Since its revamp in early 2019, the Impossible Burger has made its way to nearly 5,000 restaurants and counting. The burger is plant-based and engineered to look, taste and “bleed” like real meat, all while remaining free of dairy, eggs, fish, and wheat — which makes it gluten-free, vegan and certified as kosher and halal.
The plant-based patty is high in demand — so much so that Impossible Foods, the company that develops the burger, continues to report shortages. This hasn’t seemed to affect many non-chain restaurants, but it wouldn’t hurt to call restaurants ahead to make sure.
Mitchell’s Steakhouse
45 N. Third St.
The Impossible Burger is exclusively on Mitchell’s Steakhouse’s lunch menu, which is available Monday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Layered atop the burger is gouda cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion and, a wildcard, avocado, with hand-cut fries served on the side.
Note that only the Downtown Mitchell’s Steakhouse location serves the Impossible Burger; the Polaris location’s dinner menu does not include the burger, and the remaining dinner selections are less than vegan-friendly.
Visit mitchellssteakhouse.com for more info.
BRU Burger Bar
691 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville
Just a short drive from Polaris, BRU Burger Bar’s take on the American classic includes a modest Impossible Burger topped with vegan cheese and mayo on a gluten-free bun. Sides are pretty standard (add fries, coleslaw or fresh fruit for an additional fee) but what really helps sell the burgers at BRU are the desserts — including regular and gluten-free hand-dipped milkshakes or root beer floats.
For more information, visit bruburgerbar.com/westerville.
Hamilton’s Pub
4866 Thompson Rd.
When the Impossible Burger stopped producing and distributing its original burger in April 2019, the new wheat-free burger made its way to all restaurant partners. Keep this in mind if you catch wheat as an ingredient listed on Hamilton’s Pub’s menu — the patty itself is now gluten-free, along with their gluten-free bun. Make sure, however, to verify any cross-contamination with servers.
Visit hamiltonspub.com for more information.
Starliner Diner
4121 Main St., Hilliard
A plus to having this many potential places to try the Impossible Burger is that every restaurant can do it differently. For Starliner Diner in Hilliard, the burger is decked out with avocado, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayo and served with sweet potato fries.
For more information visit starlinerdiner.com.
Bar Louie
504 N. Park St.; 1611 Polaris Pkwy.
You may want to try the Impossible Burger at Bar Louie, specifically on Tuesday evenings and Saturday nights. For Burger Night, Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to close at 2 a.m., make a drink purchase and you can build your own burger for $1. And on Saturdays starting at 9 p.m., the late night special includes $5 specialty burgers with fries or tots. As for any other night, Bar Louie also lets you substitute the Impossible Burger for any burger on its menu, with an additional fee.
For more information, visit barlouie.com.
Woody’s Wing House
161 E. Campus Blvd.
Woody’s Wing House, a wing spot and sports bar in Worthington, offers a pretty standard Impossible Burger with side options of fries, house cooked kettle chips, applesauce or coleslaw. What makes this a unique spot is the sports bar atmosphere, complete with over 70 4K ultra high-def TVs, a digital beer system, trivia nights, games of Keno and more.
Visit woodyswinghouse.com for more info.
Houlihan’s
3150 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington
While the complete Impossible Burger at Houlihan’s — featuring cheddar, special sauce, lettuce, tomato and brioche bun — isn’t entirely plant-based or gluten free, there are steps “flexitarians” and the like can take to get pretty close, include substituting a gluten-free bun for an upcharge. But something to keep in mind: While Houlihan’s does offer gluten-free products, it notes that it is not a gluten-free environment.
For more info, visit houlihans.com/my-houlihan/supper-arlington.
Note: While the Impossible Burger is sometimes perceived as an organic, non-GMO alternative, in actuality, it is neither. The burger is man-made with genetically modified yeast, which is not necessarily bad or harmful. Still, long-term effects have yet to be seen.
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For more information visit impossiblefoods.com.