Grill'd Vegetarian and Vegan Options - a taste test

Grill'd was a fave joint since I became gluten intolerant. I always trusted their burgers wouldn't make me sick!

Here is my sampling of their burgers, and my opinion of them with my Mediterranean palate.

Calories are based on my gluten free bun which is the highest calorie bun by a LOT.

When I eat out I'm not after seeking 100% compliance because I only eat out once a month or so, I do try to enjoy myself and the food and company. I believe, like an art gallery, we should aim for preservation 2/3 of the time, and LIVING 1/3 of the time. Just as they store artworks for 2/3 of the time and display it to enjoy for 1/3 of the time :). Keep this in mind. Also the vegan options I tried while i had been relatively strictly WFPB so the oily comments may be because I'm not used to oil.

Note I did sample some VEGETARIAN instead of VEGAN burgers. So just skip those if you are a strict vegan.

To make any item on the menu vegan, Grill'd advises to remove such ingredients:

 pesto, tzatziki, sour cream, Caesar dressing, and of course all the mayo & cheese varieties

LET THE TASTE TESTS BEGIN!

GARDEN GOODNESS / $11.5 / VEGETARIAN / 810 CAL
Premium quality veggie pattie with beetroot, tasty cheese, avocado, salad, relish & herbed mayo (vegan if you request no cheese and mayo)

Very nice. Not much to say really. The patty was not what I expected, but VERY tasty, ingredients being:

(Vegetables (77%) (Potato, Carrot, Pumpkin, Peas, Onion, Cauliflower, Spinach), Corn Starch, Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Salt, Baking Powder (450,500), Guar Gum, Spice).

Beetroot, as I recall tasting a lot of potato, rice flour and salt. I wasn't expecting a white patty! But it was really very delicious! The cheese is of course amazing but I am well enough in my vegan journey to turn it down now. This burger can be veganised by omitting the herbed mayo and cheese.  I would love to try it with added pineapple!

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FIELD OF DREAMS / $11.5 / VEGETARIAN / 688CAL

Grilled field mushroom, basil pesto, roasted peppers, tasty cheese, salad & herbed mayo *(vegan if you request no mayo)

The pesto was awesome and the cheese made it tasty! Love it, yum! Vegetarian. I hate basil and this one with pesto in it was still amazing! 

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VEGGIE VITALITY (NEW) / $11.5 / VEGAN / 712CAL

Beetroot, sweet potato, spinach & quinoa veggie pattie with avocado, golden pineapple, carrot & cos lettuce

I wasn't fond of the earthiness of the patty from the beets or potato I assume- or the spice, or texture.......but the rest of it was REALLY good. Next time I'll try the mushroom patty and then i'll make my pick or my new favourite to push 'Simon Says' out of the way!

Would I recommend? Yes, if you like spicy earthy food. If not, remove /replace the patty and enjoy it for the veggies. 

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---------my ensembles --------

 VEGGIE VITALITY (NEW)  - with changes / $11.5 / VEGAN / approx 712CAL

Beetroot, sweet potato, spinach & quinoa veggie pattie (SWAPPED WITH GRILLED FIELD MUSHROOM) with avocado, golden pineapple (THEY FORGOT THE PINEAPPLE! :( ), carrot & cos lettuce

The mushroom was incredibly smokey and tasty, but weird tasting in places. The mushroom also had soaked up all the oil, it was incredibly oily and distracted from the eating experience. All i could think was "my tongue is all slippery!"

Disappointed they forgot the pineapple though, I'm sure it would have helped "freshen" things up. It was fat, fat, fat and a tiny amount of veg. Ah well.

Would I recommend? NO!

VEGGIE VITALITY (NEW 2017)  - with changes / $11.5 / VEGAN / approx 712CAL

Beetroot, sweet potato, spinach & quinoa veggie pattie (SWAPPED WITH GARDEN GOODNESS PATTIE) with avocado, golden pineapple, carrot & cos lettuce

Original patty:

Vegetables (72%) (Beetroot, Potato, Sweet Potato, Onion, Spinach), Corn Starch, Rice Flour, Quinoa, Canola Oil, Herbs And Spices, Salt, Baking Powder (450, 500), Garlic, Vegetable Gum (Guar)

Swapped patty for:

Vegetables (77%) (Potato, Carrot, Pumpkin, Peas, Onion, Cauliflower, Spinach), Corn Starch, Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Salt, Baking Powder (450,500), Guar Gum, Spice)

Gluten free bun:

Water, Maize Starch, Rice Flour, Coconut Cream, Canola Oil, Coconut Sugar, Psyllium Husk, Iodized Salt, Yeast, Citrify, Sesame Seed

Taste is magnificent, love it. Will get this next time. It's an easy order too! This is the one i will be ordering from now on! (only took like 6 tries haha)



---April 2018 New Additions---

Tried Grill'd restaurants' 2 new vegetarian 🍔 burgers! 

