Burger King is Testing a Vegetarian Whopper Made With Impossible Burger (cnbc.com)

Burger King is testing a vegetarian version of its Whopper that uses an Impossible Burger for its patties, becoming the first national fast-food chain to sell the plant-based burger. From a report: The Restaurant Brands International subsidiary is offering the Impossible Whopper at 59 St. Louis locations. The chain already sells veggie patties made by Kellogg's vegetarian brand, Morningstar Farms. To announce the launch, Burger King released a video on April Fools' Day that shows unsuspecting Whopper fans eating the version with the Impossible Burger and then exclaiming that they can't taste the difference. Silicon Valley-based Impossible Foods genetically engineers heme, a protein that makes the vegetarian-friendly burger taste like meat. The ingredient is also responsible for giving the patty red juices that make it look like it's bleeding, just like a piece of beef.

Comments

Ah, so White Castle isn't "national"

[WoodstockJeff]

White Castle has been serving the Impossible Burger "meat" for months.

Re:Ah, so White Castle isn't "national"

[turp182]

Correct, there are 599 White Castles in about 15 states.

https://www.menuism.com/restau...

There are about 13,000 Burger Kings.

https://www.google.com/search?...

Re:Ah, so White Castle isn't "national"

[Daetrin]

I don't know if there are official rules about what minimum area/number of states would qualify a chain as "national", but at 13 states White Castle sounds pretty regional to me. As someone who grew up on the west coast i'd never even heard of them until i went to college and made some friends from the east coast.

Re:Ah, so White Castle isn't "national"

[SlaveToTheGrind]

In all fairness, White Castle has been serving "meat" for decades.

Seems pretty smart

[SuperKendall]

I'm still not sure if I would like the Impossible Burger as much as a real hamburger.

But like it more than a Burger King or McDonalds burger? Suddenly I find it a lot more believable.

Between that and the much better naming "Impossible Burger"s sounds much cooler than "Veggieburger" I could see this gaining some traction simply because of better quality.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[idk07002]

I tried it and found it 90% as good as a real hamburger and would definitely eat it again. I hope they make it available in the supermarket sooner than later.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Between that and the much better naming "Impossible Burger"s sounds much cooler than "Veggieburger" I could see this gaining some traction simply because of better quality.

Personally, I am holding out for the Soylent Green Veggieburger.

Made exclusively from nutritious and wholesome free-range Veggies.

Veggies pay careful attention to the quality of the food they eat, so any food made of them should be very healthy, indeed.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[Solandri]

When I worked at a hotel, occasionally a convention group would order veggie burgers but leave enough leftovers that the staff were allowed to eat them. These were better than the mass-produced fast food beef hamburgers I've eaten. They were so good I actually went online to track down a retail seller of the veggie patties so I could eat them at home. That's when I discovered from the nutrition label that they got the taste by loading it up with as much saturated fat as a ground beef burger. So basically it wasn't any healthier for you than a beef burger, it was just made from plants to assuage the guilt of vegetarians. (This isn't the same veggie patty, but you can see what I mean about the saturated fat content.)

Re:Seems pretty smart

[apoc.famine]

The first time I had it, it came with vegan cheese which really ruined the burger.

The second time I had it I put cheddar and bacon on it. Better than most fast food burgers I've had by quite a bit. I checked to make sure that it was indeed the right patty, and the waitress laughed and said I was the second person who needed confirmation in as many minutes.

What's a little stupid about it is that it's about as unhealthy as a regular burger. I was expecting it to be healthier, maybe have some fiber and less fat, but it's just slightly fewer calories and just as fatty. Better for the earth, but not all that much better for consumer. But I guess that's why it can masquerade as a burger so well.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[SlaveToTheGrind]

What's a little stupid about it is that it's about as unhealthy as a regular burger. I was expecting it to be healthier, maybe have some fiber and less fat, but it's just slightly fewer calories and just as fatty.

Putting aside the fact that the "fat is BAD, mkay?" movement died a richly deserved death some time ago, Impossible's most recent recipe has 240 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and a lot less sodium than the original. It'll be interesting to see if they really were able to hold the line on flavor/texture/etc.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[apoc.famine]

Thanks for the info! I'm guessing I've had the new recipe, since I had one last week. It's clear that I've only seen the old nutrition information, and I didn't realize that they changed recipes.

The one I had last week was plenty burger enough for me to ask the waitress to make sure I got the right thing. If that was the one with 50 less calories, a bit less saturated fat, less sodium, and some fiber, sign me up. That was a decent burger.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[tlhIngan]

What's a little stupid about it is that it's about as unhealthy as a regular burger. I was expecting it to be healthier, maybe have some fiber and less fat, but it's just slightly fewer calories and just as fatty. Better for the earth, but not all that much better for consumer. But I guess that's why it can masquerade as a burger so well.

It's basically just better for the earth. To do otherwise you end up with flavorless pieces of cardboard that no one likes.

And honestly, there's nothing wrong with it not being "healthier" than beef - it's like diet soda - it just feels healthier but isn't.

Though, to be honest, the saturated fat debate is back in the open again - at least with respect to dairy based fats (butter is in again).

I see veggie burgers as a way of not consuming so much planet resources eating something that's still bad for me, but tastes good. Slightly less guilt.

Re:Seems pretty smart

[religionofpeas]

What's a little stupid about it is that it's about as unhealthy as a regular burger. I was expecting it to be healthier, maybe have some fiber and less fat, but it's just slightly fewer calories and just as fatty. Better for the earth, but not all that much better for consumer.

