Best Veggie Burger UPDATE: I’m very upset with what used to be the best veggie burger! Just when I found a veggie burger I really liked, they changed it. I opened a box of Don Lee Farms frozen veggie burgers from Costco and noticed that Don Lee Farms changed the shape from an oval shape to a round shape (which I don’t care about). I also noticed they were thicker, but I liked the thinner ones because they became crispier. That’s when it got bad. They now have much more fat although the fat content on the ingredients is still showing 8g total fat. I think they forgot to change the label. It doesn’t taste as good as before because it tastes like fat and has an after taste of fat. Fat was splattered all over my stove making a real mess around my stove and on the floor which did not happen before. They also fall apart easily on the griddle which didn’t happen before. I then noticed that wheat flour is no longer in the ingredients and the box now says gluten free. Maybe some people will like the new shape because it might be better for a hamburger roll but I was eating them without a roll and I don’t like the new version! I used to eat 2 every day and now I don’t buy it anymore. I wish they would go back to the original. They should learn the lesson of Coke. What do you think of the new Don Lee Farms veggie burger? If you agree or not, please leave your comment here and then tell Don Lee Farms that you did.
The best veggie burgers for me are (were) Don Lee Farms All-Natural Veggie Patties. Of course, everyone has different tastes and there are other veggie burgers out there that other people may like better but for a meat & potatoes guy, this is the only veggie burger I not only can eat, but love. The reason I like these is because they use a little whole wheat flour.
First, I have to admit that I’m very weird when it comes to food. The only vegetables I ever eat are raw carrots and broccoli but only in Chinese food with brown sauce. I used to eat hamburgers 2-3 times per day! I even put a BBQ in my kitchen to make burgers for the winter or when it rains and I make great hamburgers.
I tried several other veggie burgers which I bought at Costco and they are not my favorite thing to eat. Recently, Costco was giving out samples of Don Lee Farms All-Natural Veggie Patties and I loved it. I took some home and liked it so much that I ate two of them. Now, I eat two or three of them every day and I only had two real beef burgers in the last two months. I eat them plain off the griddle without a hamburger roll and either organic corn niblets from Costco or whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce. The side effects are losing some weight and less heartburn!
The best way to make these veggie burgers is fried on a griddle at 300° to 325° and you don’t even need any oil. I put mine on the griddle at 300° with a bacon press on top of it for 9 to 11 minutes on each side. I won’t fry veggie burgers on a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Teflon® pan because the high heat will heat the Teflon too high in the areas of the pan which are not covered by the veggie burger. Subjecting Teflon to high heat has been reported as causing flu like symptoms in humans and can be deadly to birds. My griddle is a solid steel plate built-in on a commercial stove but if you don’t have one, just use a griddle, cast iron pan or a non-stick-non-Teflon pan.
Don Lee Farms All-Natural Veggie Patties are not only low in calories, but inexpensive. At less than $12 for 14 patties at Costco, each patty costs only $0.83.
These are the nutrition facts:
170 calories
1g saturated fat
8g total fat
0mg cholesterol
380 mg sodium
21g total carbohydrate
3g dietary fiber
3g sugars
4g protein
I wish the Don Lee Farms All-Natural Veggie Burgers were still the best veggie burgers!
I've been a vegetarian for over 25 years and the Don Lee veggie burger may be the worst I've ever eaten. I hope my dog will eat the rest of them. Otherwise, I'll have to find someone to give them to.
I love love love the gluten free veggie patties. I think they are delicious and I wish my costco carried them year round – my whole family eats them. I would not purchase them if they contained wheat.
Q: Are Don Lee Farms All-Natural Veggie Patties available in my area?A: For information on store locations in your area, please contact sales@donleefarms.com .
