Fast food is one of America’s biggest industries. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three people in the US eat it every single day. The biggest players in the market are, of course, food giants like McDonald’s, KFC, and Wendy’s. But if you’re looking for something a little different from the standard beef burgers, nuggets, and chicken sandwiches, PLNT Burger is worth your attention.
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Founded in 2019, the East Coast chain specializes in fast food, but it’s far from your average fast-food chain because all of its menu items are 100 percent vegan. Yep, even its juicy, beef-like burgers, its tender chicken-free sandwiches, and its crispy nuggets—all made with plants.
PLNT Burger
Below, we’ve picked out a few of our favorite menu items from PLNT Burger, which currently has 12 locations across the US. But first, here’s a little bit more about how the chain came to be.
Who owns PLNT Burger?
PLNT Burger was founded by Top Chef alumnus Spike Mendelsohn back in 2019. He was soon joined by Seth Goldman (the co-founder of Honest Tea and executive chairman at California plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat). Together, they have helped to build PLNT Burger into a vegan fast-food icon, known for its plant-based takes on fast-food menu classics, like fish sandwiches and double cheeseburgers.
Mendelsohn told Cool Hunting he was inspired to start the chain by his wife, a vegan who was tired of mushy bean burgers.
“I cooked these [Beyond Meat] burgers on the grill in my backyard and I was baffled by how well they cooked,” he said. “They had a reaction just like meat and they tasted fabulous. A lightbulb went off in my head. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so I emailed Seth and said, ‘You’re onto something here. I’d love to do a little more discovery with you.’”
Luckily, PLNT Burger survived the pandemic, largely thanks to its positioning inside Whole Foods Markets (which stayed open amid multiple lockdowns), and it’s still going strong. It still serves beef-like burgers, similar to those made by Beyond Meat, and it also partnered with plant-based brand Tindle Foods to upgrade its vegan chicken options.
What’s on the menu at PLNT Burger?
If you’ve got a PLNT Burger near you, you might be wondering what’s on the menu at the vegan fast-food chain. You can find some of our favorites below, including juicy burgers and crispy Green Bean Fries, all of which are offered alongside an extensive range of refreshing organic drinks, salads, sauces, limited edition specials, and more.
PLNT Burger
1 Meaty vegan burgers
PLNT Burger doesn’t just offer one vegan beef burger—it offers six delicious varieites. Choose from options like the B.I.G., which features an extra large quarter-pound patty, or the classic PLNT Cheeseburger with vegan American cheese. The PLNT Mushroom BBQ Bacon Burger features crispy mushroom-based bacon, while the Patty Melt swaps the bun for griddled potato bread.
Tindle
2 Chik’n Sandwiches
As mentioned above, PLNT Burger’s popular vegan chicken sandwiches are made with meat from plant-based chicken specialists Tindle. Choose from the standard Crispy Chik’n Sandwich, or if you like a little bit of a kick, opt for the spicy version, which also comes with dairy-free pepperjack cheese and housemade hot sauce. Other vegan chicken sandwich options include Classic Grilled Chik’n and Spicy Grilled Chik’n.
PLNT Burger
3 Save the Bay Fillet
The McDonald’s classic Filet-O-Fish gets a vegan makeover with PLNT Burger’s Save the Bay Fillet. The crispy ocean-flavored patty is hard to resist, but it’s the housemade vegan tartar sauce that really makes this sandwich a stand-out choice.
PLNT Burgers
4 Vegan nuggets
What fast-food chain doesn’t offer nuggets? The fast-food chain has this base firmly covered with its Lil’ Dippers, which are vegan nuggets served with a variety of housemade sauces, including spicy aioli and garden herb.
PLNT Burger
5Fries
Sure, PLNT Burger’s thick-cut Crispy Herb Fries are a must-try. But you can’t leave the fast-food chain without trying its Chili Cheese Fries, too. Loaded with housemade vegan chili, cheddar shreds, and chives, this item elevates the signature Crispy Herb Fries from side dish to entrée.
PLNT Burger
6Cookies
If you’re the type who needs a little something sweet to finish a meal (ahem, like us), then you can’t skip out on PLNT Burger’s signature cookies. Always baked fresh each day, the addictive sweet treats are available in classic chocolate chip or Carrot-Oat-Pineapple.
PLNT Burger
7Shakes and ice cream
Cookies aren’t the only dessert option at PLNT Burger. Choose between a number of thick, dairy-free milkshakes in flavors such as Banana Creme Brulee, Mint Cookies and Cream, Strawberry Love, and more. Or, keep it simple with vegan soft serve.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