The amazing vegan cheeseburger
7/10

Hemp Therapy
8/10

Now I've tried field of dreams, veggie vitality and garden goodness.
Which is my fave?? I dunno 🤷‍♀️! haha.

 HEMP THERAPEA (NEW 2018) / $? / VEGETARIAN / approx 803 CAL

PEA & HEMP PATTY (Peas (46%), Water, Crumb (Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Salt, Dextrose (Tapioca, Maize), Mineral Salts (450, 500)), Green Split Peas (9%), Hemp Seeds (5%), Potato Flakes (Potatoes, Emulsifier (471), Citric Acid (330)), Onion, Batter (Maize Starch, Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Tapioca Starch, Mineral Salts (450, 400), Vegetable Gum (412), Canola Oil), Oil (Cottonseed Oil, Hi Oleic Sunflower Oil, Antioxidant (320), Antifoam (900), Mint, Faba Bean Flour, Salt, Pepper), GLUTEN FREE BUN (Water, Maize Starch, Rice Flour, Coconut Cream, Canola Oil, Coconut Sugar, Psyllium Husk, Iodised Salt, Dry Yeast, Acacia Gum, Sesame Seeds), BEETROOT (Beetroot (88%), Vinegar, Brown Sugar), TZATZIKI (Yoghurt (70%) (Milk, Milk Powder, Live Cultures), Cucumber (11%), Lemon Juice, Skim Milk Powder, Garlic, Dextrose, Salt, Pectin, Citric Acid), COS LETTUCE, AVOCADO, LEMON, FRESH BASIL, SMOKED SALT. (vegan if you request no tzatziki)

Battered Pea and Hemp Patty, Gluten free bun, Beetroot (which i hate), Tzatsiki, Cos lettuce, Avo, Lemon, Basil and smoked salt!

The immediate flavour was...complex. I was worried it would be too intense for my bland tastes. But it wasn't. It remained fresh, wasn't a fan of the beetroot though.

I don't fancy beetroot but the basil was amazing, more "fresh" than the cheeseburger and the patty was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and broke apart when poked but flavour wise was pleasant- but I think the other was probably nicer ( if it was less salty) the fixings were nicer in this one. I'd give it 8/10.

Would I recommend? Sure! I preferred this to the cheese burger, as that was way too salty!
I would argue the garden goodness patty might be tastiest...

 THE AMAZING VEGAN CHEESEBURGER (NEW 2018)  / $? / VEGAN / approx 848 CAL

VEGAN "BEEF" PATTY (Pea Protein, Chickpeas, Yeast Extract, Pea Fibre, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Teff Flour, Natural Flavour, Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Beetroot Powder, Guar Gum, Cracked Pepper), GLUTEN FREE BUN (Water, Maize Starch, Rice Flour, Coconut Cream, Canola Oil, Coconut Sugar, Psyllium Husk, Iodised Salt, Dry Yeast, Acacia Gum, Sesame Seeds), DILL PICKLES (Cucumber, Vinegar, Filtered Water, Salt, Sugar, Dill), VEGAN CHEESE (Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Starch (1422), Sea Salt, Vegan Flavourings, Coconut Sugar), VEGAN MAYONAISE (Canola Oil, Water, Invert Syrup (Cane Sugar, Water), Vinegar, Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Mustard, Natural Flavour, Xantham Gum, Citric Acid, Spices, Natural Colour), TOMATO KETCHUP (Water, Tomato Paste (27%) (Tomato Paste, Food Acid (330)), Sugar, Vinegar, Modified Starch (1422), Salt, Natural Flavour), DIJON MUSTARD (Mustard Seeds (19%), Salt, Vinegar, Sugar, Acetic Acid, Spices), ONION, SMOKED SALT.

Vegan "Beef Patty", Gluten Free Bun, Dill Pickles, Vegan Cheese, Vegan Mayo, Tomato Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, Onion, Smoked Salt.

The patty was incredibly meat like on the crispy edges but the texture was off, it was soft....but almost stringy like they were trying to replicate the fibres of meat. It was sturdy enough. I believe if they made it half as thick, and put 2 patties it would be better. ALSO it was WAYYYYYY Too salty!! WAY!!! Needed more onion and mustard but otherwise on point!!! I'd give it 7/10.

Would I recommend? ....yes. If you want that greasy, dirty cheeseburger experience. But, maybe eat half. I could barely finish my half I had to keep taking bites from the hemp therapy to "cleanse" my palate and drank soooo many glasses of water when i got home!! The cheese burger i make myself is better tbh....(because, less salt, but the patty is pretty phenomenal)