Plant-based eaters can look forward to enjoying the fast vegan fare in an elevated McDonald’s-esque establishment
By: Vanessa Tiberio
As a full-time vegetarian and (major) foodie, I’m constantly on the hunt for the newest innovations in the plant-based world that take a unique approach to trick eaters into thinking they’re really eating meat.
After having Odd Burger on my radar for quite some time, I decided to finally head over to a location and give it a try for myself.
Hailing from London, Ont., Odd Burger is a rapidly expanding chain of company-owned and franchised vegan fast-food restaurants that, oddly enough, resemble all of the blissful characteristics of every existing fast-food chain in Canada.
The company was founded in 2014 by James McInnes, and was originally known as “Globally Local.” McInnes was joined by his partner, Vasiliki McInnes, in 2015, and they began to produce vegan meal kits and recipes. One such recipe, known as the “Famous Burger,” garnered quite the attention at the London Ribfest, catapulting the couple into launching a food truck and bringing their recipes all across Ontario.
With their continued successes, the pair launched their first restaurant location in 2017 in London, Ont. and opened their own manufacturing facility in 2018. The company is the first vegan fast-food chain to go public and has even announced that it’s going to launch franchising operations in the United States.
The corporation currently has eight locations across Ontario, with 11 more proposed nationwide locations on the way, planning to open in Calgary, Victoria, Ottawa, Regina and Edmonton.
Upon walking into the Vaughan, Ont., location, I was immediately hit with a renewed sense of nostalgia for my pre-vegetarian times. With walls adorned with pink writing reminding you that you are indeed inside a vegan restaurant, along with the McDonald’s-esque ordering kiosks, I felt both welcomed and excited for what was to come.
The Odd Burger brand champions its vision of sustainability with small stores optimized for delivery and takeout, competitive pricing, advanced cooking technology, and a “vertically-integrated supply chain,” which is basically fancy verbiage for saying they own all aspects of their supply chain.
Needless to say, I had very high expectations for this restaurant, and I am quite glad to say that I was not disappointed.
The ordering process was very simple – the kiosks act as stand-ins for workers taking orders, which is great for indecisive people like me who couldn’t decide what I wanted to order from the expansive menu of relatively inexpensive items.
Ordering kiosk
Odd Burger menu screen
The menu includes burgers with either smash or “ChickUn” patties, wraps such as tacos and gyros, salads, wings, desserts, shakes, sides and even breakfast items.
Since I couldn’t possibly order everything I wanted to try (as tempting as it was), I decided to choose two burger combos to get as real of an experience as a typical burger fast-food joint. After a very short wait, the warm brown paper bag with a bright pink sticker sealing it shut was in my possession.
The first thing I tried was the Famous Burger – the apparent legend itself. Let me just say, this burger was massive. The double-smash patty, triple bun, iceberg lettuce and famous sauce resembled an all-too-familiar Big Mac tucked beneath the golden arches down the street. The flavour profile and texture were so enjoyable I truly had to do a double-take to make sure the cheese wasn’t real.
The only downside to this burger is that it is super messy – that famous sauce, although delicious, has a mind of its own, so make sure to grab napkins in advance!
Next up was the Crispy ChickUn burger, which is apparently one of their most popular menu items. This burger contains a (fake) chicken patty, green leaf lettuce, tomatoes and house-made “mayo.” This burger was quite refreshing, with the ChickUn patty having the perfect combination of crispiness and softness one can ask for. It was also far less messy than the Famous Burger and, overall, felt like a more nutrient-dense choice.
Obligatory to a combo meal, I had to get my hands on their fries and onion rings. Their fries are on the thick-cut side and strike the perfect balance between saltiness and greasiness. Ketchup wasn’t even needed – a telltale sign of a good fry. Their onion rings were just as good, although I did find them to be a bit overcooked. They were also thick and contained a pretty good onion-to-batter ratio – Lorde would be quite proud of this set of rings.
Considering the quality of the food, and given the current economic situation, I found the pricing of the meals to be quite reasonable. The Famous Burger combo was $14.97, while the Crispy ChickUn was priced at $13.98, which is just a bit more expensive than common fast-food chains. But then again, finding quick vegan food is not the easiest task, and often you’d be facing prices of upwards of $20 for a meal at a vegan restaurant.
Odd Burger also launched an app in August 2022, where customers can receive loyalty points when they make orders that can be redeemed for food. Unfortunately, I only became aware of this when I sat down to indulge, but this is a great way of incentivizing purchases – the app is also really simple to use.
Overall, Odd Burger did not disappoint me one bit and definitely did live up to the expected hype. With the modern-fast-food ambiance, the easy ordering experience and the quality of the food, Odd Burger is a wonderful vegan fast-food restaurant that is sure to please many vegans and non-vegans alike. If you ever find yourself near one of their many locations, make sure to stop on by and see what you’re missing!
