Fatburger

I used to hit this place pretty regularly. There's one close to my office so I'd go there for lunch once or twice a month. I told myself since the ingredients (besides the meat) were fresh, it was healthier than fast food, and nutritious and fairly affordable. I still think that's partly true. I could have done worse. If you don't know what Fatburger is, it's a CA classic, 50's style burger joint with shakes, wide fries, and charcoal grills.

So, since going vegan, I've driven by the Fatburger sign many times around lunchtime with the feeling of loss. Not so much that I wanted a burger, but that I wouldn't have that type of meal again. And to date, even the best veggie burgers I've had were nothing like an actual burger.

Well, today I decided to see if they had a veggie burger. I wasn't sure if they did. I had ordered cow, chicken, fish and turkey burgers there, but never noticed if they had a veggie option. I figured even if they did it would be nasty, but at least the fries would be satisfying, and I'd know to never go there again and accept my Fatburger-free fate.

Hello Fatburger Boca Burger! Where have you been all my life?! Or, the last 3 months anyway. This thing is amazing. Nothing like a frozen boca. Before I go on, let me stress that you must order this "on the char". This means they cook it on the actual charcoal grill, not just the flat cooktop. It adds a flame broiled flavor. This burger had almost an identical texture to their turkey or cow burgers. It wasn't all soft and mushy and nasty. It satisfied just as much as a regular burger! I'll be going back there for sure.

Then I was curious, what's the nutritional difference between the two? I downloaded the nutritional facts from the website and here's the highlights:

Calories: Cow- 590g, Veggie- 510g

Fat: Cow- 31g (9g saturated, 1.5g trans fat)
Veggie- 20g (4.5g saturated, 0g trans fat)

Cholesterol: Cow- 105g, Veggie- 20g

Sodium: Cow- 1190g, Veggie- 1560g

Fiber: Cow- 2g, Veggie- 11g

Protein: Cow- 33g, Veggie- 33g

As you can see, the veggie burger is comparable in protein and calories, and only loses nutritionally to cow when it comes to sodium content. But neither one is to be envied. So, there you have it. It's pointless to get anything other than a veggie burger here. And I haven't lost a guilty lunch-time pleasure—Fatburger.