So I finally tried a Beyond Burger

[KoopaTheCasual]

And why do people say this tastes like meat? It clearly does not. It somewhat looks and feels like it, but it certainly tastes totally different. And I didn't really like it. My kids didn't eat it either, and they had no idea that they are getting plant based patties. You can call it a blind test if you will.
I prepared it like any other burger on my barbecue if that matters

Is Beyond the wrong choice? Does the impossible food stuff taste better? I only managed to eat one other patty from Lidl here in Germany (Next level burger) and it was really bad. I'm quite disappointed after reading so many exciting stories about it.

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Uh, you seem to be confused.

Think of it like this: Beyond meat is as the name implies, and trying to go 'beyond' imitation, and tries to do its own (tasty) thing.

Impossible meat is meant to be 'impossibly' indistinguishable from actual meat patties.

So if you want a vegan burger that tastes pretty much like a real burger, try Impossible. If you dig the taste of Beyond, then keep ordering that

 

[btags]

Where do you live? Been keeping an eye out at stores for Impossible, I know they started selling to retailers but I haven't found it yet.

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I'm in Rochester, NY. They have it at Wegmans.

 

[Soda]

I enjoy both burgers a ton. I'm essentially done eating beef burgers. I'll say both taste like beef to me if you cover them with ketchup, mustard, pickle, and a good bun plus some good cheese.

 

[bye]

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god South Park is still terrible

 

[grang]

I'm in Rochester, NY. They have it at Wegmans.

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Ah thanks, I haven't been to Wegman's in a minute so I'll trek out to one.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

A coworker had a BBQ and served impossible burgers. They were terrible. I rather have McDonalds. Everyone left within two hours because they went in hungry and needed to eat.

 

[Choppasmith]

I could be wrong but aren't these things just as processed and filled with salt etc as the meat version negating any health benefits?

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I've been using Fooducate recently, I noticed the Beyond ground meat has a D rating while the sausages have a B. They both say they're salty but I guess the sausages are ok. Idk. I certainly don't felt the same sort of mild indigestion I get from eating regular beef sausage though.

 

[mreddie]

Beyond didn't taste like actual meat but it was close enough for me. Wonder if you have the Impossible Burger at some point and your review of it?

 

[gutshot]

I cooked the Beyond Burger and the house STUNK for hours afterward. It smelled like I was cooking cat food or something. It was awful. The burger itself only tasted mildly like cat food but the smell was atrocious. I had bought an 8 pack from Costco and threw the rest out after that first time. I never want to cook/eat that shit again.

I'll just stick with veggie/bean burgers when I want to be healthy.

 

[YaBish]

I haven't tried any of the meat substitutes, but there's a vegan place in town that makes a seitan burger that's better than most of the burger joints around where I live.

 

[PhantomFFR]

It all depends on how you make it. If it's prepared the right way, it can taste very close. I've had some great ones and shitty ones. If you're preparing it yourself it's likely going to be shit unless you know what you're doing

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So... how do you prepare them the right way? And am I right in thinking that they, opposed to most other food, fall right off a steep cliff if done wrong - tastewise?

 

[Dyno]

I've been using Fooducate recently, I noticed the Beyond ground meat has a D rating while the sausages have a B. They both say they're salty but I guess the sausages are ok. Idk. I certainly don't felt the same sort of mild indigestion I get from eating regular beef sausage though.

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Ah I guess that would make some sense. Ground meat is pretty prone to bacterial development so maybe the beyond version also is and requires a bit more preservatives or something. Funny you say that though, I also get some weird digestion from certain beef products, steaks, jerkies annoyingly though so not something I'm gonna find an alternative to in a hurry

 

[grmlin]

It all depends on how you make it. If it's prepared the right way, it can taste very close. I've had some great ones and shitty ones. If you're preparing it yourself it's likely going to be shit unless you know what you're doing

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It's a bbq and you put it on the fire. Don't let it burn and it's fine. You can always fuck up the food cooking it yourself of course, but that wasn't the problem. If there is any secret technique involved preparing it I'm not aware of, they should start including a manual though

and of course, if you bury the burger in sauces and add lots of additional stuff, it's much easier to have it taste like the real deal. I prefer it simple though

 

[nitewulf]

The beyond meatball at Just Salad certainly tastes like meat. I couldn't tell it apart and it was completely satisfying. I understand why a charred patty might taste like burger too with the right trimmings.

