KimmyKokonut

Fast food with no shortcuts

I ate fast food. Granted I had a coupon from the Chinook Book for a 2 for 1 veggie burger, so like most good girls exposed to a Depression-era mindset from their grandparents, I used my coupon. Expecting a generic veggie burger mass produced and lacking flavor, I was shocked and impressed. Burgerville is what fast food should be. They are only located in Oregon and Washington and have a huge emphasis on local products and a lot of menu items change due to the seasonality of food available. After ordering the “Harvest Burger,” I asked the cashier (who was also the manager) if the burgers were vegan. Expecting a laugh or sneer or pure indifference, I was greeted with a big smile and “Yes, and they’ll be soy-free in a few months as well.” What rabbit hole had I fallen into? I was also treated to a story about how they used to source Gardenburgers but there was a scandal last May and now they are sourcing their veggie burgers from a Lake Oswego (local) company and it’s full of rice, beans and veggies. Hooray for a chain supporting the local economy and providing a higher quality meat-free option! It’s served on a bun with all the fixings and to get it vegan just ask them to hold the mayo. I was even more impressed because it was served with a fresh leaf of Romaine lettuce and the bun was toasted. I can now say good-bye to my teenage years of ordering cheeseburgers at McD’s without the meat and extra pickles.

Local veggie burger

They also offer local sweet onion rings and the milkshakes change with the season as well. I wish they would offer vegan milkshakes because the dairy ones are more than a meal. I can’t imagine how many calories are in them, but they are delicious, even if my stomach disagrees.

Other veg*n menu items that I have not tried: Spicy Anasazi Bean burger (contains egg whites, comes with chipotle mayo), apple slices, fries, salad (comes with cheese, I’m sure they make it to order), sweet potato fries, walla walla onion rings (not sure what’s in the batter, I’ll ask at the next visit), Yukon Gold fries. And there will be a next time, since I have another coupon!

Edited to update that both the Harvest Burger and Anasazi Burger are vegan AND gluten-free AND soy-free.  I contacted the burger makers (Chez Gourmet) and received the ingredients and nutritional info.  Possible allergens: potato starch and yeast extract.