Don't get it with cheese!
To create a bit of rational structure in the madness of offers that I am going to face (I did not think there were so many options), I draw up a master plan where we are going to assess the following:
- Bread. That it must be integral enough to support everything it contains but at the same time light so as not to interfere between you, and the important thing, the hamburger) . - The burger itself . From here on I will refer to it as 'the patty ’, which tends to be the weak point most often. If it explodes in your face at the first bite, wrong , and if it is a plaster that could well be used to tile walls, bad too . We are going to look for texture and flavor but it will not be an essential requirement that it resemble meat . - The sauces : uh, the sauces, that powerful lubricant that can save you from an esophageal ulcer but you have to resign yourself to being a supporting actor in the show.
- The complements : we will take into account to what extent they complement the patty by providing different textures without detracting from it. - The accompaniment: we know there's life beyond frozen bag fries so we're hoping for something slightly more surprising, thanks.
- The price: in times of crisis it becomes one of the most important factors to take into account. We don't have to fool ourselves either, how much can they charge us for some vegetables between bread and bread?
THE APPLICANTS
**Zombie Bar**. All burgers can be veganized by changing the patty but I prefer the one they consider THE VEGAN . patty, soy-based , has an incredible texture and more than passes the cut test, in fact, It looks like it was carved with a lightsaber. Slightly smoked flavor and very realistic color. When I ask, I find out that they don't do it And automatically a thunderous BUUUUHHH sounds inside my head, but on second thought I'm left with 1, It is not a vegan place (and if you don't know, don't get involved) and 2, at least they have taken the trouble to choose a good product.
The bread turns out to be a very light and fluffy bun with a crunchy touch and seeds, ideal, it fulfills its function exceptionally. Sauteed Portobellos and Roasted Bell Pepper that provide juiciness and lettuce and tomato sprouts for a crunchy touch complete the combo, very correct in my opinion. The accompaniments consist of guacamole, a bit simple but very refreshing and a basket of fried potatoes and sweet potatoes, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. As a sauce, a soy mayonnaise with a sweet touch that leaves you wondering if you like it or not, they could change brands because there are other much more convincing ones.
Price: €11.90 Note: 8.5
Despite not being cheap, the product is good and the place is worth seeing. In addition, you will also spend time experiencing the attitude of the waiters #SoyDemasiadoCoolParaAtenderte
Saint Wich . We start with patty from carrot, quinoa and parsley with imperceptible flavor and doubtful texture than being finer would be made up of subatomic particles . Call it Milanese, croquette or slice but that's not a hamburger. The ridiculously gigantic and unattractive bread is packed with a mouth-burning amount of raw onion. In the menu it says that it also has grilled zucchini but I am unable to find it . Served with honey mustard so you should ask for another available option, be careful with the chili, why here spicy means spicy , not our western approach. To finish some potatoes that go unnoticed, guess... bagged.
Price: €6.75 Note 3.5
Finding the manager cursing in Aramaic and a rather poor organization does not help create a good experience. If someone asks you to go to this place, walk away slowly, walking backwards until you disappear over the horizon.
To the rich hamburger!
Goiko Grill . Recently added to the menu, I go to try the hamburger that is so excitedly advertised on social media. we start with a vegetable-based patty and couscous with very little grace. I imagine the cooks praying to the god of hamburgers and compulsively repeating very softly, -don't break, don't break...-, and if they manage to get it to the plate in one piece, the problem is yours . Poor texture and little to no flavor. The bread is pretty average but it's well toasted which makes it more enjoyable. You choose the accessories the classic trap for you to go crazy and end up overloading your burger and the price. In this case I choose lettuce, piquillo peppers, caramelized onion and pickles, the originality of the final product depends on you. To accompany, some rustic potatoes with mysterious seasoning they are the highlight of the meal. The ratio with respect to the barbecue sauce that they offer you is quite low since if you are a professional salsa artist, you don't even have enough for the first potato , although you can always get up to your eyebrows in bags of ketchup and mustard.
Theoretical price: €8.5 , after the accessories €12.30, in my opinion, crazy. Note: 4.5
I recommend that you don't go on purpose. It is an option for when you have dinner with friends determined to eat meat and you do not want to resign yourself to a miserable salad from the garden.
