Summer is quickly flying by, and I’ve been spending a lot of it sitting on patios throughout Halifax, drinking some great local beer and eating delicious veggie burgers (it’s a hard life, but somebody has to do it).
I’ve already covered six pretty great meatless burgers, which you can check out in Part 1 and Part 2, and it’s time to show off three more! You’re going to want to keep reading because these three don’t mess around, and they seriously raise the bar in the veggie burger category!
Also, the final round for The Coast Best of Halifax awards is now open and Life of Burgers has snagged a nomination for Best Food Blogger! If you wouldn’t mind heading over to The Coast and throwing a vote my way, it would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!
Krave – Veggie Burger
“Careful blend of lentils, sweet potato, corn, black beans and southern seasonings. Served with tomato jam, lettuce and tomato”
If you’ve been following Life of Burgers for any length of time, you should know by now that Krave serves up some of my favourite burgers in the city. They know how to cook a piece of beef, and they have a great list of tasty sides to accompany whichever burger you choose. It just so happens that they also have a veggie burger that has been recommended to me by a few different sources, so I was interested to see how it stacked up against the menu items that I’ve had numerous times.
When I was ordering the burger, it was suggested that I add some crispy fried onions to the burger, and I’m very glad I did. This addition gave the burger a big ol’ crunch that would have been missing otherwise, and they tasted great too! I liked them so much that I would say they should just be already included when someone orders the burger.
The patty had a lot of components that came together to create a tasty burger. The corn was probably my favourite part of the patty, and when combined with the sweet potato, black beans, and southern seasonings, the flavour was never-ending and absolutely delicious!
The tomato jam was a welcome addition that added a sweetness to the burger, and worked really well alongside the veggie patty. I think my only complaint with this burger was that it wasn’t the most filling in comparison to other burgers I’ve had here, but luckily they don’t skimp on the sides so I left completely satisfied!
The Stubborn Goat – Chickpea Fritter Burger
“House-made chickpea fritter patty, pickled veg, arugula, tzatziki”
I stopped by Stubborn Goat for lunch on a beautiful sunny day, to try their veggie burger. When I got there, I unfortunately found out that it wasn’t offered on their lunch menu. Luckily, the chickpea fritter that is the base of the burger is also used in another dish, so it wasn’t a problem for them to whip the burger up for me. Coming in strong as yet another original meatless burger creation that I’ve encountered in the city, the Chickpea Fritter Burger has all kinds of tricks up its sleeves.
As mentioned already, the base of this burger is a chickpea fritter that has a great crunchy exterior, with a nice soft interior where all the magic happens. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the use of chickpeas, given that they can be somewhat bland on their own, but it turns out when prepared properly, they work perfectly for a veggie burger! I loved the slightly grainy texture, and all together, the patty was pretty tasty.
If you enjoy tzatziki, you’ll love how much you get on this burger, and both the creamy texture and the tangy flavour work really well with the patty. The pickles were very much welcome, and they provided a solid, additional crunch to the burger, which I feel is something that most veggie burgers should incorporate in some way.
I would have liked a bit more of the arugula to fill out the burger a bit more, but besides that, this is an awesome member of the Halifax veggie burger family, and definitely ranks pretty high on my scale!
On a side note, if you are a regular at Stubborn Goat you should already know about the truffle fries, but if you’ve never been smart enough to order them as your side, you NEED to get them during your next visit!
EnVie – Double Bacon Cheeseburger
“Two patties, shiitake bacon, cheddar, pickles, onions and ketchup on a kaiser bun”
Working my way through this series, I am continually surprised with how creative and original all of these restaurants can be when creating a unique meatless burger for their menu. EnVie has become a legend in the HRM when it comes to putting out amazing, vegan-friendly dishes (in fact, that’s all you will find on their menu), and the much-deserved praise they receive is almost never-ending.
This was one of the most recommended burgers I was told to try when gearing up for this series, and for good reason! The two patties are made of seitan, or “wheat meat”, which not only tasted amazing, but they also had a lot of the same characteristics as beef patties. While the patties did have a hard time staying together, they are worth the messy fingers!
The thin slices of shiitake took on the role of the “bacon”, and as a mushroom-lover, I appreciated their presence on the burger. The cashew based cheddar was subtle, but did provide a nice texture to the burgers, as did the pickles which gave that necessary crunch. In my experience, house-made ketchup can really miss the mark if not done properly, but they managed to get it spot on and put together a nice, savoury condiment.
Whether it’s Burger Week or just a typical day, EnVie knows how to create a unique and memorable meatless burger, while staying true to their vegan style, and this Double Bacon Cheeseburger is not to be missed!
