California Chain's Vegan Burger Is Served Non-Vegan Style

Lily Rose|

A California fast-casual operation has recently begun selling vegan Beyond Burgers — but they're not even trying to make them vegan-friendly. Mediterranean chain Luna Grill's plant-based patties, from Beyond Meat, are cooked on the same grill with animal-based products — and topped with spicy feta cheese, rendering their version of this plant-based product decidedly non-vegan.

Questioning the chain's decision to serve a vegan patty topped with real cheese, a Luna Grill customer whose Twitter handle, appropriately enough, is @VeganPolice, tweeted, "I asked them if it'd be vegan if I got it without the feta. They said no because they fry it on a buttery pan. I asked if they could use no butter. They said it'd take too long to wash the pan. What good is a beyond burger if it isn't vegan?

@VeganPolice attached a photo of the sign touting the release of the Beyond Burger, calling it a "revolutionary plant-based burger" with smaller text below saying "Not able to prepare vegan style." Beyond Meat, the brand that makes the Beyond Burgers and counts Leonardo DiCaprio among its investors, specializes in plant-based vegan and vegetarian meat substitutes that look and taste like meat.

@VeganPolice's Twitter followers were quick to point out that Luna Grill's cheese topping negates the whole "vegan burger" thing. Some complained that the decision to include Beyond Meat seems to be based on trend-chasing rather than any commitment to serving vegan customers.

It should be pointed out that Luna Grill doesn't advertise the burger as vegan. In fact, the only place the word vegan appears on their signage is in the disclaimer that the burger cannot be prepared that way.

A spokesman for Luna Grill told The Daily Meal, "The Beyond Burger can be ordered without any items that contain dairy." Despite what customer says she was told by the Luna Grill employee, the spokesman continued, "The Beyond Burger is not cooked in butter. Beyond Burger can be made with just plant-based ingredients, but it is prepared on the same grill we use for our other menu items, which means it might come in contact with animal products. It is a great choice for people looking for more plant-based options but it will not be truly 100 percent vegan. We respect what it means to label something vegan and we want to be fully transparent with our guests about how the Beyond Burger is prepared."

You would think that with the recent wave of people going vegan (even celebrities like Drake!) that restaurants would want to fully cater to customers with dietary restrictions. Looking for some actual vegan food? The kind without dairy? Check out America's best vegan restaurants.

For the record: When this article was first published, on April 5, 2018, the headline read 'Chain Serves Vegan Burger Cooked in Butter, Topped With Cheese.' The headline has been corrected, following the receipt of further information from Luna Grill.

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