Loving Hut . a patty of soy, seitan and mystery greens (when asking they leave me half with the answer) of very convincing texture and bad knife proof stands out among the normality of the final product. It is served to you partially charred, but hey, like grilled burgers, very realistic and at least homemade. To complement, **lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese (finally! one with cheese!) ** plus mayonnaise and mustard. Potatoes are present in great quantity but do not deserve a special mention either.
Price: €7 €8 with potatoes Note: 7
It's the burger you want to eat after going out , the directly vegan version of the traditional one, without complications. If you can, take it home, because the staff is not the most pleasant, unless it is me that gives off some substance non grata and they smell the fear that arouses in me one of the waitresses who works there.
The hamburger you want to eat after going out
** Sanissimo **. You can find different options of hamburgers. I recommend the Terra Nostra, based on lentils and olives . The patty has a very light and pleasant flavor and despite having a creamy texture typical of vegetable-based burgers; does not break when cut and does not fall apart when eaten . As complements alfalfa sprouts, arugula (very successful choice for how it complements the flavors, but there could be more), tomato and vegan with a sweet touch. After eating countless hamburgers, I deeply appreciate that they accompany it with steamed broccoli (which I find a bit bland, but considering that I am Lady Sodium Chloride, don't pay much attention to me either).
Price: 6 euros Note: 6.75
If the bread had a more special nosequé we would gladly raise the grade. Overall one of the lightest, ideal if you don't want to have to take a 6-hour nap after eating.
Vegan Knit . 5, neither more nor less, are the options offered by this place next to the Temple of Debod . Since four are not made by them, I choose one at random – Provençal-style tofu and brown rice – and their house burger based on quinoa with a touch of rosemary. The complements are the same in both cases, tomato, lettuce, carrot and seriously addictive garlic. You can also add cheddar style cheese for €0.80 more. To accompany, potatoes or a simple salad based on lettuce shoots, cherry tomatoes and corn. I am pleasantly surprised by the house burger patty since it is crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside and you can cut it perfectly without having to declare zone 0 on your plate. The touch of aromatic herbs goes very well with the reminiscences of dried fruit that quinoa has.
Price €7.50 with homemade lemonade included, what a detail
Note: From the 8th house – Provençal style tofu and rice 7
With all the love that these guys put into what they do, it's a shame they haven't spent a little more time choosing some potatoes and bread to match. Still, they do not disappoint.
** Vegan Rayén **. If I had known the size of the homemade Rayen burger, I would have gone to eat with the preheating done, stretching included. mashed avocado (very well thought out, since this way it provides more creaminess and is easier to eat), tomato, lettuce, carrot and mayonnaise homemade accompany a patty based on lentils, vegetables, beets and seeds. The fact that the hamburger passes a three-way cut speaks more than well about the texture and consistency of the patty , which also has a very convincing flavor Not to mention the realistic pop of color that the beet brings. It is infinitely appreciated that the bread is self-made , shows that no detail has been spared. A spinach pesto, a little bit of salt and a pebre sauce with a spicy touch (very rich) complete the dish
Price €12 Note 8.75
With all the delicious things that come out of the kitchen of this place, I want it to come accompanied by something more than sauces (potatoes, we want potatoes!). Otherwise, good ecological product and a lot of care.
With homemade bread...
** Long live ciabatta **. The soy-based patty with vegetable bits tastes to me, personally to a glob of raw flour and it gets heavy. as complements lettuce tomato onion lightly grilled and a few slices of pickles that are responsible for providing a vinegary touch. It doesn't come with chips and the bread is just something you wouldn't consider buying even if it was the world's last packet after a nuclear debacle, as well as being sweet, which still amazes me. As sauces, a bag of ketchup and another of mustard.
Price: €5.90 + 15% if you sit at the table Score: 4
For there to be so many vegan options on the menu, it seems like they didn't take much time designing this dish. I recommend that you ask for something else.
