The Beyond Burger - Do you like it?

[Happyinwonerland]

I have been so excited to try this burger. I don't eat red meat, and I love a good veggie burger. I finally made the trip across town to the locally owned organic food store, and found beyond burgers. I was so excited that I purchased 2 packs (at $6.99/pack of 2 burgers). Oh my, these things are gross. I don't know what is in them, but they smell and taste like cat food.

I have heard nothing but great things about them, I was so dissapointed. Has anyone here tried them? Did you like them?

 

[robinb]

I have been so excited to try this burger. I don't eat red meat, and I love a good veggie burger. I finally made the trip across town to the locally owned organic food store, and found beyond burgers. I was so excited that I purchased 2 packs (at $6.99/pack of 2 burgers). Oh my, these things are gross. I don't know what is in them, but they smell and taste like cat food.

I have heard nothing but great things about them, I was so dissapointed. Has anyone here tried them? Did you like them?

I have not, but I view them with a healthy dose of skepticism. I wonder how they would taste to vegetarians like my DD who has never eaten a beef burger. I’m sure she won’t like them because they taste too close to the real thing. She’s looking for a vegetarian protein, not something that tastes like the real thing.

When did you last eat a real burger? Maybe that’s why you don’t like them and a beef burger would also taste like cat food at this point.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I have not, but I view them with a healthy dose of skepticism. I wonder how they would taste to vegetarians like my DD who has never eaten a beef burger. I’m sure she won’t like them because they taste too close to the real thing. She’s looking for a vegetarian protein, not something that tastes like the real thing.

When did you last eat a real burger? Maybe that’s why you don’t like them and a beef burger would also taste like cat food at this point.

I haven't had a red meat burger since 2005.

 

[tvguy]

The ones here are called the Impossible burger. DD says it is okay, not great.

 

[Minnesota!]

I like the Impossible Burger...I have heard them Impossible Burger is meh

 

[sonnyjane]

I’ll give you that they smell odd, but I think they taste AMAZING! Like a real burger! In my little town they sell out as soon as they hit the shelves so when they have them I stock up. I have several non-vegetarian friends that buy them too. They also make Beyond Brats too that taste really good.

 

[robinb]

I haven't had a red meat burger since 2005.

That might be it.

 

[Nettester]

Love the Beyond Burger! It's kind of an odd shade of pink before you cook it, but other than that, we love them.

If you don't like it, try the Gardein brand frozen burger. It's good too, way better than Morningstar Farms, but very different than the Beyond Burger.

 

[porschegrl]

I think the raw Beyond Burger smells like cat food, too. But I don't notice any unpleasant aroma in the cooked product, and I think they're delicious.

On the flipside, I haven't been wowed by the Impossible Burger. I don't know if they just don't know how to cook it, at the restaurants where I've had it, but it is always very dry. Decent flavor, but so dry.

 

[disneychrista]

I assume this is the same company that makes "beyond beef" crumbles & fajita style "beef." My daughter is vegan and she enjoys those. Not sure she has ever had the burgers.

 

[bcla]

The ones here are called the Impossible burger. DD says it is okay, not great.

That’s a different company. Impossible so far only sells to restaurants, and started off with some really pricey ones. I heard their advantage is replicating the heme (that gives meat that redness) using plant sources. Well - really more a genetically engineered yeast that converts it from a soy based source. I don’t know if it’s specifically vegetarian. It most definitely contains GMOs.

Haven’t tried either yet. I don’t know if the Impossible Burger really appeals to vegetarians or those who believe in “organic” foods although using GMOs disqualifies it. Their basic premise isn’t that it’s healthier or cheaper, but that it doesn’t require the resources and create the environmental degradation inherent in production of meat.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Ha, I had a Beyond burger for dinner tonight! I luuuurrrrvvvvee them and more or less always keep them stocked in my fridge/freezer. The Impossible burger I’ve only had twice and just thought it was meh. I think it’s more finicky to improper cooking than the Beyond burger.

*These opinions brought to you by someone who hasn’t had a real burger since 1998.

 

[sonnyjane]

That’s a different company. Impossible so far only sells to restaurants, and started off with some really pricey ones. I heard their advantage is replicating the heme (that gives meat that redness) using plant sources. Well - really more a genetically engineered yeast that converts it from a soy based source. I don’t know if it’s specifically vegetarian. It most definitely contains GMOs.

I haven’t tried Impossible burgers. Beyond Meat gets the redness from beet juice.

 

[msjprincess]

My daughter is a vegetarian. She loved them at first now she finds them gross. I think it's because a vegan friend of ours said she didn't like them because she found them too realistic. I think it got in my daughter's head and she thinks the "blood" is too realistic. Of course she decided this after I stocked up on them, because they're not easy to find near me.

 

[bcla]

I haven’t tried Impossible burgers. Beyond Meat gets the redness from beet juice.

I’m thinking the deal with Impossible is that it’s supposed to taste like blood.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I’m thinking the deal with Impossible is that it’s supposed to taste like blood.

yuck

 

[ChrisFL]

I tried the Impossible Burger at Epcot F&W this year, haven't tried the Beyond burger (didn't even know that existed!)

The impossible burger tasted like an "average" burger you'd get from a fast food place to me....add enough of toppings and it tastes decent enough.

 

[bcla]

yuck

That's really the "secret sauce" that makes beef taste like beef. But if you don't like red meat then I guess it's not meant to appeal to your tastes.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

I have been so excited to try this burger. I don't eat red meat, and I love a good veggie burger. I finally made the trip across town to the locally owned organic food store, and found beyond burgers. I was so excited that I purchased 2 packs (at $6.99/pack of 2 burgers). Oh my, these things are gross. I don't know what is in them, but they smell and taste like cat food.

I have heard nothing but great things about them, I was so dissapointed. Has anyone here tried them? Did you like them?

My entire family LOVES Beyond Meat burgers. Did you cook them from frozen? I find they taste better bbq'd from frozen. A friend of mine hated the burgers the first time she tried them and now she loves them as much as I do. Maybe there's a bad batch once in a while?

As for smelling and tasting like cat food, I'm really surprised. I utterly hate the smell of cat food.

 

[EscalatorKid]

I tried a bite at the F&W booth at Epcot. I liked it, though I didn't think it was anything to write home about. I thought it was definitely better than Boca burgers, which I absolutely despise. It tasted similar to a regular burger that also included vegetables in the mix... like ground mushrooms or something. I'd eat them, but I'm also not necessarily going out of my way for them, either.

I generally prefer something like a black bean burger or something that isn't pretending to be meat. I'm not vegan or even vegetarian, but I sometimes prefer not eating meat. The exception to my no fake-meat rule is the Morningstar Vegan chicken patties. I have come to prefer those over the real thing because if you get a random chunk of soy protein, it's not nearly as gross as a random chunk of random chicken parts. They mostly taste the same, IMHO.

The only thing that I've ever had smell like cat food is Corned Beef Hash in a can. (It doesn't taste bad, but it smells like cat food. My three goofball cats also get crazy excited whenever I indulge.)