Best Veggie Burger, August 2012

Though animal free, veggie burgers are tricky beasts. Often bulked up with quinoa or rice, these carb-heavy numbers totally throw off the bun-to-patty ratio. If you're after beeflike satisfaction without the mock-meat taste, your answer—as with most things burger related—is Umami Burger. The chain's Earth Burger is composed of shiitake and portobello mushrooms mixed with edamame and dyed with beet juice to achieve a carnivorous shade of red. That gratifying combo joins truffle ricotta cheese, white soy aioli, cippolini onions, and roasted tomatoes in a perfectly toasted brioche bun. Sure beats a wad of tofu. » Multiple locations.