Impossible Dream: A Whopper that takes vegetarians back to the cave, assuming they want to go there

Having pushed away from fast-food and chain restaurants a couple of years ago, it took me a few months to get around to sampling an Impossible Whopper at Burger King, and I only did so at the urging of a raving vegetarian friend. I went to a BK in Towson, Maryland. (There are other local places where you can get an Impossible Burger.)  I have a short review to offer. First, a few comments about what got me here.

I heard excited, positive reviews of the Impossible Whopper and realized something — committed vegetarians probably have not tasted the real thing in years, if not decades. As a result, they likely have little memory of what a BK burger tastes like — and thus their enthusiasm for a meatless morsel that rekindles their carnivorous caveman (or cavewoman) senses. I have heard of a woman brought to tears at the taste of an Impossible Whopper, and a couple who sat in their car in stunned silence after biting into one. But you have to take the vegetarians’ responses with a grain of salt. Their reaction to the Impossible Whopper is a bit skewed. They’ve been in recovery from beef for so long, and now they get to chow down, without guilt, on something that gets the gustatory neurons firing again.

As for the rest of us, those who indulge — actually, can’t resist — a BK burger from time to time, I will echo what others in that category of consumer have said: The Impossible Whopper tastes pretty much like the BK Whopper. It packs the familiar grilled essence (without “bleeding” or being greasy, in my sample); its texture is similar to the Whopper patty, and with all the fixings, it’s a big mouthful of flavor.

So, my take-away: If you want to eat less red meat for health reasons and/or environmental reasons, when you get a craving for a burger, eat an Impossible one. If you’re worried about the ingredients, here is a list provided by the company that created the product and an essay on the issue of GMOs in this new alternative food from Business Insider. I plan to go back to my low-key boycott of fast-food places, but when I indulge a visit, it will be only for an Impossible burger. And if this meatless substitute shows up at the grocery, I may try it.

Have you tried it? Tell us what you think.

And one last thing: If you want a great veggie burger in Baltimore, go to Jack & Zack’s.