Going Beyond Meat: A Review

I really, really love a good veggie burger, and am always on the lookout for versions that pack lots of plant-based nutrients and protein. And, of course, it helps if it doesn’t look like a sad, skinny, beige little patty. And flavor is a major factor!
I was psyched to hear about Beyond Meat’s Beast Burger, which the company worked with Brendan Brazier at Vega to create. I mean, Brendan certainly knows a thing or two about awesome vegan nutrition, and the stats were impressive: more iron and protein (23 grams worth!) than beef and more omegas than salmon. The vegan patty is free of gluten and soy, contains no GMOs and has zero animal fat. Awesome, right?

Beyond Meat also has other faux-meat products — grilled chicken strips, chicken tenders, beef crumbles and meatballs, which, honestly, I was not so enthused about. Aside from actual veggie burgers, I don’t eat much in the fake meat product department, but hey, I’m open-minded when it comes to checking out veggie products, so I decided to try a sampling of a few products.
And I’m so glad I did, because if not, this review would’ve gone very differently.
I gave the Homestyle Tenders a try first, and although it took a little longer than anticipated to get them heated thoroughly, the flavor was really good and the texture was better than some of the other chicken substitutes I’ve had — maybe not tender enough to cut with a fork, but not overly chewy, either. In fact, they were good enough that my husband put a few in his salad and was pleased — impressive, since he’s definitely not a vegetarian and has no problem with eating actual chicken tenders!
I also sampled the Fiesty Crumble, which worked well as a quick and filling lunch in a tortilla with some avocado and hot sauce. Again, the texture worked well and the flavor was nice, if not terribly spicy.
Then, it was time to try the Beast Burger. I saved it for dinner so I could really take my time to prepare and savor it. I made it as directed on the stove top, then added a slice of tasty cheese, mashed avocado and a little sriracha ketchup, and …
NOPE.
It was overly smoky, the texture was rubbery, and overall, it felt really greasy despite the fact that I used just a bit of oil in preparation. I took a couple more bites, adding more condiments, but even though I was hungry enough to border on hangry, I couldn’t continue eating. I even asked my husband to take a bite, thinking maybe it was too much like a real burger and maybe that was why I didn’t like it — it has been over 11 years since I last had an actual burger made of beef, after all. But, his reaction was the same as mine. It looked good on paper (and on my plate), but it’s just not a keeper in our house.
Have you ever been surprised like this by products from the same brand, liking something you didn’t expect to enjoy and being disappointed in the item you were so excited about? I have to say, my burger disappointment is tempered somewhat by the fact that I dug those chicken tenders. —Kristen