Vegan Practically

Well, after weighing the pros and cons of the very idea of supporting the McVeggie way back in September, I promised I would give the McVeggie a try and report back. So here I am (it’s been a long winter). A sheet of McDonald’s coupons showed up in the mail that included a few “2-can-dine-for-$17.78” (doesn’t have the same ring to it as “2-can-dine-for-$9.99” of days gone by, but I guess we’re in a different time) coupons. The McVeggie combo was among the choices.

Diane and I each got the McVeggie with no mayo (the mayo is not vegan). And whoa, it is a very plain sandwich indeed. It’s a breaded veggie patty (not the fake meat kind but the garden burger kind) on a sesame bun with shredded lettuce.

To say it lacks flavour is an understatement. What you get is a breaded and deep fried patty, which is exactly the the sort of thing I would never order if I saw it described that way on a menu. The crispy outside is fine as far as texture goes, but don’t go searching for any nuanced taste experience. Even upon looking at it sitting there in its cardboard container, you feel like it needs something. Granted, we skipped the mayo, but it needed a lot more than mayo (even if the mayo had been vegan, it wouldn’t have saved this burger).

After one bite I went to the counter and asked for BBQ sauce. I would recommend doing that or something like it (maybe ketchup and mustard like on the burgers? Hard to say if anything would help). The BBQ sauce added some flavour. But even with that, I can think of many, many other things I would rather eat. Diane said she would also request pickles if there is a next time. But we both agreed we won’t be rushing out to use the rest of our coupons. Personally, I didn’t even think the fries had much flavour — they were just a vehicle for salt and ketchup.

We talked about when a vegan might consider the McVeggie to be a good option. Here’s what we came up with: on a road trip where there is nothing else–and we mean NOTHING ELSE–to eat; with friends with kids where the kids really want to go to McDonald’s and it’s the only way to avoid tantrums; and…under no other circumstances.

We ranked both the Harvey’s veggie burger and the A&W Impossible burger higher, as options that would always win out over the McVeggie when given a choice. And though I’m not sure it would make me go out of my way much if ever, what I’d rather see at McDonald’s is a Vegan Quarter Pounder made with a Beyond or Impossible style patty. That’s the one sandwich I miss from back in the day when McDonald’s used to feel like a treat (I can’t really put myself back into that mindset, however hard I try, but I know it used to feel that way). A vegan replica of it would have some nostalgia to it that could be a draw.

There you have it. The McVeggie is a tasteless patty on a tasteless bun served with tasteless fries.