My gal Carmela presented me with a list of vegan burgers that she wants to try at restaurants in town. Holy crow – just one more reason why she’s my best friend! Since I love real cheese and condiments like tzatziki and mayo, and I really don’t care if there are eggs or milk in my bun, we agreed that our quest would include both vegetarian and vegan burgers. To me, as long as something tastes delicious I’m not too picky!
It will take us a while to get through the list because 1) we’re not made of money and 2) eating out (even if it is vegetarian) is not good for the waistline! And also, we do have lives 😉
We’d love to hear what you think of our list of restaurants. There are so many awesome restaurants in Calgary – did we miss any that have really good veggie burgers? What restaurant in Calgary has your favourite veggie or vegan burger and why? Please share your thoughts! I’ll continue to update this post as we make our way through the list.
Most of the burgers listed below come with soup, salad or fries of some sort, but some do not. Some burgers are priced a la cart and you have to purchase your sides (and sometimes even your burger toppings!) separately. I’ve included the prices as listed on the menus online.
Broken City – Poipu Burger ($15 – vegan)
- A vegan patty with grilled pineapple, guacamole, lettuce and tomato on a sesame kaiser.
Flipp’N Burgers – (2 burgers, priced with toppings and sides extra)
Organic Vegan Burger ($8.50)
Black Bean Burger ($8.50)
Hearts Choices – Cheeze Burger ($15 – vegan)
- A handmade vegan “meaty” patty, sesame bun, special burger sauce, crispy onion strings, Cheeze slice, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. Add F’acon $1.50.
- You can take home this patty and another beet based patty from their freezer to cook yourself.
- 100% Non GMO vegan patty with pico de gallo, butter lettuce, vegan garlic mayo, vegan herb schiacciata
Oak Tree Tavern – Vegan Burger ($15 – vegan)
- Housemade vegan patty with corn slaw and guacamole
Veg-In YYC Cafe – 5 Burgers (vegan & vegetarian)
- Burgers are served on dairy & egg free buns with your choice of sauces, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles and onions.
Brooklyn – Beyond Meat Burger
Veg-In Classic – Chipotle Black Bean Burger, Cashew or Dairy Cheeze
Millionaire – Smashed Samosa
Wilderness – Portobello Mushroom, Chickpea & Cashew Cheese Topped
Double Decker – Black Bean Patty, Smashed Samosa
JackMosa – Housemade BBQ Jackfruit Patty, Smashed Samosa
- This burger is HUGE! The jackfruit patty has the texture of meat and the BBQ sauce isn’t too sweet or too tangy. With the homemade samosa squished into the burger this is a very filling and carbohydrate filled burger, but totally worth the calories! I would recommend this burger for sure, but only when you’re hungry!
Paper Street – Veggie Smalls ($16 – vegan)
- Black bean and quinoa patty, mushroom vegan bacon, dairy free cheddar, tipsy onions, burger sauce, groceries, multi-grain bun
Cafe Koi – Buddha Burger ($16 – vegetarian)
- A black bean, almond and mushroom patty with beets, spinach, tomatoes and feta, topped with onion marmalade and served in a naan bread.
The Upstream Burger ($18.50 – vegetarian). A roasted garlic, cashew, yam & seed patty topped with fresh dill, mixed greens & red onion rings, served on ciabatta, spread with garlic aioli. Add aged cheddar or almond feta $2.50.
- I added aged cheddar and it was worth it for the flavour kick. This is a delicious burger if you LOVE garlic! The garlic aioli was super strong and I loved it… it’s just not a make-out friendly burger unless you both eat a tonne of garlic. The ciabatta bun is too tough and chewy for the tender burger – upon first bite a quarter of the burger squished out and crumbled on the plate. Taste was great; crumble factor was horrible.
Blue Star Diner (3 burgers, each $17.00)
- “People Food” veggie patties are vegan, gluten free, and made with all natural ingredients in Calgary. Served on vegan all-grain bun.
Banh-Mi
- Sriracha tofunaise, pickled carrots, radish, cucumber, cilantro, sunflower sprouts.