 

[Surfinn]

So... how do you prepare them the right way? And am I right in thinking that they, opposed to most other food, fall right off a steep cliff if done wrong - tastewise?

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It's a bbq and you put it on the fire. Don't let it burn and it's fine. You can always fuck up the food cooking it yourself of course, but that wasn't the problem. If there is any secret technique involved preparing it I'm not aware of, they should start including a manual though

and of course, if you bury the burger in sauces and add lots of additional stuff, it's much easier to have it taste like the real deal. I prefer it simple though

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I don't know what the right way is. All I know is when we cooked them 1:1 like you do with meat on the grill in the same way, it didn't turn out well. We tried over the summer. Got the same patty on a prepared burger somewhere else and it was night/day.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I havent asked/seen it but is there a noticeable caloric difference between beef, impossible and beyond?

I dont really eat beef all that much more due to my diet caloric needs. If impossible or beyond burgers were super lower in calories while maintaining an OK taste I could consider switching to it on the very very rare occasion i crave beef.

 

[The Teachinator]

And why do people say this tastes like meat? It clearly does not. It somewhat looks and feels like it, but it certainly tastes totally different. And I didn't really like it. My kids didn't eat it either, and they had no idea that they are getting plant based patties. You can call it a blind test if you will.
I prepared it like any other burger on my barbecue if that matters

Is Beyond the wrong choice? Does the impossible food stuff taste better? I only managed to eat one other patty from Lidl here in Germany (Next level burger) and it was really bad. I'm quite disappointed after reading so many exciting stories about it.

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I agree. I do like Beyond though but it doesn't taste like meat. It does have the texture of meat but totally not the flavor.

The impossible burger DOES taste like meat.

I like both but totally understand that they're not for everyone.

 

[defaltoption]

Haven't tried Beyond but my brother like it, what's crazy is I tried the Impossible burger, liked it and he hated it. Guess it just all comes down to tastebuds. It was good but definitely no real meat, just good enough.

 

[Ira]

I love beyond burgers. It's true, they don't taste like meat, you'll never confuse it with a real burger, but I think they're pretty good. They're still not quite as good as a beef patty, but I'm at the point where I wouldn't really be that sad if I had to eat them instead of regular burgers. Like their sausages too.

On the other hand the impossible burger actually didn't impress me that much, it's closer to beef than a beyond burger I guess, but not significantly so. Maybe it just wasn't cooked properly or something, but it didn't live up to the hype.

 

[Calvinien]

It ain't bad, but I've had better veggie burgers. Impossible is better too, as others have said.

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A canadian Burger chain, Harveys has had a really good veggie burger on their menu since like 2005. It cost the same as their basic hamburger and also cost the same as well.

They since added the 'plant based' burger to the menu....which costs more. And now the veggie burger has had its formula changed and tastes horrible....but is still cheap and still on the menu. I can only conclude they intentionally made it worse to force people to try the newer, more expensive plant based burger.

 

[Deleted member 8561]

Beyond Burger is very much the second tier compared to Impossible Burger.

I've tried the Impossible Burger, it tastes like meat, just not beef. It's gamey, but if you gave it to someone and said it was some type of ground up game I would say that most people would agree.

 

[Stinkles]

Me too and I was pleasantly surprised. I had the sausages too and they were just okay. Surprising given how much easier sausage should be.

I grilled my burger and served it on a brioche bun with sharp cheddar, fresh tomato and some mama lils peppers.

 

[rainz]

I dig them all.. but gonna throw a shout out for the Field Roast burgers, give them a try if you get a chance.

 

[Maffis]

I haven't tried it myself but my GF loves it. We have pulled Oomph burgers at a Swedish hamburger chain here that is very popular. It's basically soybeans with lots of BBQ-sauce made in a pulled-pork kind of style. Need to try it sometime.

 

[Zukuu]

I dunno what they serve in Germany, but the new "Big vegan TS" from McDonalds tastes like absolute shit, and I actually like most of the other McDonalds burger.

