By Bethany Marris, Deputy Digital Editor
A breakdown of Bristol's top-rated burger joints and the pioneering plant-based alternatives that the city has to offer.
Dubbed the vegan capital of the world by Chef's Pencil earlier this year, it comes as no surprise that Bristol offers a wealth of exciting vegan and vegetarian alternatives to the humble hamburger. Detailing everything from ambiance and 'vibe' to bang-for-buck, I am to give a comprehensive view of four restaurants in the city's burgeoining burger-sector.
Hubbox
First up: Hubbox. Located in the middle of Whiteladies Road, Hubbox is a relaxed establishment with friendly staff and suitable for all ages. Teamed with the quality of food, such factors justify the restaurant’s respectable 4.9 star Facebook rating.
The flavours in the burger were perfectly balanced; something that can be hard to achieve due to the often-overpowering taste of vegan cheese. Hubbox choose to use the Moving Mountains B12 patty. Moving Mountain’s burgers use coconut oil for succulence, and beetroot juice for an aesthetically realistic ‘bleeding’ centre. Cooked with care, the patty was slightly pink on the inside and smoky undertones added to its surprising likeness to real beef. The sweet potato fries were flavoursome, crispy and soft on the inside, although they do bring the price of the main up to £15.00 - a marked difference from the ‘All Star’ meat equivalent. That said, the portion size of the fries was incredibly generous, and you certainly get your money's worth.
Burger Theory
Like Hubbox, Burger Theory also stock Moving Mountains produce, and delivered equally on taste and ‘realness’ when cooked. Presented in a sesame seed bun, the burger was generously rammed with crunchy salad and sauce. Situated on St Stephens Street, Burger Theory’s city-centre restaurant is calm and cosy. Visiting just after seven o’clock on a Monday evening it was clear that this joint is particularly popular amongst Bristol’s young professionals. It’s also worth mentioning that Burger Theory host ‘Meat Free Mondays’, where every vegan or vegetarian option comes with a portion of standard fries at no extra cost. On top of this, there’s an option to customise any standard Burger by swapping in a vegan patty.
The restaurant’s pulled Jackfruit Fries are a must-try and provide a healthy portion for two. These fries usually come with Mozzarella yet can be tailored with vegan cheese and fresh jalapeño peppers. Burger Theory’s flexibility and ability to adapt to plant-based requests can also be seen through their selection of rich vegan milkshakes.
Three Brother's Burgers
Floating next to student-favourite The Apple, Three Brothers Burgers boat diner is certainly a novelty and somewhere to take visiting family and friends. Also sitting right by King Street, there’s no shortage of places to enjoy a post-dinner drink.
At £11.50, the Veggie Mountain Burger is pricier than the other vegetarian and vegan options on the menu, yet it’s unquestionably worth it. With a double dosing of hash browns and portobello mushrooms, crispy onions, abundant sauce and the usual burger-salad suspects, what the burger lacked in ‘fake meat’ it certainly made up for in flavour and volume. It should be clarified that this is a vegetarian not a vegan burger, as it comes with Mozzarella cheese and is encased in a buttery brioche bun. Three Brothers are, however, bringing out a new vegan alternative very soon, and the restaurant does also offer a slightly less indulgent £5.00 burger and fries student deal.
Honest Burgers
Just around the corner form Burger Theory, Honest Burgers is the newest joint featured. Despite the fact that their 'Plant' Burger comes in at a considerable £13.50, this price includes a welcome side portion of rosemary salted chips. Honest cater brilliantly for students, offering 30% off Monday to Sunday between 11:30 and 17:30.
For their vegan option, Honest Burgers work in collaboration with Beyond Meat,who claim to be 'the world's first plant-based burger that looks, cooks and satisfies like beef without GMOs soy or gluten'. The true-to its word patty is elevated by smoked vegan gouda, chipotle ‘mayo’, mustard, red onion, pickles, lettuce.
Featured Image: Burger Theory / Burger Theory
Have you tried any of these burger joints? Let us know!
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