White Owl Social Club, the sprawling indoor/outdoor bar, rock club, and carno-veg-vegan-gf-friendly restaurant with a seriously legit menu, is offering one of Burger Week's two vegetarian burgers. It also happens to be fully vegan, but it packs more interesting, meaty, fresh flavor and complexity than you can possibly comprehend without trying it. This is a kitchen that knows all too well the common pitfalls of vegetarian and vegan recipes, and makes no such missteps. This food reads like it was made by people who love to eat, not love to worry.

$5 vegan burger. Fries and delicious Swayze Express pineapple julep not included.
  • Chris Onstad
  • $5 vegan burger. Fries and delicious Swayze Express pineapple julep not included.

The White Owl Social Club Hazelnut-Beet Burger is: housemade veggie patty (garlic, almonds, brown sugar, red miso, kosher salt, black pepper, peanut butter, wakame, hazelnuts, quinoa, beets, potato starch, white onion, olive oil), served on a toasted Alessio bun with Misonaise, Heidi Ho Monterey Jack, carrot ramps and pea shoots. The beet/hazelnut combination is truly inspired, the cheese tastes and feels just like the real thing, and I found the sweetness and crunch of the fresh pea shoots a pleasing alternative to lettuce. Bravo, chef Steadham, for making the 20th burger I sampled for Burger Week a total pleasure, and an eye-opener.

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Read all the Burger Week details here!

The Portland Mercury would like to thank our partners once again this year, world-class meat provider Nicky USA, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Jim Beam Kentucky Fire!

Important reminder: THESE BURGERS WILL SELL OUT. Last year’s restaurants had one main issue with the event last year, and that was people getting angry and rude when they found out that they are part of a reality where restaurants that are getting slammed run out of food. We have better forecasting numbers this year, but please: go early, be kind, get a drink, and, most importantly, a $5 burger is a privilege, not a right. You know what someone who acts like a horse’s ass is? Hint: It has two enormous buttocks and large poops fall out of the middle.