The Good Stuff company that began in 1924 as a meager refreshment stand by Don Carlos Edwards, Arctic circle was founded more than three decades later and on the idea that great food comes with great experiences; a mouthful of fresh delicacies, friendly and quality service, and memories to not forget. To date, they have over 70 locations in seven states and continuously serve their popular meats and seafood meals.
Straight to the point, there’s barely any reason for a vegan to eat at Arctic Circle. They have very few vegan-friendly options. Literally, the only vegan-friendly finds from Arctic Circle are their fries, onion rings, tater tots, crinkle-cut sweet potato fries, and lime rickey.
Maybe you can order their Mushroom n’ Swiss burger and Taco Salad just without the inhumane beef, cheese, and special sauces, but that would instantly cause you to stand out like a laughing stock since the place is famed for their 100% black Angus beef and original fry sauce that nobody knows the ingredients of. Their shakes all contain a milk base, and so do their ice creams. Sodas are available, and that’s just about it. Their menu varies slightly from one location to another, but all in all, no more than a few plant-based sides are good to eat.
Moving On…
No one knows when the company would start producing vegan-friendly meals or update their current website about allergen and dietary info, but since Arctic Circle does pride itself in its Angus beef burgers and fish halibut meals, it’s very unlikely that they’d lean towards a more vegan-accommodating ambiance and menu any time soon.
Also, PETA hasn’t made an official petition or announcement yet about Arctic Circle since it’s not a pressing concern for most vegans. There are still a lot of other vegan-friendly, cruelty-free burger and shake restaurants out there that we’ll get to pretty soon enough.
Great Vegan Burger Restaurants
So, moving on from the unpleasant review of Arctic Circle’s vegan options, let me cheer you up with some mouthwatering, cruelty-free burgers from these awesome restaurants approved and A-graded by PETA! These restaurants feature the world-changing Beyond Meat and Impossible Food Burgers, otherwise a special vegan burger of their own.
BareBurger
One of the top-grade and highly rated vegan-friendly burger shops is BareBurger, and for many good reasons. Let’s start with the high-quality, fresh, and organic ingredients that they’re very mindful of in order to serve the good food that their customers deserve. What really sets this restaurant up top is the vast availability of their vegan burger options, especially their Impossible Burger menu. They’ve got tons of other good stuff, too, like salads, hotdogs, sandwiches, shakes, and desserts. You’ll never run out of great, plant-based choices from them!
But the most notable part of their menu is their Be My Burger options. They’ve got allergen and vegan info on their products list and they also have gluten-free, plant-based buns to assure you of cruelty-free, oh-so-good food.
To give you an example, try creating your own burger with sprout buns, the Impossible Burger or their own black bean patty, add on some vegan American cheese and organic veggies, and finally paste together with vegan mayo and ketchup or buffalo sauce.
There are plenty of vegan dream burgers and food to choose from at Bareburger. So come visit one of their 37 locations across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; it’ll definitely be worth it.
Burger 21
Burger 21 doesn’t have as many vegan burger options as the one above, but they don’t hold back on taste, either. The restaurant also features the Impossible Burger patty, a black bean burger topped with avocado, cilantro cream, sun-dried tomato aioli, onions, lettuce, Roma tomato, and finally, sandwiched between toasted, whole-wheat buns. If you don’t like gluten buns, then you can ask for lettuce buns instead.
They have salads and vegan sides as well, but most of their shakes are made with milk, and the rest of the hotdogs and sliders are meat-based. They do offer catering for their vegan burger meals. They have locations in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia, so even if there are only a few locations in the country, it’s easy to pass by one while you’re traveling around or when you’re already around.
BurgerFi
BurgerFi offers the Beyond Meat Burger with classic mustard, ketchup, onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles between a pair of vegan, multi-grain buns. They don’t have customizable options for what’s already in their burger, but they’re prepared very fresh and carefully with high-quality, organic ingredients. I also have to inform you that their VegeFi burger is prepared vegetarian as the patty contains cheese, therefore is not vegan-friendly.
What sets this restaurant apart, though, is their chunky and delicious version of the Beyond Meat Burger, which you should definitely not miss out on. They have around 120 locations in the country, so this restaurant is quite abundant.
Burger King
Ah, the world-renowned burger brand would definitely not disappoint our vegan friends with their vegan-friendly, Impossible Whopper. Their flame-grilled Impossible Burger patty comes with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, pickles, and onions with sesame seed buns. You can also ask for a non-broiler method of preparation just to be absolutely clear of meat contaminants.