** B13 .** When you read that a house hamburger is made from seitan, beans, rice and oatmeal, you think that they are going to serve you the definitive hamburger, since, why would you want to mix such powerful ingredients if it is not to achieve the mother of textures? Hopefully it is due to a bad day in the kitchen, but reality is far from it. Even though it holds the cut, the patty has an extremely creamy texture reminiscent of hummus and a flavor that can barely be detected. To their credit, note that there is nowhere to serve you rich vegan cheese rich for this price and whether you like it or not, go up a grade. Lettuce, tomato and onion complete the combo . If I am not mistaken they have recently changed the bread and I must say that the change is for the better.
Price: €4 Note: 5.75
They have 4 more varieties available on the menu but the brain in my stomach sent me threatening messages every time I thought of ordering something else. Good portions and above all good prices.
new york burger . The Central Park hamburger is a patty with a crispy and creamy interior based on leek, pea, carrot, celery and cauliflower which is presented as an oasis among a menu specialized in meats. It is accompanied by the BBC of hamburgers, lettuce, tomato and red onion, a classic . We like this place because you can choose between fries, baked potato, potato wedges or salad to complement your burger and you don't have to go through the fritanga hoop if you don't feel like it. I prefer the baked potato but I have to take it without sauce since they are all dairy-based. Still, it's so well cooked that I don't care in the least, splash of olive oil and salt and in glory, hey . All available breads contain eggs except gluten-free bread, which at this point of massive ingestion of hamburgers sounds to me like delicate melodies of trumpets played by cherubs. For my surprise, They bring me another vegetable burger that they have off the menu, based spinach, carrot, mushrooms and pine nuts , which despite having an improvable texture, has a smoky flavor of embers that makes it a much better option than the 'official' one.
Price: €7 Note: 6.5
The price is something that attracts positive attention since, due to the American style of the place, you expect to pay an average of 12-13 euros for a hamburger, but nothing is beyond reality. Employees treatment is excellent. From here I make a general call for them to put the spinach burger on the menu, if it's homemade, it's always better.
Central Park
Beast Madrid . I go to the Salamanca district, although I must say that I feel like in Malasaña once I go through the portal, to try **the vegetarian proposal (you must ask for it without mayonnaise to veganize it) ** that these guys offer us. We started well with a soft but crunchy outside bread with oat flakes and sunflower seeds which houses a p atty d e chickpeas with a very intense flavor . The lettuce and tomato help add the texture that the burger lacks, which tends to fall apart. I love the accompanying potatoes, thin and very crispy, with skin and perfectly golden.
Price: €7.50 Note: 7
The wall murals They are worth seeing so I recommend you pay them a visit. In addition to taking care of the product, they have turned the presentation of their dishes around and in general they have something special that will not disappoint you . From here I ask you to suggest that they veganize the chipotle mayonnaise with which they accompany the hamburger, to see if due to customer fatigue and exhaustion, they give in. A small part of me died not being able to taste it.
Malasaña in Salamanca and with a quality veggie
** The black sheep. ** Lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise with a touch of garlic and onion are the complements of the first two hamburgers that I try in this place. The first consists of a soya and vegetable patty with a firm texture, bordering on chewy that doesn't even flinch when we make three cuts to share it. The second, based on quinoa and black olives It is presented on the plate completely destroyed, so I cannot consider it a hamburger, a pity since the flavor is very good . The third burger on the menu is made based on chickpeas and beetroot with a fairly good texture, but that can be a bit dry. The touch of serving it with caramelized onions is a very smart move as it counteracts it. The latter is served with potatoes. I'm glad not to see the sad bimbo bread and to be able to eat a much crunchier one.
Price: €4 - €6 Note: soybeans and vegetables 6 -, quinoa and olives 4 (much to my chagrin, but it's not even far from being whole), chickpeas and beetroot 6.25
Simple food and very well priced an ultra tolerant and respectful environment. It's like eating at home but better, because you don't have to lift a finger.
hmmm...sojita
** Vegan Rock **. dare to try the flagship of the house, LA GUARRA , and call me if you manage to finish this beast without spending the night in the ER. Traditional and 'chicken' burger , double cheese, ham, pickles, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion and homemade veganesa between bread and bread form one of those constructions impossible to put down after the first bite. Both pattys are trademarks, one style chicken in batter and another type of beef that end up tiring the taste since they are quite flat in terms of flavor but they resist cutting well and hold their shape. Both the cheeses and the ham are very convincing , the lettuce and tomato provide a much-needed fresh touch and the pickles' sour touch makes its way through the crowd as best it can. As if that were not enough, **it comes accompanied by fries (pale and soft)**, which would benefit from being cooked in very hot oil.
