Friday, December 29, 2017

Vegan Burger with Fries at Red Robin in Huntsville AL

Red Robin has options for vegans! The bar tender told me "you can go vegan on pretty much any burger". In the past I got the Keep It Simple with a Boca Burger vegan patty, but the menu has changed slightly and that patty is no longer available. I had to change it up this time. Red Robin is a gourmet burger restaurant, so this is not a cheap meal. It was about $14, and that's not including the tip.




I ordered the Keep It Simple burger just as before, which has lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions on the side. It comes with Bottomless Steak Fries. Now, here's how to make it vegan with the new menu items. I chose the "ancient grains and quinoa vegan patty", requested the bun not be toasted on the grill (to avoid butter or grease from the grill), and requested "allergy fries" (that means the oil they fry them in is used for fries only and not other products like chicken or products battered with milk and egg batter). What came to my table was a huge, delicious, beautify vegan burger with as many fries as I wanted. And I got tea to wash it down.

The ancient grains and quinoa patty was as firm and textured as a beef patty. It had chunks of carrots, corn, and other goodies inside. The other topping on the burger were beautify. This place made it right! The lettuce was a whole bright green leaf, and it was clean! The tomatoes and onions were perfect. They didn't put garbage on my food like some other restaurants do. And the taste was amazing. It was better than any beef burger I ever had. It was also better than the Boca Burger, which was often served under cooked on my other visits to Red Robin. The fries were so good I got a refill.

Now for the mild concerns. The Boca Burger that is no longer available was microwaved, which sounds boring and cheap, but it was a good way for a vegan to feel save about the cooking process. This new ancient grains and quinoa patty was clearly not microwaved. It looked and tasted grilled. It was great, but how was it cooked? Was beef grease all over the grill? Was my patty cooked with beef on a nasty flat top grill? Is there a separate area for veggies? I don't know. It didn't taste like beef at all. I patted it down with my napkin just to check it out. Not much oil to see. Beef grease is usually noticeable. But cross contamination is one of my concerns. Also, the plate on which my food was served looked clean upon first glance, but it was actually greasy. I could take my napkin and rub the clean plate to reveal a cleaner spot. It was almost like the plate was rinsed clean of all solids but without the use of soap that would strip the oil from the plate. These are mild concerns and didn't ruin the meal at all, but I figured I'd mention them. 

Overall, I enjoyed this meal very much. The taste, appearance, and texture of the food was better than expected. It all seemed clean and healthy, not greasy, dirty, or heavy. The option to go vegan with many burger types is surprising. I'm just nervous about the food prep. I will cautiously go back, hoping to enjoy my next visit as much as this visit.

UPDATE: More research has revealed evidence that both the bun and new ancient grain quinoa patty MAY NOT BE VEGAN. Unfortunately, Red Robin wants to remain flexible with the ingredients, and it's difficult to get a clear understanding of what the food contains. My conclusion is that I will remember this as a good meal, but I will not order this again unless I get confirmation that it is without a doubt vegan. Next time I'll stick with fries and a drink.

https://www.redrobin.com/ 

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