A plant-based burger that can satisfy the cravings of hungry meat lovers has hit the menu at Wahlburgers.
The restaurant brand owned by Paul Wahlberg, along with his famous brothers Mark and Donnie, has teamed up with California-based Impossible Foods to bring their popular Impossible Burger patties to Wahlburgers across the country. Since it first launched in 2016, the 100 percent meatless option has taken the culinary world by storm for it’s ability to mimic the way traditional burgers taste, smell and even “bleed.”
Joining the growing number of restaurants around Boston and the nation that’ve embraced the meat-free, eco-friendly offering, Wahlburgers is putting it’s own twist on the burger. Each four ounce patty is topped with smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, chili spiced tomatoes, lettuce and, of course, the brand’s tasty, house-made Wahlsauce.
Chef Paul tells Metro that he’s particularly impressed by the Impossible Burger’s texture, something the folks at Impossible Foods have spent years perfecting.
“They put so much time and effort into it,” he says. “Texturally, it’s as close to meat as you’re going to get. It has a mouth feel like ground beef.”
Meat offerings are usually front and center at Wahlburgers, but chef Paul notes that the brand has always tried to cater to people with alternative culinary tastes. Wahlburgers has experimented with in-house veggie burger and sandwich options over the years, and has a number of pescetarian and vegetarian-friendly items on its menu.
What makes the new Wahlburgers Impossible Burger so special is that it stays true to the chain’s burger joint roots while also giving herbivorous eaters a chance to enjoy all those classic textures and flavors.
“We are an indulgence, but we want to appeal to as many people as possible,” says chef Paul. “We’re a burger place. At the end of the day, we want to be as much like a burger place as we possibly can.”
“As a cook you always want to be creative and kind of push the envelope a little bit,” he adds. “But at the same time, you have to remember who your audience is.”
Although filming will begin soon on another season of A&E’s “Wahlburgers” reality series, chef Paul plans to stay focused on growing and expanding his burger brand in 2018 with even more new offerings.
“At the end of the day, I just want to make people happy and give the customer a better experience,” he says. “Whatever that is, I’m in.”
