Developing terrible habits of eating out every other day comes at a costly price of financial and nutritional well-being. However, I have gained some benefit from this, and can now declare myself as a moderately knowledgeable vegetarian, capable of making some above-average recommendations for places to eat in the city. Here is my personal ranking of my top 5 favorite places to go to enjoy some delicious and completely unhealthy vegetarian burgers.
#5 Harvey’s
In terms of fast food, there aren’t very many vegetarian options at most places and those options are usually sub-par and don’t make up a decent meal, like fries or a sad salad. Harvey’s takes good care of Veggies that are on the go and have a craving for some good old drive-thru burgers at a cheap price. The patty itself is vegan-friendly and is grilled to perfection with a smokey barbeque flavour. The biggest perk here is picking your own toppings from a long list of free options, including avocado that doesn’t cost you extra. With multiple locations all across the city, this is a quick and accessible option to satisfy a craving while staying on a budget.
#4 South St. Burger
Located in Lansdowne park, this is a perfect stop for a yummy lunch or dinner on a day out with friends. The vegetarian burgers here are custom made to your liking, with different options for basic toppings and more exciting options to splurge on, like ginger glazed pineapples. The patties here are definitely the kind that try to imitate meat, but luckily, not in the “gross processed-artificial chemical taste” kind of way. The servers prepare the vegetarian patties to order, on a separate grill from meat products, which is comforting for people who are especially picky about their food being animal-free. The patties and toppings are served in a generous portion which makes the small bun a little structurally unreliable. This means forks and knives are required for this delicious, but messy burger.
#3 Burgers and Shakes
These veggie burgers are the bomb-dot-com, especially for the fast-food price they come at. Being another custom-burger joint, Burgers and Shakes sets itself apart with large portions and a thick, juicy vegetarian patty. The service is fast and friendly, making the diner a good place for a positive pick me up during a busy day. Even though the locations in Barrhaven and Gloucester are a bit of a stretch from downtown Ottawa, it is definitely worth the trip!
#2 The Works
I honestly have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love The Works. This restaurant is a madhouse for creativity with food, carrying a wide range of different choices and unusual toppings. From the Trudeau burger with its poutine filling to my personal favourite, the Son of a Beech with its delicious avocado and beechhouse sauce. The vegetarian patties here are made to taste like meat, and to a vegetarian that hasn’t consumed meat in a while, the familiarity becomes uncanny. I often find myself freaking out at the first bite and comparing my patties with my friends’ burgers to make sure mine is not the same as theirs. They are definitely vegetarian but almost too good to be so. Being on the pricier end of veggie burger options, The Works is a good spot for splurging every once in a while, celebrating a special occasion or simply treating yourself with your friends after a long week of studying and essay writing.
#1 Pure Kitchen
Along with a majority of the Veggies I know, I find Pure Kitchen to sometimes be completely overrated and definitely overpriced. However I must admit, their veggie burgers are an absolute work of art and are definitely worth every penny. If you’ve ever seen the film Pulp Fiction, you’ll recognize the reference to the Royale with Cheese made in the first scene. The Royale with Cheese is recreated at Pure Kitchen and is essentially a vegan Big Mac that is approximately 300 times better than an actual Big Mac. The mushroom walnut patty served here is an absolutely glorious melt-in-your-mouth flavour explosion that you simply cannot find anywhere else in Ottawa. This is the best kind of vegetarian patty, one that does not try to be meat but instead aims to create its own original taste that makes it unique to the restaurant. It is served with a vegan thousand islands style sauce and comes with your choice of vegan or cheddar cheese and your basic burger toppings such as tomatoes and lettuce. The burger is the absolute star of the show, but if you’re going to make the trip to PK, you might as well splurge a little more and upgrade your side to their delicious vegan poutine, taking things to the next level.