Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Buffalo Blue Burger (WINNER!) vs. Blue Mac
In this corner, a delicious veggie burger with the word “blue” in its name from an eco-friendly eatery on South Grand. In that corner, a delicious veggie burger with the word “blue” in its name from an eco-friendly eatery on South Grand. Which is better? To find out, I met up with STL Veg Girl Caryn Dugan (stlveggirl.com) for a taste test. We sampled the sandwiches, compared notes, and declared a winner.
|| Buffalo Blue Burger at Lulu's Local Eatery ||
Price: $6.95
Patty: organic brown rice, black beans, sweet potato
Bun: pretzel, from Miller Baking Company in Milwaukee
Toppings: red onion and fresh greens
Sauces: spicy secret-recipe buffalo and cool vegan ranch, which tastes like garlic and cucumber
Powell's Perspective: “This patty is so thick, it’s crisp on the outside and moist in the middle, like a perfect medium-rare burger. The sweet potato works well as a binding agent and is a nice balance to the hot sauce.”
Dugan's Dish: “Holy cow, this is good. This is a destination burger. I will have a hankering for this again.”
|| Blue Mac at Mokabe's Coffeehouse ||
Price: $7
Patty: carrots, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and Match ground beef, a locally produced soy-based meat alternative
Bun: vegan, from Annie Moons Café, a South City bakery with an attached comic book store
Toppings: grilled onion, pickle, lettuce, and two kinds of cheese—cheddar and Swiss
Sauces: ketchup, mustard, and “Blue’s special sauce,” which tastes like a spicy Thousand Island
Powell's Perspective: “This looks like a real burger, and it tastes exactly like a Big Mac. I’m even humming the song. I love the cheese, though obviously that’s out for vegans. Also, as with a real Big Mac, the bun is stale.”
Dugan's Dish: “It’s not the healthiest burger I’ve ever seen, which makes it so delicious. With the condiments, it does bring me back to a Big Mac. They even have the right pickles. I wish the patty were thicker or maybe a double.”
