- NEWS
- Car plows into concrete wall, house 2 hours & 44 minutes ago
- Freeway connector road closed 46 minutes ago
- Weather service issues red-flag fire warning 19 minutes ago
- Another up month for home prices 1 hour & 32 minutes ago
- SPORTS
- Hudler, Physioc let go by Fox 9 minutes ago
- UCLA-USC: Ten things to look for 1 hour & 50 minutes ago
- O.C. players make an impact in NFL 1 hour & 25 minutes ago
- USC football: 10 reasons why it went wrong 52 minutes ago
- BUSINESS
- Be thankful for this: $1 million in cash
- More homeowners struggle in Surf City
- Stop acting rich, start getting rich 41 minutes ago
- Zippiest O.C. home market? Los Alamitos 3 hours & 58 minutes ago
- ENTERTAINMENT
- Who will win 'Dancing With The Stars'? 50 minutes ago
- Rattle, Berlin Phil, awash in Brahms 1 hour & 38 minutes ago
- Jim Gaffigan brings his new act to O.C.
- 'Little Women' well performed in Anaheim
- LIFE
- Thanksgiving wine picks
- Frumpy Mom: I'm flunking the 7th grade 2 hours & 12 minutes ago
- 7 For All Mankind opens first O.C. store
- Seedless watermelons recalled over bacteria 40 minutes ago
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
A die-hard carnivore finds burger bliss at Veggie Grill
November 4th, 2009, 8:48 am · 16 Comments · posted by Niyaz Pirani
Note: Niyaz really loves beef, and this was his first trip to Veggie Grill.
Whoa. I got totally sucker-punched in the stomach by a vegetarian burger.
It’s Papa’s Portobello, $8.50, at The Veggie Grill at the Irvine Spectrum, and it’s worth every penny. This sandwich features a huge mushroom cap covered with a smear of chipotle ranch as well as caramelized onions, chopped tomatoes, a basil-and-garlic spread and a roasted clove of garlic.
It’s a mushroom-lover’s dream, as each bite bursts with earthy, juicy portobello and sweet onion. The flavors mellow out the sharp basil-garlic spread that makes this sandwich really stand above vegetarian choices I’ve had at other restaurants. Best of all, I wasn’t heavy or sleepy as if I’d just eaten a beef burger. This lunch had me thinking that if I was a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815 and I just so happened to crash on Vegetarian Island, I might really have a chance at survival.
If reading this post has made you hungry for this burger, know that you can have it without ever leaving the safety and comfort of your own car. Ian Hamilton has the details on the Irvine Business Blog.
The Veggie Grill
Irvine Spectrum
81 Fortune Dr.
Irvine
949-727-9900
University Center
4213 Campus Dr.
Irvine
949-509-0003
16 Comments
Leave a Reply
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
-
Fast Food Maven- Cooking with Cathy Thomas
- More restaurant reviews
-
Restaurants Out of Business
The recession is forcing many Orange County restaurants to shutter, and we're trying to track them all for you. Check out our O.C. Restaurant Closure List for the latest updates. -
-
16th annual People's Choice
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
Browse the 2009 Best of Orange County winners -
ADVERTISEMENT
Thanks, Niyaz, for the veggie burger review! After reading your take on Slater 50/50, I dashed up for their veggie burger only to be disappointed … What do you expect at a REAL burger joint, right? … The Veggie Grill might be the best place for people like me
Ick!
I love the veggie grill. I’m also a meat-eater, but the food there is so healthy and delicious. I wish they’d expand even more.
So true. I eat just about any meat, but there are lotsa vegan spots - Veggie Grill, Native Foods, Bodhi Tree - that make me salivate.
Yummmmm!! Let’s all get actually civilized. With all the delicious and nutritious veggie options out there, there is NO EXCUSE TO EAT **CARCASS**. GAG!
PJ’s Abbey in Orange has an awesome porabello burger too and their fries are the best.
The only time that I went to Veggie Grill I had the Cajun Chicken and let me tell you it tasted nothing like chicken…
On a good note, they have pretty tasty sweet potato fries
I’ll be sure to try out Papa’s Portobello next time, thanks Niyaz!
Sounds like a good sandwich, but a burger it is not.
No duh!
Looks like a burger to me. Portobello burgers (or sandwhiches) can be better than their beef counterparts. That’s coming from a true hamburger fan. I make portobello burgers at home almost as often as regular hamburgers.
Wouldn’t it be a mushroom sandwich then? Burger means it consists of beef right? Anyways, I’ve never had one but it sounds tasty! What is it with Chipotle? It seems to make everything taste awesome and I’m addicted to the stuff! Want to make a plain tortilla taste great? Smear it with some Chipotle Salsa on it!!! lol
I think the “burger” term has been democratized beyond beef - that’s why people always refer to “veggie burgers.” Also, Native Foods (another vegan joint) has a sandwich called the Chicken Run Ranch Burger, which is (delicious) faux poultry.
And yes, Veggie Grill’s chipotle ranch is phenomenal.
A hamburger consists of beef, but what about a salmon burger or a turkey burger? I think the question revolves around the word “burger” rather than “hamburger”. I will say, though, that burger probably denotes that the “meat” be ground, which the portobello is not. So perhaps it’s not a true burger. Damn. Anyways, it sure looks good.
mmmm carcass
Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. But if you want a lighter “burger” a portabello is a great choice.
Veggie grill is delicious! Great post!