Mediterranean
- Tahini garlic sauce, grilled zucchini, roasted red pepper, pickled onion, goat feta, spinach, tomato.
BSD Veggie Burger
- Red pepper mayo, avocado, smokey potato sticks, cheddar, butter leaf lettuce, tomato.
Boogies Burgers (2 burgers)
Shroom a le-Gume Veggie Burger ($6.85, vegetarian)
- A homemade black bean and mushroom veggie patty with lemon garlic aioli, lettuce, tomato and onion.
It’s Not a Phase Vegan Burger ($7.00, vegan)
- A vegan patty made with brown rice, carrots, corn, broccoli with Boogie’s signature red sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Donna Mac – The Mac ($16.00 – vegan)
4th Spot Kitchen & Bar – A Veggie Burger Named Sue ($16.99, vegetarian) – A handcrafted bbq veggie patty, fried crispy onions, sauteed mushrooms & spicy mayo.
- This burger has the BIGGEST patty I’ve ever seen. The bun is much smaller than the burger, which good in theory, but all the burger around the outside of the bun wanted to fall apart without the support to hold it together. The burger is very tasty and very filling; it’s a standard veggie burger that tastes delicious and has no crazy add-ons. I ended up leaving much of the bun and eating just the patty. I love their fries (and beef gravy) too!
Dairy Lane Cafe – (2 burgers, each $17.00)
Mediterranean Veggie Burger (vegetarian) – Olive tapenade, queso fresco cheese, roasted shallot, garlic tahini sauce, white bean hummus, baby spinach, tomato, zucchini *sub vegan cheese sauce at no charge.
Enchilada Veggie Burger (vegetarian) – Smoked mozzarella, smashed avocado, tortilla strips, roasted bell peppers, red chile sauce, pickled onion, tomato, butter leaf lettuce, cilantro *sub vegan cheese sauce at no charge.
- Well, the burger was tasty, but not amazing. However, the mexi-fries were totally amazing! I was so full but I couldn’t stop eating every single little french fry that was on my plate. Crispy, seasoned well and topped with perfect Mexican-inspired ingredients, the fries alone are worth the trip! Note, I would definitely be happy eating the burger again, it’s just that it was over-shadowed by the fries 🙂
Joey – Crowfoot – House-Made Veggie Burger ($17.25 – vegetarian)
- A classic veggie burger made with brown rice, mushrooms and almonds with a miso dressing this burger is piled HIGH with veggies! You can see my full review here and I would definitely eat this burger (and the salad) again.
The Fine Diner – Falafel Veggie Burger ($17.00 – vegetarian)
- Brioche bun, tomato jam, pickled onion, cucumber yogurt
Re:Grub Burger Bar – Veggievore Burger ($12.00 – vegetarian)
- Quinoa and black bean patty with guacamole, tomato, arugula, tomato relish
Copper Branch – 4 burgers. All burgers are served on an Organic Kamut Bun, Gluten-Free Bun, Collard Green Wrap or Organic Spelt Wrap. Add Guacamole or Fresh Avocado, and/or Vegan Cheese. Make it a double patty if you’re hungry!
Mushroom Galaxy Burger – Oven roasted portobello mushroom, zucchini, caramelized onions, vegan cheese, lettuce, aïoli sauce.
Spicy Black Bean Burger – Black beans, sunflower seeds, sweet potato, pea protein, brown rice, red pepper, green pepper, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, south west sauce.
Copper Burger – Beets, organic brown rice, pea protein, sesame seeds, non-GMO hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, Dijon and maple vegenaise, caramelized onions, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce.
Shiitake Teriyaki Burger – Shiitake mushroom, organic teriyaki sauce, organic tamari, aïoli sauce, sriracha coleslaw
A&W – Beyond Meat Burger (vegetarian)
- True to the hype, I do think meat eaters will enjoy eating this burger. I really don’t think it tastes like meat, but it’s pretty darn close in texture. If you are stressed, in a hurry, and craving fast food, this would definitely be a great alternative to a regular, greasy beef burger. It really is better than the original veggie burger that A&W has always offered. Just remember… if you get the side of fries and a root beer, there’s still nothing healthy about the meal!
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