Smashburger

We were out on a weekend day in Charlotte, NC doing some shopping and realized it was lunch time when our stomachs started growling. For a quick bite my mom suggested Smashburger, a fast-casual restaurant with locations all over the United States. She said they had a good black bean burger so I was game.

The Spicy Veggie Black Bean Burger was great and tasted like a freshly made patty, not some frozen and re-heated lump. I ordered it without cheese or mayo, but I figured that the black bean patty itself was likely vegetarian rather than vegan. I didn’t know for sure at the time, but a visit to the website’s allergen info later confirmed there are in fact eggs and dairy in the patty. At least I know now what I ate, but checking allergens beforehand probably would have been best. The fresh jalapenos, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and onion were great additions.

Vegetarian, not Vegan

The Sweet Potato Smashfries are sweet potato fries tossed in rosemary, olive oil and garlic. While they are vegan** and delicious, they certainly aren’t healthy. Since there were three of us we split one order which was plenty for me and made sure no one overate.

**Since I ate there, I have unfortunately learned that Smashburger cooks their fries (and other sides) in BEEF FAT. UGH. Why oh why would they do this (and especially not state somewhere on their menu that this is the case)???

Sweet Potato Smashfries – not vegan!

The fresh-made black bean burger is healthier than what you’ll find at most fast-food places and it tastes great. However, unless you are ok with eating something with eggs/dairy in it you’ll be stuck getting a bun with only veggies on it – which doesn’t sound like a great lunch to me. If possible, I recommend checking out Elevation Burger instead for a vegan burger AND fries!

Ratings from a plant-based eating perspective (1-5 scale, 1=Terrible  5=Excellent)

Ambiance: 3        Service: 3             Choices: 1           Taste: 5                Overall: 1.5