Vegan doesn’t have to be boring.
Being good doesn’t have to be boring. Here are the most decadent and delicious vegan burgers in Salt Lake City:
1. Most Customizable
The potential of the BYOB (Build Your Own Burger) is only limited by your imagination. You’ll pay $11 for a Beyond Burger patty topped with a slice of vegan cheddar cheese. Sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, and sauces cost an extra 50 cents, while exotic toppings like Chickpea Chorizo will put you back $1.50. I kept it simple for my first visit but splurged on the side of fry sauce for 75 cents more. Vegan fry sauce ― only in Utah!
Lil’ Lotus
2223 S. Highland Dr. E5 , Salt Lake City
2. Most Tropical
“This burger is near and dear to my heart because I got married in Hawaii!” exclaimed Sweet Hazel owner and chef, Felicia Holmberg. Her Hawaiian Burger ($15) is a medley of sweet, tangy, and savory. Melted vegan mozzarella tops a grilled Beyond Burger ― then makes it interesting with grilled pineapple and teriyaki sauce.
Sweet Hazel & Co. Vegan Bakeshop & Bistro
282 W 7200 S, Midvale
3. Most Hardcore
Leave it to Vertical Diner, Salt Lake City’s OG vegan restaurant, to name a burger after Ian MacKaye, famously vegan frontman of Minor Threat and Fugazi. “The Ian MacKaye Burger ($14) is the top-selling burger on our ‘Famous Burgers’ menu. The burger is our house-made red lentil veggie burger topped with mac and cheese, Vertical sauce, lettuce, tomato, and red onion,” explains Ian Brandt, Vertical Diner’s owner.
234 W 900 S, Salt Lake City
4. Most German
The Kein Fleisch Burger ($15) from Ice Haus is so German that Dave Morris, the co-owner of Ice Haus and mastermind of three burgers on this list, gave me his quote in German. I translated it to read, “The no meat burger is amazing. I can’t even put it in my mouth. It is huge! A burger and a roast on a sandwich and vegan to boot.” A Beyond Burger is loaded with half of a vegan hot dog, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, sauerkraut, vegan cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and fresh onion. The bun is slathered with aioli and German mustard.
Ice Haus
7 E 4800 S, Murray
5. Most Meaty
The House Vegan Blend Patty ($16) is what I want when I’m feeling carnivorous. The blend is top secret, but Executive Chef Channy Bailey says “… the exact ratio gives it the juiciness and flavor closer to real beef than other vegan burgers.” Top this burger with real cheese or a vegan cheese sauce, and be sure to wash it down with one of their excellent beers.
Grid City Beer Works
333 W 2100 S, South Salt Lake
6. Most Popular
The Vegan Cowboy ($13) might be the most popular vegan burger in Salt Lake City. Here’s why: vegan bacon, hand battered onion rings, cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce. Morris’s rationale is, “Everyone once in a while you need BBQ sauce and onion rings on your burger.”
Piper Down
1492 S State St, Salt Lake City
7. Most Craveable
“We loved the Vegan Cowboy so much from Piper, we had to do something like it at Handlebar,” Morris confessed. “We use our own BBQ sauce and onion fries to set it apart.” You guessed it – the Beyond Cowpoke Burger( $14) is topped with crispy onions, vegan bacon, and vegan cheddar along with the usual burger accouterments.
Handle Bar
751 N 300 W, Salt Lake City
8. Most Creative
The Bollywood Burger ($8.99) is made in-house and topped with a melange of chutney, curried hummus, kale pesto, bell pepper, spinach, and red-onion. You’ll want to dance and sing when these bright flavors hit your taste buds!
865 S Main St, Salt Lake City
9. Most Satisfying
“Our Garlic Mushroom Burger ($14) isn’t just my favorite burger on the menu, it’s my go-to lunch …” says Andrew Early, owner of Mark of the Beastro. Beyond Beef is beefed up (sorry) with oats, seasonings, liquid smoke, and secret ingredients. Sauteed mushrooms crusted with garlic, caramelized onions, spinach, and house made ranch make this burger “… hearty and flavorful enough to convert even the most hesitant eaters!”
Mark of the Beastro
666 S. State St., Salt Lake City
10. Most Convenient
If you haven’t tasted a char-grilled Impossible Burger ($6.99), find your closest Apollo Burger ASAP. It won’t be hard, there are thirteen locations of this beloved local chain in Utah. For those of us who once adored fast-food burgers, being able to hit a drive thru for a tasty, cow-less burger is a gift. Order the Impossible Burger as is, with lettuce, tomato, onion, and Apollo Sauce or veganize it with a lettuce wrap instead of the bun and skip the sauce. Or, get creative and substitute the Impossible patty on any burger they make for a little more money.
Apollo Burger
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