It’s not impossible to make a delicious veggie burger from scratch — one that even the eaters of the meatiest burgers would enjoy. When it comes to the vegan patties sandwiched between two buns at Beaut Burger, they’re ready to take on the competitive world of store-bought burger options.
Here in Tucson, the locals already know this but now the restaurant is earning national attention and being named one of the “Best Veggie Burgers in America” by TastingTable.com.
A lot has happened since the restaurant opened in 2018. They moved up into the Phoenix area and opened a second location and then debuted Beaut Burger Home, which makes their patties available nationwide. Over the years, a lot of customers had requested to buy Beaut’s products for home preparation, and that’s when founders Kerry Lane and Ari Shapiro decided to start shipping across the U.S.
“Kerry is a trained vegan macrobiotic chef,” said Shapiro. “She has tons of ideas for recipes that you can do at home. You know, all plant-based, of course.”
And those recipes are what’s catching the attention of others, much like TastingTable:
“What Beaut Burger lacks in beef (or any other animal protein for that matter) it more than makes up for with inventive, unexpected layers of eclectic vegetarian flavor. The casual counter-service operation, nestled in a funky shipping container park on the city’s west side called the MSA Annex, is so crafty and inventive with its internationally inspired accouterments that you won’t miss the meat at all.”
Therefore, instead of creating a menu that makes the veggie burgers appear as an afterthought, Beaut Burger is helping lead the way with its signature vegan patties and buns.
Up in Phoenix, serving customers side-by-side with Beaut Burger is Bristlecone. It’s a dessert parlor that offers vegan soft serve and shakes with oat milk, and even though Bristlecone’s full dessert menu isn’t available in Tucson, you can still get a few flavors of soft serve ice cream with your burger.
One other veggie burger coming off the grill in Arizona was mentioned on the list, too. The Mushroom Burger, found on the menu at Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona, is said to be “hearty and flavorful” and the chef collects the mushrooms on their own. You can check out the full article at tastingtable.com.
Beaut Burger is located at 267 S. Avenida del Convento. For more information, visit beautburgerhome.com. Beaut Burger is also participating in Sonoran Restaurant Week, and will be serving a special menu until Sunday, September 18.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
