Seeking out best veggie burgers in LA

I have tried veggie burgers at many places and often end up wishing I had just fired up my own grill and grilled up some frozen Dr. Praeger's! I have tasted many on the Westside, including the Counter (overflowing any bun and OK, but not really worth the price), Barney's (not up to SF standards -- in LA, they don't serve the tofu-based burger that is so falvorful) and Snug Harbor (I regularly get the veggie chorizo because it leaves their burger in the dust).

So, where I should try for an outstanding veggie burger experience? Westside not a necessity...

[terramassu]

Novel Cafe
1101 Gayley Ave
Westwood, CA 90024
[phone]

Garden Vegetarian Burger 9.95
vegetarian patty: brown rice mushrooms, barley, soy and onions,
tomato pesto, swiss cheese, green leaf, tomatoes, pickles, grilled
onions, avocado, and sprouts

I also recommend Mother's Market. I'm not sure if there are any locations in LA, but there are definitely a few in the OC.

[westsidegal]

caveat emptor, my feelings probably don't mirror yours because i really like the counter veggie burger whereas you don't, but here goes:

i like the Big Macro served at M Cafe de Chaya, the Houston's burger, and the Counter veggie burger (with their blue cheese)

if you go for the phoney beef type of veggie burger, then you may like the one served at the veggie grill.

[goodhealthgourmet]

post is 6 years old, so maybe the OP has grown to appreciate the Counter's veggie burger by now ;)

Mo' Betta' Meaty Meat Burgers at Pico and Fairfax surprisingly offers a great veggie burger. The patties are kinda weird (do I remember corn kernals correctly?) but are pretty tasty. The wait can be really awful so be prepared to watch some really bad tv that's always inevitably on.

The Newsroom's veggie burger is really good but I'd want it 50% bigger and with fries.

The best restaurant veggie burgers/steak etc is at Native Foods.
The best soy based burger is the garlic portebello burger at Costco, and dirt cheap.

I really like the portabella and sausage burger at Native foods. Their crispy chicken run burger is good as well.

I also like Ruby's veggie patty when you put it in their hickory burger minus the bacon, their superburger with grilled soudough and tons of avocado, and their pineapple and teriyaki burger.

The grilled cheese animal style at In and Out is always a big hit.

I wish Fatburger did a veggie patty. I would love to have a veggie patty burger with a fried egg on top.

I really dig the veggie burger at Pie n Burger. With some fries well done and a chocolate malted, you're set!

The veggie burger at Houston's is delicious.

I forgot about Houston's. Doh! Probably my favorite I have had in LA. Thanks for reminding me.

For the uninitiated, the veggie burger is huge and should be eaten with knife and fork. It is reddish and stains white tablecloths nicely - my interpretation of these facts was that beets played a role in the formation of the patty. Now, beets are a tad unusual as a veggie burger base, but the taste of this monster burger makes me think other places that try to use oats or mushrooms are attempting pure folly. Beets never had it so good...and as this thread attests, neither have I. One of the servers suggested getting the veggie burger with the same set up as the beef burger, and while that was good, I prefer it the way Houston's normally serves it. The mustard (a condiment I am not prone to like and one that I have never eaten with beets) works wonders for reasons that confound my faculties but please my palate.

One other point: the burger comes with whatever side vegetable you feel like having. When Houston's is doing their roasted artichoke, you have the makings of a sloppy, slippy, slurpy combo from heaven. The two elements don't exactly mix well--but, um, who cares? Yummy factor set to high, propriety be damned.

Heard Newsroom Cafe has a good one. Never had it though, so can't vouch for it, but their other vegetaran items are generally tasty.

Laugh if you must, but Claimjumpers has a really good veggie burger. I especially enjoy it when I order it with the thin onion rings instead of the fries. De-lish

[ReelMike84]

The only veggie burger option I see, other then the "Grilled Vegetable & Goat Cheese Sandwich," is the alternative request to get a boca patty. Is this the burger to which you refer?

[Harry Niletti]

That post is six years old.

-Harry

[ReelMike84]

wow... color me embarrassed

I like the Planet Burger at The Good Earth. There's one in Studio City and I think there are a couple more branches of this former chain that are still open and independently managed.