Have you heard of Beyond Meat? It’s a hugely successful company that makes vegan meats, such as the Beyond Burger!
The Beyond Burger is 100% plant-based and pretty unique. It’s soy-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free. The main ingredients are: water, pea protein, canola oil, and coconut oil. Where will you find it? In the meat aisle, and now, at all A&W locations in Canada.
This is a big deal! This the first time the Beyond Burger is available in Canada. And this is a huge fast food company offering not one, but two plant-based burger patties. Before introducing the Beyond Burger to Canada, A&W had their Deluxe Veggie Burger. The Deluxe Veggie Burger is a typical "veggie patty" made with vegetables and portobello mushrooms. Make it vegan by ordering it without cheese and ranch sauce. Overall, this is a big win for vegans!
So what’s the Beyond Burger like? Today we’re reviewing the Beyond Burger from A&W!
A&W’s Beyond Burger is served on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and “Uncle sauce”.
A ¼ lb Beyond Burger patty contains 20g of plant protein, 25% of your daily iron intake, 5g of saturated fat, 0mg of cholesterol, and 22g of total fat.
Compared to an 80/20 ¼ lb. beef patty, it’s higher in protein and iron and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Making it Vegan:
Unfortunately, ordering the Beyond Burger as-is isn’t vegan. You’ll need to order it without mayo or “Uncle sauce”. Thankfully, customization is a breeze at A&W and ordering it vegan is super easy.
I also want to note that the Beyond Burger is cooked on the same grill the meat patties are cooked. I'd prefer if A&W could make this switch to cooking the Beyond Burger on it's own grill or section. Unfortunately this I don't think this is realistic right now but in the future, with enough sales and conversation around the topic, I'd love to see this change!
Taste & Texture:
This burger is really good. It’s meaty and satisfying. It doesn’t taste like a veggie patty or vegetables, it tastes meaty but with a different texture than meat. The texture is lighter and a little flaky. The patty is seasoned with A&W’s signature seasoning giving it a distinct A&W-ish flavour. It’s a burger that’s craveable, something I’d look forward to eating. When you’re busy or travelling it can be difficult to find vegan food that's convenient and delicious. These are usually the times that make veganism feel difficult. This burger definitely changes that. I can see myself making A&W a go-to stop when travelling.
After trying the Beyond Burger twice, we tried adding our own vegan mayo. It's SO good. Adding a little vegan mayo makes the Beyond Burger taste richer and for lack of a better term, “less vegan”. Come on A&W, bring on the vegan mayo!
The Price:
The Beyond Burger is $6.99 or $10.98 for a combo (with fries and a drink.) I find this a little expensive for fast food. In comparison, the Mama Burger (beef patty and similar toppings) is $4.79. The Veggie Deluxe Burger is $6.59.
We didn’t find the Beyond Burger to be very filling. If you’re hungry, you’d want to order a combo. For two people that brings the total up to $21.96 plus tax.
A&W will charge you $1.49 per patty to sub the Beyond Burger patty into any other burger on the menu.
The Verdict:
The Beyond Burger is delicious! We really enjoyed it and would order it again
I’m so happy A&W added the Beyond Burger to it’s lineup. It’s a great vegan fast food option that’s satisfying and delicious. It's a big step up from fries or plain salads.
A&W has set a great example. Hopefully this encourages other fast food restaurants to add vegan options to their menus. It gets frustrating having only a few side dishes to choose from when you do go out for fast food.
The cost of each burger is a little prohibitive. At $6.99 per burger, the price will keep me from ordering the Beyond Burger often. It’s something I’ll view as a treat or an option for really busy days or travel.
We highly suggest giving the Beyond Burger a try.
Make it a Combo and Other Vegan Options from A&W:
Other vegan options from A&W (Canada) include:
- Russet Thick-Cut French Fries
- Sweet Potato Fries (comes with chipotle mayo, be sure to ask for no chipotle mayo!)
- Veggie Deluxe Burger (be sure to ask for no cheese and no ranch sauce)
- Hash browns
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this addition to A&W’s lineup! Have you tried it? What did you think? Are you vegan? Would you give this burger a try?
Tarizer
I've was a vegetarian for 12 years...until I met a donair I couldn't turn down. Looking back I always felt inferior to Vegans...they just seemed to "have it together". They seemed to know what they were doing in ways I didn't. I strayed from vegetarianism and I am horribly ashamed...(I think the animals know!! Dogs keep barking at me!!! The cats on the other hand are all about themselves and they don't care what I eat as long as I share ha ha)......But now I am looking into Veganism, and if there are veggie burgers and chik'n strips in veganism...then I think maybe I could be there too! I envision myself dancing on sunny green rolling pastures, with cows and pigs and chickens, while REMs shiny happy people plays....when does that part happen 🙂
Martin Behrens
I have been having a struggle for a while, I'm an environmentalist but I love burgers. I know the damage that the meat industry does to the environment. I have tried other veggie burgers but they weren't fulfilling, unfortunately. Tonight I decided to take the plunge and try the Beyond Meat burger, oh wow. Honestly, flavorful and juicy! Everything you would want in a burger and not very different from actual meat. I am going to buy some tomorrow and try them on my grill and see how they turn out. Very satisfied and will recommend to family and friends.