For now, the Impossible Whopper is their only plant-based burger, but you can have it as a meal with some good drinks and fries. Eat like a king with their awesomely Impossible Whopper meal.
Carl’s Jr
What’s very unique about Carl’s Jr burgers is that you can order any of their burgers and replace the meat with a Beyond Meat burger patty instead. You also have to ask to get rid of the cheese and mayo to make the burgers 100% vegan. Their Guacamole and Jalapeno burgers can be swapped with a plant-based burger and also come with potato buns. They have a Beyond Sausage burrito that you can enjoy for breakfast.
Carl’s Jr is a BIG persona in the burger business with about 3,800 locations and franchises worldwide and in 44 states. It’s a top-choice burger restaurant with a top-notch taste.
Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
You know what they say, good times call for great burgers, and Good Times Burgers just have the right stuff for you. Their Southwestern and Veg Head burgers sport a black bean patty by Dr. Praeger which will definitely soothe your taste buds with a nice, juicy, and flavorful texture. The Southwestern Black Bean burger is loaded with spicy guacamole, crisp Bermuda onion, whole-leaf iceberg lettuce, and a ripe red tomato on a whole wheat bun. The Veg Head Black Bean homes classical ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion, lettuce, and tomato combination, but ask for no mayo.
MOOYAH
Mooyah also offers Dr. Praeger’s Black Bean burger with five more varieties and even a build-your-own-burger option. They use 100% fresh ingredients and a choice of non-GMO, gluten-free, potato, multi-grain, or lettuce wrap bun. They have the original Vegan Black Bean Burger with fresh avocado, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato.
Their MOOYAH sauce, however, isn’t vegan, but you can replace it with BBQ, Cholula, or Buffalo sauce instead. Building your own burger at MOOYAH comes very easily as you start with your protein which is already the Dr. Praeger Black Bean, then a sandwich bun as stated above, veggies such as grilled onions, jalapenos, or pickles, and finally a sauce to go with. Sadly though, all their cheeses are made with milk, but you can still pick avocado slices as a healthy addon.
Their website is also very helpful as you can see the allergen and nutrition info of their products and ingredients, as well as their locations and ways to order right away. You definitely have to check out their website first because it is very customer-friendly.
Umami Burger
Umami Burger features two incredibly mouthwatering Impossible Burgers, Impossible Classic and Impossible Truffle. Though both are quite pricey, I assure you, it’s worth it if you’d like to try what a high-end, vegan burger tastes like. The four-ounce, plant-based patty in the Impossible Classic comes with their classic sauce, lettuce, pickles, tomato, and caramelized onions, but just ask for no cheese because that’s not vegan. Their Truffle Impossible also comes with a four-ounce burger and truffle aioli, truffle fondue, and truffle glaze, which is why this one is pricier and has a very strong, earthy taste and a nice aroma.
Conclusion
Finally, my dearest vegan friends, I am very sorry to be the bearer of a disappointment for Arctic Circle’s vague vegan options. I really don’t recommend you go there as the restaurant is very unlikely to serve more vegan-friendly meals to date, and this is primarily because they make their high-quality, cruelty Angus beef, halibut, shrimp, and cheese menu as their best offerings. Simply put, they’re just not well receptive yet to vegans. Even if you do go just to check it out, I can only imagine how satisfied you’ll be.
PETA hasn’t gone into talks with the company yet. I’m really not hoping at all for the moment because, honestly, it’s not a great loss as there are still hundreds of other vegan-friendly restaurants and franchises out there coming from big-name brands like Burger King, Carl’s Jr, and BareBurger just to name a few. You won’t run out at all.
Just a few notes about the Impossible Burger as well is that if you’re allergic to soy, it’s not good for you as the patty is made of soy proteins that produce heme, a substance that invokes the “meaty” taste of the vegan patty. The Impossible Burger definitely is a healthy option, but it should be kept in moderation according to Healthy Set Go.
The Beyond Burger, on the other hand, doesn’t contain soy, so it’s a good alternative if you’re allergic. Its protein base is mostly derived from peas, added in with some rice and mung bean proteins as well, and also bound together with coconut and canola oils and potato starch. It’s generally healthy, but to learn more about the special additives and gimmicks to the patty, Healthline can get you covered.
So, cheer up, pal, and head on over to one of our recommendations and PETA’s if you’re really into delicious, tender-juicy, healthy, and cruelty-free burgers and other goodies.