No, it was designed to make bigger profits using cheaper ingredients and a nice story about how you'll save the earth and your health so you're willing to pay more.

Wendy's

[Anonymous Coward]

In other news Wendy's is relaunching it's "Where's the beef?" campaign.

Carl's Jr. has had one on sale for months

[rminsk]

Carl's Jr. has had one on sale for months https://www.carlsjr.com/beyond...

Re:Carl's Jr. has had one on sale for months

[Daetrin]

Well the article did specify it was the first national chain to offer the _Impossible_ burger, while Carl's Jr has the Beyond burger. Obviously the phrasing used is intentionally very specific since other national chains already have the Beyond burger and other non-national chains already have the Impossible burger, but what else do you expect from a PR release intended to build hype?

Old news?

[roc97007]

Maybe my area was a test region, but BK has had the impossible burger here for awhile. Wife and I are vegetarian, both tried it, and it's... ok. The Burgerville anasazi bean burger tastes better, in my opinion. Unfortunately, that item is no longer available at Burgerville.

Again in my opinion, the impossible burger tries too hard to be meat, and has an artificial "grilled" taste that lingers in the mouth like old grease. I'll eat it if I'm on a trip, in a hurry, hungry, and there's a BK drive-thru close by. But I'm not sure I'd seek it out.

In other news, Del Taco is testing Beyond Burger crumbles as a meatless alternative in the LA area. They're supposed to go national later this year. We're planning to try it when it comes to Oregon, but only as a curiosity. They already have items a lacto-ovo can eat.

Re:Old news?

[apoc.famine]

Again in my opinion, the impossible burger tries too hard to be meat, and has an artificial "grilled" taste that lingers in the mouth like old grease.

I didn't find it artificial tasting. It does indeed try very hard to be meat, however, and largely succeeds at that. This isn't a burger for vegans, it's a burger for meat eaters.

If you don't like or normally don't eat meat, you won't like the Impossible burger.

Re:Old news?

[Joey Vegetables]

I'll second that. As a vegan I find that most "meat substitutes" tend to gross me out not by being too little like my now-decades-old recollection of what rotting animal carcasses used to taste like, but too much. My preference is for foods that fill the role of meat (high protein, chewy texture, umami, etc.) but for me it is an advantage if they do *not* resemble dead animals any more than they must.

Burgers don't bleed

[Oswald McWeany]

The ingredient is also responsible for giving the patty red juices that make it look like it's bleeding, just like a piece of beef.

You can eat steak rare, but you should never eat ground beef rare: It's not at all safe, when you grind meat, exterior parts of meat covered in bacteria get pushed to the inside and cooking rare doesn't kill them off. If anyone sold bleeding hamburgers that were real meat- I would worry.

Please, feel free to eat your steaks rare as that's enough to kill off the bacteria on the surface... just don't eat burgers rare.

Re:Burgers don't bleed

[cayenne8]

You can eat steak rare, but you should never eat ground beef rare: It's not at all safe, when you grind meat, exterior parts of meat covered in bacteria get pushed to the inside and cooking rare doesn't kill them off. If anyone sold bleeding hamburgers that were real meat- I would worry.

It is perfectly safe if you are grinding your own beef from whole cuts of beef.

that way, you control the conditions, no fillers, and no mixing of meats for God knows where and what quality.

Tastier and more tender too!!

Definitely worth buying a quality, heavy duty grinder for.

Makes for great sausage making too...and fun for a weekend project.

LEM makes good, reasonably priced Meat Grinders ...

I'd have to go look at mine, but I think I have the .5HB or the .75HP, and it is more than powerful enough.

Re: Burgers don't bleed

[guruevi]

Steak tartare typically also gets added spices and some type of pH modifier (typically pickled something, raw onions etc).

What the guy above says is bullshit, you can eat rare meats (even pork and chicken to some extent can have some pink) as long as you know it's sourced and handled properly and heated through unless you have some form of high risk due to medical reasons, your stomach acid should kill any remaining bacteria.

Obviously, Wal-Mart grade beef that has a sheen to it I wouldn't eat raw either.

Re:Never got the appeal

[dnwheeler]

Because meat tastes good! Personally, I have no problem eating meat, but the Impossible Burger is a really good substitute for those who want to avoid meat for any reason. I've only had one at a "gourmet" burger place, so I'm not sure how the fast food versions compare.

Re:Unless it was guillotined...

[HornWumpus]

Prions survive cooking. Good thing everything else in your post is also wrong.

Re:Happy April Fool's Day!

[apoc.famine]

Check the replies in this thread. A bunch of us have had the Impossible burger, and it's no joke. It's as good as any fast food burger. No, it's not going to beat a farm-to-table black angus burger stuffed with mushrooms and blue cheese, but it's more than passable for a fast food burger.

Re:Never got the appeal

[anarcobra]

> "I want a burger but not a food coma"
My advice would be to eat a smaller burger, but that's just me.

A&W 'Beyond Meat' burger.

[darkonc]

A&W in Canada has been selling a "beyond meet" burger since last year. It's not exactly like beef, but I think that it's a welcome difference from it's veggie patty. I'm fine with eating either one.

Re:Not all of us are planet huggers.

[uvajed_ekil]

Eat more cows!!! If we stop eating them, think of all the cows that will never be born and will never know any life at all, however shitty. I'm Pro Cow (short)Life!