Price: €9.50 Note: 6.75
Mark with a big X the day you want to skip the diet and run to Rivas to meet the man who has dared to put all this between bread and bread.
Long live Burger. I'm going to be completely honest, I've tried this place's hamburgers on several occasions but long before I started reading this article, so I remember the essence of the product but not in much detail to accurately describe it. Some of you may wonder, why haven't you gone back to tell it like God intended? Well, for several reasons, first, a very tight schedule and a stomach that was crying out a burger truce and second, the price, which I do remember because left me traumatized . whopping of €13.95, for a hamburger…vegan, that this is not Kobe beef gentlemen. So okay, I'll say I remember a patty with a very intense and pleasant flavor with a smoky touch but too fragile texture, 5 potatoes counted as accompaniment (but very good, watch out) and a serrated knife stuck in the center of the burger in anti-stress therapy mode for kitchen staff. Go, try and comment, I await your answers.
THE SLUT
DO NOT GIVE IT WITH CHEESE
It is well known that the first rule of the vegan is to read the ingredient labels from top to bottom and harass the waiters with questions until they take them to unsuspected limits. All this has a purpose and it is that if you live in the country of the lollipop and you are confident in life, they will give it to you with cheese, and a lot of it.
Home Burger . They have two vegetarian options on the menu. at first they seem vegan (if you don't ask for the coleslaw and change some dressing, we'll go for the typical). But to my surprise and after a more intense interrogation than usual, I discover that the bread contains eggs. The waiter, ultra friendly I must say, he offers me to put it on without bread, but that's like being told that a paella tastes the same if it's made in a pan . There are things that just don't.
** The H is silent. ** Another surprise that I take with the bread, I guess flour, yeast and water It's not enough anymore in these days of gimme, gimme, gimme society! and here they add milk and milk powder. You can try it in salad format, ask for the Hipster.
**Pizza and pita. ** Never trust when not even the staff knows what is taking what they are serving you. They are unable to tell me if the breading of their veggie burger has an egg.
NOTHING LIKE HOME
Mytical burger. If you want to dress up fine or surprise your friends with a dinner like finger food , I recommend that you try the mitical mini vegan burgers, in the Barceló market. With a textured soy base and fresh vegetables such as onions, carrots, Swiss chard, beets, zucchini and the fashionable kale. Their cassava, sweet potato, beet and carrot chips are not wasted either, a crunchy and original accompaniment.
And for the days when your cook is on fire, any recipe from the book The Most Exquisite Vegan Burgers by **Chef Toni Rodríguez** will make you lose your mind, of course. In addition to a large number of succulent hamburgers, you will find sauces, accompaniments, drinks and even post hamburgers... for dessert!
Buy the best vegan to make it at home
THE DEFINITIVE RANKING
Vegan Rayen 8.75
ZombieBar 8.5
Vegan Point – From the 8th house
Loving Hut 7
Vegan point – Tofu and rice Provencal style 7
Beast Madrid 7
Sanissimo 6.75
Vegan Rock 6.75
New York Burger – 6.5
The black sheep – chickpeas and beetroot 6.25
The black sheep – Soy and vegetables 6
B13 – 5.75
Goiko grill 4.5
The black sheep – Quinoa and olives 4
long live ciabatta 4
Sanwich 3.5
*Zahira is a physiotherapist and, in addition, she carried out a Master's Degree in Vegetarian Cuisine and Food Applied to Sports . She has been a teacher and coordinator of a Vegetarian Cooking School (Ana Moreno School), head chef for more than two years at Ziva To-Go (raw vegan restaurant in Mallorca) and chef at Botanique, chef at 42°, photography project and gastronomy in Madrid. She currently collaborates with the RBA publishing house in the publication of a recipe book and works at Bon Lloc, the first vegetarian restaurant in Mallorca.
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