Viva la vegetable

The best veggie burgers in town: Going meatless doesn't mean giving up the yummy

Beaver's Nut Burger is made from a blend of brown rice, cashews, walnuts andcheddar cheese — easily one of the best veggie burgers in Houston.
Photo by Julie Knutson
Green Seed Vegan offers a range of veggie burgers, from a simply-adornedbuckwheat patty to a spicy Tex Mex option smothered in jalapenos andvegetarian-friendly bacon.
Photo by Julie Knutson
The Petrol Station's new veggie burger looks to the simple portobello mushroomfor inspiration.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
The Shepherd Park Draught House has a wonderful black bean burger loaded withsprouts.
Photo by Julie Knutson
Ruggles Green makes its veggie burger from potatoes, corn, almonds and, for anextra twist, organic hummus.
Photo by Julie Knutson
Grabbing a Buddha Burger at Pondicheri . . .
Photo by Julie Knutson

Dedicated carnivores tend to scoff at the very idea of a veggie burger, writing off the humble vegetarian-friendly option as a cheap imitation of its meaty all-American forebearer.

But since its emergence in the latter decades of the 20th century, the veggie burger has evolved into a rather adventurous corner of the culinary world — a sort of new frontier for restaurants hoping to break new ground in the foodie scene while scoring big with the non-meat-eaters.

No two recipes are the same, as chefs search for the perfect blend of all-natural ingredients.

CultureMap has sampled dozens of varietals in the past few months, tasting everything from the standard black bean burger to inventive combinations of root vegetables and quinoa. Here are the top contenders in Houston:

Since its emergence in the latter decades of the 20th century, the veggie burger has evolved into a ra ther adventurous corner of the culinary world.

Beaver's

With its Nut Burger, Beaver's has redefined the limits of how a veggie burger is supposed to behave. This is not your hippy aunt's bland Gardenburger, but a thoughtful and inspired sandwich that will lure any hamburger devotee.

As its name suggests, cashews and walnuts are folded into a simple base of soft brown rice, giving the patty a degree of fattiness that most other recipes fail to take into consideration. Oh yeah, and the shredded cheddar cheese added to the mix doesn't hurt either.

Green Seed Vegan

In addition to its array of clever raw and vegan dishes, Green Seed offers four — that's right, four — different buckwheat-based veggie burgers on fresh whole wheat buns with housemade vegan mayo.

If you're looking for a nice starting point, try the Green Seed Burger with its simple microgreens, onions and pickles. The Fungus Amongus piles on mushrooms and cheese, while the Dirty Burque and the Big Tex bring the spice. Be sure to order the sweet potato fries, which easily rank up there as some of Houston's best.

Long known for its hamburgers, the Petrol Station has taken a while to tap into the veggie market . . . but, my god, it was worth the wait.

The Petrol Station

Long known for its hamburgers, the Petrol Station has taken a while to tap into the veggie market . . . but, my god, it was worth the wait.

Take a large portobello mushroom, lob off the stem and smother the underside with a pesto spread and roasted red peppers. Toss it all on Petrol's famous brioche rolls and you have yourself one of the most flavorful veggie burgers around. The fries rule too.

Tiny Boxwoods

Tiny Boxwoods' Just Beet It Burger takes the regular old black bean burger to new heights with the addition of, you guessed it, roasted beets. The cafe's amazing chipotle aioli seals the deal.

Runners-up

With its layers of South Asian spices, Buddha Burger at Pondicheri is a solid contender, especially with a side those chickpea-crusted fries. For those missing that classic messiness that only a burger can provide, definitely check out the veggie option at Smashburger.

Ruggles Green and Shepherd Park Draught House put some serious love into their veggie burgers as well.

Make the case for your own favorites by leaving a comment. The best arguments have a chance to be featured in a new story.

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a major award

Houston sushi spot's Dubai outpost named to prestigious 50 best list

Courtesy of Duckstache Hospitality

Kokoro's original Dubai location received the award.

The Dubai location of a Houston-based Japanese restaurant has been named one of the best restaurants in the Middle East. Kokoro ranks No. 15 on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Presented by the same organization as the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Kokoro earned recognition for its location in Al Quoz, Dubai, one of three locations in the city. Considered to be the city’s first handroll bar (according to press materials), the list’s authors praise the restaurant’s whimsical design and the signature temaki that Houstonians know well.

“Pristine nori-wrapped parcels packed with crunchy, creamy and zesty elements — Kokoro's hand rolls are the highlight of the menu,” the entry reads in part. “Made to order with the likes of Japanese yellowtail, salmon, Hokkaido scallop and marbled A5 wagyu beef, each cone-shaped offering combines the freshest of ingredients with masterfully prepared rice to create a handheld package that's big on precision, but small on pretence.”

Chefs Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham opened the original Kokoro in Houston’s Bravery Chef Hall in 2019. Since then, the duo’s Duckstache Hospitality has expanded with three locations of handroll concept Handies Douzo, Garden Oaks sushi restaurant Himari, Kokoro Handroll Bar in The Woodlands, Doko and Bar Doko in Autry Park, and Aiko, their Washington Avenue restaurant that won Best New Restaurant in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

In Dubai, the company partnered with FYTE Hospitality. Like its Houston locations, the Dubai restaurants are adorned with Duckstache’s signature “duckies” — a whimsical element that bridges the more than 8,000 miles that separates the two cities.

“Dubai’s food scene is one of the most diverse in the world. The culinary landscape of this city is always evolving, and we saw an opportunity to bring something new to the market while staying true to what we’ve built in Houston,” Lee said in a statement. “Kokoro is all about quality, precision, and that made-to-order experience and now we get to share that with Dubai while still giving Houstonians something familiar to smile about when they walk in.”

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