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The reward for my pain and suffering? Finding two palatable versions (neither are vegan). They’re so good it’s the first time I can say this carnivore would go back just for the non-meat burgers. Heretic!The first is at Jerry’s Sandwiches (1045 W. Madison St., 312-563-1008), a 7-year-old West Loop lunch spot, and more recently, in a sleek space along Wicker Park’s Division Street row (1938 W. Division St., 773-235-1006).
Most veggie burgers are burger impostors, that is, formed to taste and (worse yet) resemble a beef patty. I find this practice cruel and sacrilegious. At Jerry’s, the veggie burger does not suffer from identity crisis. It is what it is: eight varieties of diced vegetables held together by panko bread crumbs and egg wash to form a veggie burger that’s not really a veggie burger ($9.45).
The grilled half-pound patty emerges from the flames charred with blackened stripes, yellow on the surface with bursts of colors from the carrots, corn nibs, peas and red onions.
The texture resembles a Japanese potato croquette: the granular crispiness of the exterior, leading to a creamy, gritsike interior.
Diced eggplants and cauliflower give the patty heft and body, and the aforementioned colorful vegetables lend a plucked-from-the-garden sweetness.
Melted white cheddar adds a much needed savory richness to the sandwich. (I would ask for it on a grilled onion bun — the more toasted the better.)
The patty is good in a hash-browns-on-a-Sunday-morning sort of way. Next time I’ll order one, ditch the bread, and ask if they can poach a couple of eggs for me.
At Michigan Avenue’s Bandera (535 N. Michigan Ave., 312-644-3524; five total Banderas nationwide), I had to pry my fingers away from the restaurant’s fantastic rotisserie chickens and lamb sandwiches to sample the much-lauded veggie burger ($13).
Unlike Jerry’s, this burger wants to be a beef burger. Diced beets mixed into brown rice base gives it that medium-rare beef look.
The added ingredients are interesting: sweet California prunes, jalapenos and black beans give the burger complexity.
A brush of sweet soy glaze during grilling helps caramelizes the surface, toasting the top layer of brown rice and adding an appealing crunch.
The main knock I hear is that it’s too mushy, and it’s true.
It comes apart after your teeth get through the pillow-soft egg bun, the tomatoes, lettuce and pickles, with little resistance to the patty. But it lacks that grainy, new age-y, healthy-gross taste that similar veggie burgers offer, just sweet enough to work well as a savory dish.
Incidentally, if your carnivore desires surface during veggie burger tastings at Jerry’s and Bandera, proper beef versions are available. Fight the urge.
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