 

[eyeball_kid]

Honestly, as a vegan if I'm doing a BBQ I'd much rather throw a portobello on the grill with some olive oil, garlic, and maybe some red wine marinade.

 

[Rsinart]

I've been eating mostly vegan for the last 8 years, have tried lots of veg/vegan burgers in that time. The beyond meat always tasted sorta like peas (pea protien) to me, and I could never get into them. Impossible burger I like a lot, but most local vegan spots want $16 for one. Burger Kings Impossible Whopper is pretty good even if it's not much healthier. But I've had people who have never eaten a fake meat burger have the Impossible burger and they could hardly tell the difference.

 

[Illenium]

And why do people say this tastes like meat? It clearly does not. It somewhat looks and feels like it, but it certainly tastes totally different. And I didn't really like it. My kids didn't eat it either, and they had no idea that they are getting plant based patties. You can call it a blind test if you will.
I prepared it like any other burger on my barbecue if that matters

Is Beyond the wrong choice? Does the impossible food stuff taste better? I only managed to eat one other patty from Lidl here in Germany (Next level burger) and it was really bad. I'm quite disappointed after reading so many exciting stories about it.

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i 100% taste the meat flavor. It doesn't have the general meaty juice you would get from searing beef but it tastes pretty comparable to me.

 

[Linkura]

Y'all are scaring me the hell off from trying one of these.

 

[Soda]

I actually tried the Beyond Meat sausages and it's my new favorite thing. I.wouldn't say it fooled me, but is a close enough alternative I can stick to to stay healthy.

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I could be wrong but aren't these things just as processed and filled with salt etc as the meat version negating any health benefits?

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Beyond and Impossible Burgers are not healthy alternatives to beef burgers. That's not their purpose and they don't market them as such. The main benefit is being a meat-free alternative, e.g., they make a pretty sound argument that eating one BB or IB is better for the environment than eating one beef burger. That's, IMO, the only advantage to them.

 

[vanmardigan]

I had an impossible Whopper while my wife had a regular Whopper so I tried them side by side. I could taste the difference and the regular Whopper tasted better imo but I truly can't say that the impossible tasted bad and I may not have noticed if I didn't have the real Whopper on hand. With all the toppings on, I could definitely eat the impossible Whopper from now on if it's better for the environment or whatever. And I'm sure it's only going to get better.

 

[Kthulhu]

If it's anything like the Impossible burger it depends on who makes it. A burger restaurant that I got one from tasted pretty close while the Impossible Whopper tasted very mediocre. I thought it might be because I hated BK but even people who like BK told me they hate it.

 

[Chopin the Third]

Haven't tried the Beyond, but the impossible whopper treated like the real thing. It was really good.

 

[Paz]

Beyond and Impossible Burgers are not healthy alternatives to beef burgers. That's not their purpose and they don't market them as such. The main benefit is being a meat-free alternative, e.g., they make a pretty sound argument that eating one BB or IB is better for the environment than eating one beef burger. That's, IMO, the only advantage to them.

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Yeah people need to get over this idea that you can 100% replicate an unhealthy option with a healthy option, a lot of what makes something unhealthy is tied into how it tastes and feels.

That being said it's still gonna be better for you to eat a plant based burger when it comes to stuff like increased risk of colon cancer etc.

 

[Choppasmith]

Beyond and Impossible Burgers are not healthy alternatives to beef burgers. That's not their purpose and they don't market them as such. The main benefit is being a meat-free alternative, e.g., they make a pretty sound argument that eating one BB or IB is better for the environment than eating one beef burger. That's, IMO, the only advantage to them.

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Eh, Lactose Free milk isn't like some healthy alternative either, but it's still easier to digest and generally better for you than regular. Not like I'm having 10 sausages in one sitting just because they're supposedly healthier.

 

[Soda]

Eh, Lactose Free milk isn't like some healthy alternative either, but it's still easier to digest and generally better for you than regular. Not like I'm having 10 sausages in one sitting just because they're healthier.

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Lactose-free milk is better for you? In what way? I legitimately have never heard that (exception: obviously it's better for you if you're lactose intolerant).

 

[ColdSun]

Wasn't impressed with Beyond but I do like boca burgers.