Brittany
That's wonderful to hear Martin! I've been making them at home lately too, as it's a little more affordable. You can prepare them A&W style by making a mayo/mustard mix (replaces the "Uncle sauce") and a seasoning of garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and a touch of sugar to sprinkle on both sides of the patty (similar to their seasoning.) Add the red onion, sliced pickles, lettuce and tomato and you end up with an awesome vegan burger that tastes almost exactly the same!
Zaland
I will never go to A&W again, because their veggie burger that I ordered was way too expensive and too small...I ordered 2 and cost me $21.37
Lilly
...love love love The Beyond Burger. Delicious! It’s a great time to be a vegetarian.
Todd Clustivik
My girlfriend and I absolutely love the Beyond Burger at A&W. You are right, it is the kind of thing you actually crave for which is rare among vegetarian fare. We have both eaten beef most of our lives until the last five years or so when we gave up beef, chicken and pork so it's not like we don't know what we are comparing it to. With the Beyond burger available I really see no reason to ever think about a beef burger again. They are that good. No wonder they were sold out at A&W for quite some time when they first came to Canada.
Brittany
I'm so glad to hear you both enjoy them too 🙂 Definitely the best fast food veggie burger in Canada!
Laura
Unsure if you knew this but last time I checked at least in canada the veggie burger has dairy in the burger. I do love the beyond burger tho!
Darrell
Tried one today with lettuce wrap and no mayo, I was impressed. Your suggested sides do concern me as oils are not recommended for a vegan lifestyle. As fries are cooked in oil, wouldn't these be considered non-vegan?
Brittany
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I haven't tried it with the lettuce wrap 🙂 Vegetable oils are vegan friendly!
Dottie B
I totally love this new beyond meat burger. My only issue is the price. The economy wants everyone to eat healthy. If this is the case then why does it seem like the healthy foods are always way more expensive. I own a restaurant that sells harvest burgers,veggie burgers & black bean burgers. My cost is $1 per patty. Lean hamburger meat costs more. So why are your beyond beef ( veggie burgers ) so expensive. Just wondering.
Jason
We’re from Australia and just finished a road trip through the US and parts of Canada and stumbled onto A&W in Canada and tried the plant based burger. We used to eat red meat / pork and as Australia has pretty much zero “fast food” meat free options we were happy to try it.
I 100% know exactly what a good quality meat patty burger tastes like so I don’t get when people refer to the taste of this burger as “nothing like a real meat patty” or “gross”, My wife and I were really impressed with the taste and texture of the burger and can only hope that they bring something similar to Australia.
Brittany
Thanks for commenting Jason! I find those comments really interesting too. I can't imagine someone finding the taste of Beyond Meat so awful they couldn't even finish it, I find those comments almost a little suspicious haha. For the most part it's my non-vegan family members who do eat meat that rave about these plant-based options the most! I think that's pretty cool! Unlike me, they have a fresh comparison in their mind and they still think it tastes great.
Eliz
I want to try!
Tyler
There is no guarantee from A & W that the Beyond Meat burger they offer is a vegetarian let alone vegan meal. The Pickles, Mustard, A & W seasoning and Canola Pan Coating all have natural flavours, the contents of which are proprietary and may contain animal or meat derived products. Likewise, the bread used for the bun has a host of likely non-vegetarian additives (many of these can be derived from plant or animal sources and the source is not indicated) such as calcium propionate, monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides. See for yourself:
web.aw.ca/en/our-menu/burgers/beyond-meat-burger
As a vegetarian I would not eat this product at A & W. However, as a vegetarian I am happy that A & W is offering meat eaters a product that, while not proven to be vegetarian, nevertheless has only a fraction of the meat derived ingredients that goes into a traditional burger
Nicole
And btw I had it lettuce wrapped too. So delicious!!
Nicole
I am impressed by the Beyond Meat burger. I do not find it overly expensive. Meat or not, eating out is always less economical. I think it costs you more in the long run to eat crappy fast food meat burgers anyway. You cannot put a price on health. I am not vegetarian nor vegan and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Will order this instead of going to McD or BK got a meat burger. Hands down. I think I am done with beef burgers at least when it comes to fast food!!
William Mueller
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Nicole! The beyond meat burger is definitely a good choice for vegans and non vegans alike, even if you don't always go for that option.
Ali
I have been veg for over 30 years, but wanted to try this and trusted A&W as the first chain to use Beyond’. I got 2 take-out mozza burgers and they both had bacon on them, Lord knows whether the patty was beef or veg. Never going there again.
Carole Durivage
I’m not a vegetarian or vegan but I tried it because I like the plant based idea! LOVED IT!!! Delicious and very tasty! I’d love an ingredient list with sodium content etc! Way to go A&W!!!
William Mueller
Glad you enjoyed it, Carole! Thanks for giving vegan/vegetarian food a try, it means a lot to us!
There is a full ingredients list here, you will need to scroll down on the page and open the ingredients tab to view it.
