The Best Plant-Based Burgers in LA
With Carl’s Jr. offering a Beyond Burger and Umami and Fat Burger advertising the Impossible Burger, vegans have an embarrassment of riches in LA. Whether you just want an alternative on Meatless Monday or you like your plant-based burger meaty, beany, or tasting of vegetables, there’s a grill near you, ready to serve.
Burgerlords
Get a vegan cheeseburger or make it a double. The Chinatown walk-up and Highland Park restaurant (110 N. Ave 56 Los Angeles 90042) makes their own delectable patty with mushrooms, eggplant, cashews, barley, garbanzo beans, celery, leeks and a top secret spice blend, topped with Follow Your Heart vegan American Cheese. Shoestring fries, tofu nuggets and a Topo Chico make it a meal worth sharing.
Fred 62
This lively Los Feliz diner has offered their tasty, grainy No Animal Burger forever—and now it’s vegan. Onions, melted vegan cheese, jalapeño pickles, avocado, F62 sauce (Fred’s version of Thousand Island) and the house-made potato bun make for a delicious, messy mouthful.
Houston’s
Who knows burgers better than a steakhouse? If you like veggie burgers of the old school rice and bean-based variety, Houston’s offers a huge house-made patty bursting with flavor. The bun is vegan but grilled in butter unless you ask them to leave it out. Try it for lunch or dinner, but check the dress code - this is a fancy burger!
Monty's Good Burger
Monty's Good Burger is taking over Los Angeles with their ever-expanding locations and a menu as simple as In-N-Out Burger - but plant-based. Get a double or single Impossible Burger, a side of tater tots with your choice of dipping sauces, a coconut-based shake, and a hearty chopped kale Caesar salad to balance it all out.
nomoo
Located in the former Johnny Rockets space on Melrose, nomoo (New American Burgers) kept the retro diner look while challenging the definition of what a burger can be - and their spin is deliciously convincing. Try the BBQ Facon Burger if you dare - the double stacks house-made tempeh bacon, fried onion bits, and "secret" BBQ sauce atop a tower of well-cooked Beyond Burgers, held together by a brioche bun. Special shout-out to the Hot Chik'n sandwich, made in-house with chickpeas and seitan. The skinny fries come with four choices of dipping sauce - we recommend them all.
Seabirds Kitchen
For those who like their "meat" a little beet-y, the Beets Me Burger at Seabirds Kitchen in Long Beach fills the void in the market with their house-made shiitake, beet and chia patty; almond butter (it works!), grilled onions, pickles, arugula, and herb mayo. Seabirds opened a Los Feliz location in July 2022.
Vegan Hooligans
The Flaming Melt is all the rage at Vegan Hooligans, made with bean curd "carne asada," sliced bell peppers, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, tomato, and chipotle mayo on sourdough. A side of gooey Asada Fries brings the taste buds to life. Find the hardworking Hooligans at their brick and mortar in DTLA (718 S Los Angeles, Suite B, Los Angeles 90014) and popping up at Boomtown Brewery on Wednesdays and Party Beer Co. on Fridays.
Veggie Grill - El Segundo
The Veggie Grill chain offers some very dressed up versions of the Beyond Burger as well as their own House Veggie Burger - house-made black bean & mushroom patty, pepper jack cheese, arugula, pickled onion, roasted baby tomatoes, and chipotle aioli on a toasted wheat bun.