If you ordered a veggie burger five years ago, what arrived was almost always a mass-produced, flavorless brown disc. Thankfully for diners on a meat-free diet — and carnivores looking for a break from beef — the options have gone gourmet. “Legit chefs realized it didn’t have to be this lame thing that comes out of package,” says Joe Palma, executive chef at Bourbon Steak. Using boundary-pushing ingredients, local chefs have given the veggie burger a makeover. Here are four that make it a pleasure to get your daily dose of veggies (especially if you order them with fries).
Boundary Stone, $10
116 Rhode Island Ave. NW; 202-621-6635, boundarystonedc.com.
Head chef Travis Kern wants vegetarians to feel satisfied after dining with him. “They often get the short end of the stick,” he says. So he fashioned a primo patty out of quinoa and garbanzo beans perked up with madras curry, cilantro and poblano peppers. It comes on a sesame-speckled bun with a thick brushstroke of herb aioli. But do people ever order it topped with the restaurant’s signature sweet ’n’ swine-y bacon jam, which tops the beef burger? “Not often enough,” Kern says. “They should. Everything’s better with bacon jam on it.”
Bidwell, $14
Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE; 202-547-0172, bidwelldc.com.
Meet the scrapple of veggie burgers. Instead of grinding up everything but the squeal, chef-owner John Mooney uses vegetable leftovers — from the root to the shoot. The patty includes artichoke leaves, carrot peels and stalks from a variety of herbs. “That way, nothing goes to waste,” he says. An earthy sensibility pervades, thanks to plenty of mushroom stems and a dose of huitlacoche, an umami-rich corn fungus considered a delicacy in Mexico. The burger is finished off with avocado slices and, when they’re in season, a few slices of heirloom tomato grown in the chef’s rooftop garden.
Beefsteak, $4.99
800 22nd St. NW; 202-296-1421, and 1528 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-986-7597, beefsteakveggies.com.
Most people think of tomato as a burger topping, but at Jose Andres’ playful veg-centric joint, it is the burger. A thick, juicy slice of beefsteak varietal — which inspired the restaurant’s cheeky moniker — has the starring role. Simply peeled, slightly salted and drizzled with a little olive oil, the bright red “patty” gets topped with a tumble of alfalfa sprouts and caper-accented herb mayo. The unconventional sandwich is an attention-getter. “We’ll sell one and suddenly we’ll sell three more,” executive chef Pat Peterson says, “because people will see it and want to try one.”
Bourbon Steak, $14
2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 202-944-2026, bourbonsteakdc.com.
“I hate cakey veggie burgers,” executive chef Joe Palma says. So he makes a lighter, but still substantial, round out of quinoa and bulgur wheat boosted with red navy beans and cremini mushrooms. Garlic, rosemary and thyme spice up the mixture. The patty is flash-fried, given a swipe of arugula pesto, topped with coleslaw tossed in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette and served on a whole-wheat bun. “It’s just a little healthier than your usual giant beef burger,” Palma jokes.
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