Kate
I wish there wasn't so much sodium in it. It's really delicious but I have to be careful about foods that are too salty.
Brittany
Ah, that makes sense. I do know that they sprinkle the patty with their A&W seasoning salt, you could ask them to omit that to lower the sodium a little bit!
Barbara Bourne
Had a beyond meat burger at A&W today, turned it into a lettuce wrap as my husband and I are keto and then also made it a bistro burger!!!! Yummo!!! Loved it very much!!! It's doesn't exactly taste like meat but that's ok with me as long as it doesn't taste like cardboard or peas!!!!
William Mueller
Thanks for sharing your experience, Barbara! It's been so long since I had a burger that I've forgotten what a meat patty tastes like, and now I have nothing to compare the burger to. Glad to hear it's comparable in flavour/quality, though!
Keith
Tried my very first AW Beyond Meat burger today. I guess all the advertisements are working, given I’m not vegan. I have to say this was a tasty burger. I’d order it again as a lower-fat alternative to standard beef patty. I am still hungry though...
William Mueller
Nice, Keith! I agree that it's not entirely filling if you only have one! The lower fat content is absolutely a nice bonus as well.
PETER
Sorry, but if Vegans like this burger great their taste buds must have never tasted REAL meat because this nothing like real meat, I took a couple bites, offered it to my wife she took one bite and the rest went in the garbage as it was so gross, good thing I had the worlds best onion rings and the best Root Beer on the market to wash it down with.
Next time it is a Teen Burger only with REAL MEAT
Brittany
Hi Peter, thanks for commenting! I can promise you I have tasted real meat, but to be fair it was many years ago now so my tastes might be skewed. I'm surprised you and your wife disliked the beyond burger so much. I've had non-vegan friends try it and they enjoyed it. Ah well, thanks for being open-minded and giving it a try!
Goran
I don't understand why every company forces the idea of mimicking the meat taste. This burger in no way tastes like meat. Not at all, whatsoever. Flavor is meat adjacent, just like a grilled mushroom is. It is still an amazing burger, but why not try and develop just a tasty vegetable patty. There are literally none on the market, for a simple reason, they are all trying to be meat, and failing.
Brittany
Thanks Goran! A&W also sells a "veggie" burger which is more like what you're describing. It's just a patty made from veggies and doesn't try to mimic meat at all. It's nice! I promise you there are tons of veggie patties that don't mimic meat on the market!
Gary Horsman
I tried the Beyond Meat Burger at the suggestion of my vegetarian friend at a local A&W west of Montreal near where I live. I am neither vegan nor vegetarian but I have no objection to eating vegetarian meals from time to time so long as the flavor and nutrition are there. My impression was that it was pretty good. Definitely something I would eat again if the mood struck.
However, as good as it tasted, I wouldn't have mistaken Beyond Meat for traditional hamburger meat due to the difference in texture and flavor. It’s definitely a step up from earlier vegetarian options from other fast food restaurants which are almost as good (Harveys for example) or just slightly different. But it’s good to know that there are at least a couple more convenient options for plant-based consumers.
Cheryl
Okay, we finally got to try out the Beyond Meat Burger😊 and it was delicious! We are not vegan, but we are trying to become plant-based as much as we can. Beyond Meat is so good that we will definitely buy this to replace meat.
Can we get this product in the grocery store? Is it labelled 'Beyond Meat'? or packaged under a different name? Looking forward to cooking with this product. I think it will help people who want to live more respectfully and with more kindness/less harm 💚.
Brittany
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Cheryl! Unfortunately Beyond Meat isn't available in Canada yet (that's one of the reasons why this A&W partnership was so exciting!). In the US you'll find it in the meat aisle. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Alex Ramos
I've tried these recently. I must say I'm impressed. I've tried other brands that have a better taste, but you can't go wrong with these. I enjoy the beyond sausage more.
Brittany
Ooh, I've never tried any other Beyond Meat products. I bet the sausages are good!
Cheryl
Hurray for the A&W food chain . This new burger will help introduce more people to planr-based living.
I'll be trying it soon!
Brittany
Thanks for commenting Cheryl!
Cheryl
Just went to our local drive-thru for lunch and the Beyond Meat Burger is sold out today---very popular here. Can't wait to try it, Will keep you posted ☺🍔mmm....
Brittany
Well that seems like a really good sign! Looking forward to hearing what you think of it!
Timmy-Jeanne Tack
Thank you for the review, i’m Looking forward to trying this burger out on our next visit to A&W.
Brittany
Hi! Thank you so much for commenting, I think you'd really enjoy it! ♥
AC
THe Beyond Meat burger is now available @ most Whole Foods Markets...cooked or frozen! Check your local store!
Brittany
Thanks! We don't have any local Whole Foods stores but next time I'm travelling I'll look out for them!
Sue
My daughter and I really loved the Beyond burger . The only change we’d like is to not cook it on the same grill as you use for the real meat ones.
Audrey
Too expensive and I couldn't eat it if it was cooked on the meat grill. Let's get the Beyond burgers in the stores so we can cook them at home.
Brittany
Thanks for commenting Audrey! I'd LOVE to see the Beyond Burgers in store, that would be awesome!