Don’t have a cow Try these veggie burger options around Winnipeg By: Eva Wasney Posted: 5:11 PM CDT Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026

This summer I embarked on a quest to find Winnipeg’s best veggie burgers.

The hunt left me pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of the city’s plant-based burger offerings — and with a fat stack of opinions about the basic ingredients that make a good veggie burg.

First of all, proper bun selection is integral.

Vegetarian and vegan patties are famously fally-aparty. Buns that are too dense or dry can cause side spillage, while buns that are too large or tall can throw off the golden bread-to-burger ratio. An ideal candidate is soft and supple, offering enjoyable mouth feel and invisible scaffolding.

Toppings should be simple and strategic.

Greens, for example, need to be tender or shredded. Romaine, with its crunchy spine and its perennially wet leaves, will only compromise the delicate game that is veggie burger Jenga. Less is more when it comes to sauces, cheeses and other accoutrements, lest you be left with a murky flavour profile.

The burgers sampled below all tasted good, but some suffered from structural integrity issues. Messiness and the overall eating experience — in addition to flavour and texture — factored strongly in my ratings.

The only other stipulation was that the patties be made in-house rather than a pre-made Impossible or Beyond Meat burger, which took some of the honourable mentions (see list below) out of contention.

Happy snacking!

 

Thyme Café & Books, 268 Tache Ave.

Burger, $10.50. Black bean, beet, carrot, sunflower and amaranth patty; vegan cheese sauce; kale chimichurri; lettuce, pickled red onion; oven-roasted tomatoes; dill pickles; Dijon mustard

Thyme Café is a quaint St. Boniface eatery and used bookstore run by the former owners of Mondragon.

The cafe’s vegan burger is loaded with complex toppings that speak to a deep understanding of inventive plant-based fare.

The patty is nutty and the vegan cheese sauce is a satisfying savoury dupe.

Two types of pickles (red onion and dill) might seem like overkill, but they work well. As do the roasted tomatoes, which kick up the umami and don’t slide around like a fresh slice.

The whole wheat bun is the right size, but a tad too crumbly. The kale chimichurri also gets lost in the myriad other flavours and textures.

The cafe’s southern-fried tofu sandwich ($9.50) also comes highly recommended by a reader.

★★★★ out of five

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Bonnie Day, 898 Westminster Ave.

Veggie Burger, $21. Jackfruit and black bean patty; Swiss cheese; burger sauce; pickled onion; arugula; cucumber. Sides included.

Let’s get this out of the way: Bonnie Day’s Veggie Burger is a mess.

But it’s a mess that’s ultimately worth the excessive use of napkins, knives and forks.

The patty has a subtle barbecue flavour and is made with black beans and jackfruit — a tropical tree fruit often used as a plant-based substitute for pulled pork.

While the shredded jackfruit lends a nice “meatiness” to the square patty, it does nothing to hold things together.

The grilled bun is tender, decadent and topped with wee gherkins.

The crisp-edged Swiss and creamy burger sauce add to the decadence, while the pickled red onions, cukes and arugula deliver punch and freshness.

★★★½ out of five

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La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co., 125 Pacific Ave.

Le Squash, $17. Butternut squash patty; old cheddar; bread and butter zucchini pickles; lettuce; and special sauce on a potato roll. Sides extra.

Nonsuch makes one of the best beef burgers in the city, so it should come as no surprise that its vegetarian version slaps as well.

Thoughtful simplicity and impeccable execution are key here.

The Le Squash burger is essentially a slab of butternut squash on a bun. But the squash is steamed to perfection before it’s lightly battered and fried, resulting in a patty that’s tender and crispy, light and indulgent.

And boy howdy, the bun. Fluffy and forgiving, it’s the ideal vessel for a burger at risk of turning messy under different circumstances.

Tangy zucchini pickles and a divine creamy dill sauce harmonize nicely with the sweetness of the squash.

★★★★★ out of five

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The Grove Pub & Restaurant, 164 Stafford St.

Veggie Burger, $22. Chickpea, black bean and mozzarella patty; curry mayo; red onion; apple; lettuce; avocado and chèvre. Sides included.

The Grove is another spot where burgers reign supreme.

The Crescentwood pub’s veggie burger entry plays with classic cumin and curry spices, but with some interesting twists.

Its legume-based patty is crisp, well-seasoned and stays put within the confines of its pillowy grilled bun.

The toppings, however, come off muted in comparison.

The chèvre imparts a nice tang, but a few more green apple slices and a more curry-forward mayo would kick things up a notch.

Still, this is a burger with a nice texture, a fun flavour profile and a solid bun-to-patty ratio.

It also comes with the most generous serving of sides (salad or fries) in the lineup.

★★★★ out of five

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Bernstein’s Deli, 1700 Corydon Ave.

Black Bean and Wild Rice Burger, $17. Harissa mayo; fried onions; tomato; and lettuce on a whole-wheat bun. Sides included.

Utensils are required for Bernstein’s big, tasty veggie burger.

The black bean and wild rice patty has a nice flavour and texture, but needs a better binding agent, as it begins to fall apart quickly.

The situation unfortunately isn’t helped by a soft, but too-tall bun and a slippery combination of large romaine leaves and sliced tomato.

The harissa mayo is wonderfully smoky and spicy, while the fried onions add a nice depth and sweetness.

Hot tip: the patties are available frozen in Bernstein’s adjoining deli and priced at six for $28.

★★★ out of five

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Nuburger, 427 Stradbrook Ave.

Unburger, $12.29. Chickpea patty; feta; alfalfa sprouts; cucumber; tomato; sriracha and tzatziki. Sides extra.

The Unburger is one of three veggie burgers on the menu at Nuburger, a local restaurant chain with five locations in Winnipeg and an outpost at Pineridge Hollow.

Be prepared for a big bite. This is a tall burg by virtue of its substantial falafel-inspired chickpea patty, which is delightfully crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and manages to hold its shape.

The burger’s soft house-made bun also helps keep everything contained and relatively mess-free.

Feta and tzatziki bring welcome zing and creaminess, but the intense heat of unadulterated sriracha fights with the otherwise Mediterranean flavours.

Big ups to the alfalfa sprouts, which add texture without slip.

★★★★ out of five

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Honorable Mentions

This roundup is by no means an exhaustive list of Winnipeg’s best vegan and vegetarian burgers. Below are additional recommendations from local veggie burger connoisseurs and Free Press readers.

• Superboy’s Restaurant, 1480 Main St.
• Stella’s Café & Bakery, various locations
• Red Top Drive Inn, 219 St. Mary’s Rd.
• Underdogs Winnipeg, 2609 Portage Ave.
• Dairy Delight, 467 St. Anne’s Rd.
• Park Café, 330 Assiniboine Park Dr.
• One Great City Brewing Co., 1596 Ness Ave.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com