By Aminah Khan, Arts & Entertainment Editor and Elise Tran, Designer in Chief
When you think about vegan food, the first thing that may come to your mind is a tasteless, expensive tofu lettuce wrap. But The Black Bean is here to break that stereotype and exceed your expectations. Additionally, it’s only a ten-minute walk away from school!
The extensive menu provides options for everyone from a spin on traditional milkshakes to scrumptious burgers. The house-made burgers crafted by owners, Michelle Wolf and Garrett Greer, have a classic burger joint taste with an innovative twist. All of their menu items are cruelty-free and plant-based.
Wolf and Greer first conceptualized opening a vegan restaurant after realizing how expensive and scarce vegan restaurants are in Orange County. Their goal is to serve affordable vegan food in the most efficient way possible. After experimenting with different plant based ingredients for six months, they finally perfected the menu.
Along with creating a completely vegan menu, the Wolf and Greer have furnished The Black Bean in a cruelty free manner. The seats are made from imported leather and the accented wall is made using repurposed wood from California wildfires.
All of the burger buns were made from potatoes.
The New Classic ~$7
Our personal favorite, the New Classic is a black bean patty, filled with loads of guacamole, fresh tomatoes and lettuce topped with a potato bun. As soon as you take that first bite, you get the crisp lettuce, the mouthwatering guacamole that’s falling on your fingers, and the crunch of the seared black bean patty creating this perfect balance. It does not have a “meaty” texture but the flavor of the patty conserves a lot of the juices and creates a unique flavor that doesn’t resemble a beef patty but tastes just as good, if not, better.
The Pulled Porque ~$8
The “pork” is made from flash fried jackfruit and onions smothered in a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce. The incorporation of jackfruit as the main star of the dish came as a pleasant surprise to us because we had never eaten jackfruit as a savory item. The jackfruit and onions are placed on a bed of creamy coleslaw. The acidity of the barbecue sauce is overpowering on its own, but the coleslaw helps reduce the tartness. The coleslaw is by far, one of the best we’ve ever had—it has the perfect ratio of cabbage to sauce so that it ties the burger together and adds a light flavor to accentuate the jackfruit.
The Kind Cowboy ~ $12
The Kind Cowboy is one of the burgers made with a Beyond Burger™ patty. The Beyond Burger™ patty is not a housemade recipe. If you are transitioning towards veganism and are still trying to find food that resembles meat, this burger is the one for you. The patty itself is very thin and crunchy and “bleeds” like a beef patty and provides a more meaty flavor. The burger is topped with some barbecue sauce, onion strings and lettuce. Although this was a great burger, we prefer The New Classic because the black bean patty is thicker and provides a heartier texture without compromising on the flavor.
Mooshake ~ $6
The Mooshakes served at The Black Bean are a traditional spin on milkshakes. Made of a cashew and soy milk base, they come in three different flavors: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The strawberry Mooshake we tried was extremely refreshing and had a bright, fruity taste without the slightest hint of artificial flavoring. These Mooshakes have a rich and creamy consistency that is great for drinking with a straw or eating with a spoon—your call! As a cherry on top, the cups are made of potato starch and are completely biodegradable.
Overall, The Black Bean is a great up-and-coming restaurant for everyone to try, regardless of your diet. Each dish is packed with flavor, but with their own distinct taste. Plus, you have reassurance that your food is completely plant based and cruelty free. We’d recommend this place to everyone; the ambiance is nice and the atmosphere created by the workers is very welcoming. The food here is phenomenal and definitely worth checking out.
