The Best Three Veggie Burgers in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is, in my opinion, a fairly vegan/vegetarian friendly city. I can't think of more than a handful of spots that, fries aside, don't offer anything vegetarian or vegan. There are some bars that I know of where even my omnivorous friends prefer the veggie burgers to the real thing, with Village Whiskey, Good Dog, and National Mechanics topping the list.

Village Whiskey (www.villagewhiskey.com) is located at the corner of 20th and Sansom in Center City and Iron Chef Jose Garces' $8 veggie burger boasts a topping of pickled red cabbage and guacamole atop its patty. The recipe was even released through NBC, but good luck trying to make it as good as Garces. It is without a doubt the messiest burger to eat, and you'll probably end up scarfing up the half that fell onto your plate with a fork, but you will want every last bite.

Good Dog's veggie cake is a little different from your average burger. At $10, it's the priciest "burger" on the list, but with a patty made of roasted eggplant, lentils, mushrooms, and scallions, it's worth the splurge. It comes on a roasted onion ciabatta with curried mayo and served with tomato and beet chips, but I have friends who always ask for it on a burger bun with the traditional toppings. Regardless of the way you ask for it, get a side of their signature sweet potato fries, and try their open-faced grilled veggie melt while you're at it. Good Dog is located between Walnut and Locust on 15th Street in Center City (www.gooddogbar.com).

National Mechanics (www.nationalmechanics.com) is located in what used to be a neoclassical bank building between Market and Chestnut on 3rd Street in Olde City, and, like it's unusual architecture, doesn't have a "normal" veggie burger. Instead of imitating a beef patty, the National Veggie Burger is stuffed with a woven mass of julienned vegetables that are easily identified as carrots, zucchini, broccoli, etc... National Mechanics advertises their burger as the best and cheapest in the world; it's my personal favorite, and at $6, it's the cheapest burger in the list.