I also won a chili AND lasagne contest against dishes that had meat in them. Yup, if bets had been on, I’d have the winfall. srsly.
(PS: love your website!)
xow