I got these at Costco yesterday. Package of 14 patties for $9.99. They’re really big, unlike most commercial veggie burgers. They will actually fill up your bun, and they might even spill over the edges. They’re vegan and they’re yummy. They’re not an imitation of meat– they’re more like an original Gardenburger. From the package: “A delightful harvest of fresh carrots, onions, celery and bell peppers are blended with bread crumbs, delicate seasonings, and crunchy sunflower seeds to create a patty that is light and moist, yet firm enough to grill.” I couldn’t find any links to them online, so I’m guessing they’re a pretty small brand. But according to the package, Don Lee Farms is in Inglewood, California.
I agree that the taste has changed, I will not buy them any more. I'm not a Costco member so I begged friends to buy them for me. I would purchase three or four packages each time, now I will not eat them at all. I'm extremely disappointed.
Yep, agree with you all. I will not buy them anymore. The change in the taste is very disappointing. I wrote Don Lee Farms, expressed my dismay, and asked them to go back to the original recipe.
I agree. What a terrible mistake Don Lee Farms has made.
They originally had an absolutely wonderful veggie pattie and now
they have shot themselves in the foot. Won’t buy them again.
Wrote to Don Lee Farms today and complained. Not sure if I will get a response.
I contacted them, too, but it probably won't help. I think they changed them because now everyone is suddenly supposed to be gluten-intolerant. What was once a wonderful veggie pattie was altered drastically to accommodate a minuscule fraction of the population. They are now so awful tasting and mealy I had to throw them out. I am still upset because I used to eat one daily for brunch with yogurt or guacamole on top. I just don't understand why you fix something that's not broken.
Phil- I noticed the same thing- I wasn't enjoying them the way I used too. They fall apart while cooking- why did they ruin this great product- it is very upsetting. we have to start looking for a better veggie burger again. Too bad it didn't last that long. They were terrific before the change! Someone should let the company know.
Definitely not as good!! Hate the new formula, I had to throw out the package. I did contact Don Lee Farms and left them a message.
The first time I bought them last year I thought they were fantastic. I cooked them in my toaster oven for about 10 minutes on each side so they would crisp up a bit. The ones I bought recently are not so good. The last two I cooked for over 20 minutes and they were so soft I couldn't turn them over without completely pulling them apart. Even after 20 minutes, they were really soft and mushy. My burger was really soggy in the middle. Next time I'm going to try frying them in a pan and see if they hold together.
The problem is that the ones that Costco used to sell were not gluten-free and now they are. There is a big difference and they are definitely not as good. If I needed a gluten-free veggie burger, these would be a good veggie burger but I don't need gluten-free products. Frying them is definitely a good idea. I fry them on a griddle at 300° with no oil (the gluten-free veggie burgers have more fat and even the older ones did not need oil). I have to contact Don Lee Farms to find out if they sell these veggie burgers either gluten-free or not. If they still sell the regular veggie burgers, I'm going to stick some notes in the suggestion box at Costco to request that they get them back.
I don't like the new recipe either. I am glad that someone else recognized how oily they are. They used to be my absolute favorite and had several a week. With the new recipe it is going to take me quite a while to get through this new box. Really disappointed. .
Personally, I like the new ones. The nutritional benefits and being gluten-free make it far and beyond the best veggie patties out there.
That was an update I posted to my review. I used to eat one or two a day and now I eat one or two a week. I don't really like the taste of them anymore either. I have been contacted Don Lee Farms yet but I will soon. I hope a few other people leave comments here about what they think of the change.
I agree with the one who noticed a change in Don Lee Farms veggie patties. The shape is now round as stated and they taste totally different. I don't like them anymore and I used to love them. I'm not happy about this change which was unnecessary.
I wholeheartedly agree! I just wish the Costcos in Washington State would start carrying them again. I miss having them for lunch. Top with a slice of cheese and a little purple onion. or sometimes, a little peanut butter!
For me, the Vegan/Gluten-Free veggie patties are the best. Delicious. Great in sandwiches.
I really enjoy eating the Vegan/Gluten-Free veggie patties.