California Vegetarian

Although not apparent on the menu (either online or in-store) Red Robin will replace the meat on any of their burgers with a Boca or a Gardenburger patty. This makes what looks like a restaurant with only a side-salad option actually doable for a vegetarian. Of course, you would not choose the burger with the bacon if you are a vegetarian, but there are several other options. Vegans, however, will go hungry or just eat a dry salad and French fries.

I only know this because I recently found myself in a shopping mall with a friend at lunchtime. Given the masses in their holiday-induced mania, we were looking for the quickest and easiest option for food that involved a seat away from the crowds. Turned out that we were walking by a Red Robin. I simply asked the host if a vegetarian could eat there. He responded with the explanation I’ve already shared. So, we went in.

I ordered their BBQ cheeseburger, the “Whiskey River BBQ Burger” ($9.29). It was very tasty! I chose the Boca option, and I’m almost positive that it was a thicker Boca than is available at the grocery store. It came with lettuce, tomato, mayo, ‘onion straws’, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce. Mind you, I am not claiming at all that it was good for me (the dollop of mayo on the edge of the bun should make the burger’s healthiness apparent!), but it did taste very good. Plus, my carnivore friend enjoyed her “A1 Peppercorn Burger.”

Red Robin, which has 250 locations in the United States and Canada, is a little higher-end than a ‘fast food’ restaurant, but it is by no means a fancy restaurant. It is really your basic ‘burger joint’. We received our burgers in paper-lined red plastic baskets with an extra pile of napkins. I’m sure that there were options on the menu that would have required forks, but we didn’t choose them, and I seriously doubt that there would be any (save that side-salad) for the vegetarian anyway. In the end, I’d say that it was a bit pricey for a burger, but given the circumstances we were happy to find a quiet seat. I can see myself eating at Red Robin again with my burger-happy friends and family… with everyone leaving happy if not necessarily healthy for the meal just eaten.