 

[Choppasmith]

Lactose-free milk is better for you? In what way? I legitimately have never heard that (exception: obviously it's better for you if you're lactose intolerant).

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Sorry I might've jumped the gun on the "better for you" part. You don't have to be lactose intolerant to appreciate the better digestion.

Still better than soda, anyway :p

 

[Lobster Roll]

The entire point of Beyond burgers, Impossible burgers, etc is to get as reasonably close to being burger-like while still being 100% meat-free. We're still very far from a 1:1 substitute, but it does its job well. Besides, if you're making your burgers like a normal person (condiments, lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, and maybe a light spread on a toasted bun) the meat taste isn't the star of the show. It's part of the burger ensemble. Quite frankly it's good enough for me, and I'm not going to die if I'm not eating 100%, genuine, red meat burgers. Oh, also, everybody is aware that they are not necessarily healthier than beef burgers. Some of us are trying to reduce our carnivore footprint, even if it's by taking baby steps.

Side note, Beyond Sausage is legit. Get some (real) mustard on your plate and you can't tell the difference.

 

[Deleted member 18360]

Imo it means it scratches the gustatory itch for meat significantly better than the things that came before, to the point that it's arguably 'good enough' for a lot of people.

 

[SelfCon]

Had a beyond burger at a vegan spot in Vegas and could barely finish it. The texture was god awful. On the other hand, I've had some darn good impossible burgers from both Burger King and Red Robin.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

Tastes like shit
You won't care

But for real they're way closer than the veggie patties of old. They're getting there

 

[joecanada]

It ain't bad, but I've had better veggie burgers. Impossible is better too, as others have said.

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Yeah I'm waiting to try impossible . Beyond stinks like rotten food or fishy or something I hate to say because the taste isn't terrible but that smell was awful

 

[Rellodex]

It's kind of bullshit that plant-based foods have to present a grotesque approximation of meat to be featured as an entree.

I'd way rather see these chains start getting creative with the already extensive list of hearty/savory vegetables that exist completely independently of meat.

How about a buffalo tofu sandwich? How about jackfruit in BBQ sauce? More of an emphasis on beans in general?

 

[roguesquirrel]

The Impossible Whopper worked for me, but I think that has more to do with Burger King having that signature artificial "smokey" flavor

 

[Paz]

It's kind of bullshit that plant-based foods have to present a grotesque approximation of meat to be featured as an entree.

I'd way rather see these chains start getting creative with the already extensive list of hearty/savory vegetables that exist completely independently of meat.

How about a buffalo tofu sandwich? How about jackfruit in BBQ sauce? More of an emphasis on beans in general?

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This has been a thing for a long time and for a variety of reasons meat eaters aren't interested in this, personally it's what I'd prefer because vegetables are legit delicious in their own right but for the sake of the future of our species I'm pretty happy to see so much progress with imitation stuff.

 

[infinitebento]

i havent had beyond meat but impossible meat is pretty damn good imo

 

[Paertan]

I have tried it twice. One was ok. It was a decent burger. But that place selling it is the same for burgers. Decent but not great. Tried it again at a great burger place. And that Beyond burger was damn amazing. I guess how they spice it up with sauces. Or if they add spices to the burger. I don't know but it was great.
Would I mistake it for meat? Nah but I don't really care when it tastes good.

 

[RestEerie]

Texture wise, impossible taste nearer to real beef though there's no 'juice' at all so i am having a hard time how plant based meat can ever replaced real meat.

You can replicate the texture and taste to the best of your ability, but the 'juiciness' of real beef is kinda 'beyond impossible' to replicate (pun intended).

 

[FeistyBoots]

And why do people say this tastes like meat? It clearly does not. It somewhat looks and feels like it, but it certainly tastes totally different. And I didn't really like it. My kids didn't eat it either, and they had no idea that they are getting plant based patties. You can call it a blind test if you will.
I prepared it like any other burger on my barbecue if that matters

Is Beyond the wrong choice? Does the impossible food stuff taste better? I only managed to eat one other patty from Lidl here in Germany (Next level burger) and it was really bad. I'm quite disappointed after reading so many exciting stories about it.

Click to shrink...

Impossible is way, way better.