In recent years, plant-based foods have been having a moment. The Good Food Institute reports that sales of plant-based food alternatives grew 17 percent in 2018, and a quick search of the hashtag #plantbased on Instagram will yield more than 20 million results. So it’s no surprise that plant-based meats like the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger are trending in 2019. Despite all the silly social media pranks and April Fool’s Day announcements that some chains opted to pull, plant-based meats—which saw a 23 percent increase in sales last year—are now legitimate options at some of the biggest fast-food chains around. Both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat products have even become an option in grocery stores nationwide, and they don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
With more consumers responding well to these new options, it only makes sense that meatless “meat” companies are partnering with more fast-food joints. Both companies produce a product that looks, cooks, and “bleeds” like meat, making it a more seamless transition for hardcore meat lovers. If you’re looking to sink your teeth into one of the latest meat-free burger creations, here’s our roundup of all the fast-food restaurants offering faux meat options so far.
This list will be updated as more chains and locations add the Impossible and Beyond Meat products to their menus.
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Michael Thomas / Stringer / Getty
Burger King
As of Aug. 8, the Impossible Whopper is available at every Burger King in the U.S.
Burger King started testing the “Impossible Whopper” at select locations in St. Louis, Missouri; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbus, Georgia; and Miami, Florida back in spring 2019. According to CNBC, the Burger King locations offering meat-free patties in St. Louis during testing saw an 18 percent increase in foot traffic compared to the national average.
If you haven’t yet tried the Impossible Whopper, check out this April Fool’s YouTube video of unsuspecting Whopper lovers not realizing that their favorite meaty treat has been swapped out for the Impossible Whopper.
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Courtesy of Carl's Jr.
Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr.’s unveiled the Beyond Famous Star Burger for a limited release in January 2019. The Beyond Burger is still available at participating Carl’s Jr.’s locations, and it can be swapped in for a burger patty or chicken on any of the chain’s sandwiches.
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Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty
White Castle
Who would’ve guessed White Castle would be one of the first adopters of this meatless treat? White Castle first released The Impossible Slider in April of 2018 to great success. In 2019, they expanded their Impossible menu options with the BBQ Impossible Slider, and they’ve teased the idea of adding vegan cheese to their Impossible Slider.
If egg and cheese sandwiches just aren’t cutting it on your plant-based meal plan, you’re in luck. Dunkin’ rolled out its collaboration with Beyond Meat nationwide on Nov. 6, 2019, expanding from its initial release at Manhattan locations over the summer. The Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich is made with a Beyond Meat plant-based protein patty, plus egg and cheese, and it’s a breakfast game changer.
“In addition to offering a patty with 10 grams of plant-based protein, the new sandwich helps Dunkin’ deliver the better-for-the-planet environmental benefits of plant-based protein,” the company said in a press release.
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Courtesy of QDOBA
Qdoba
Sure, they’re not burgers, but Qdoba announced the addition of Impossible meat to its menu in 2019. The plant-based protein option, which is house-seasoned with tomatoes, garlic, smoked chiles, and paprika, can be added to a custom entrée or a signature Impossible Taco or Impossible Bowl dreamed up by Qdoba for the occasion. More than 730 locations around the U.S. have Impossible meat available as of May 28, 2019.
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Photo by Brian T. Evans / Getty
Little Caesar’s
Pizza, pizza! In May 2019, Little Caesar’s started offering the “Impossible Supreme Pizza,” which is topped with Impossible’s new Impossible Sausage, in New Mexico, Florida, and Washington state. Little Caesar’s is the first national pizza chain to offer to plant-based meat products on its pizza.
Despite announcing its take on the Impossible Burger on April Fool’s Day of 2019, Red Robin isn’t messing around with meatless meat. You can substitute an Impossible patty on any of its signature burgers.
This California-based chain was one of the first restaurants to serve the Impossible Burger. It now offers vegan cheese to complement its plant-based burger, and select Fat Burger locations also have gluten-free buns.
Subway is one of the latest chains to hop on the faux meat train, teaming up with Beyond Meat to offer a plant-based version of its classic meatball sub. Starting in September, the Beyond Meatball Marinara will be available in 685 Subway restaurants, according to a press release. The Beyond Meatball was created exclusively for Subway.
“Subway appeals to so many fans because we truly offer something for everyone. Our guests want to feel good about what they eat and they also want to indulge in new flavors,” said Len Van Popering, Subway’s Chief Brand Innovation Officer. “With our new plant-based Beyond Meatball™ Marinara sub, we are giving them the best of both worlds.”
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Courtesy Denny's
Denny’s
Following a succesful rollout at its Los Angeles restaurants in 2019, diner chan Denny’s announced in January 2020 that it would serve the Beyond Burger at more than 1,700 locations throughout the United States and Canada. “The positive response we received validated our decision to partner with Beyond Meat to introduce our guests to a plant-based option,” John Dillon, chief brand officer for Denny’s, said in a release. It will be served with tomato, onions, lettuce, pickle, American cheese, and sauce. The burger will be available for freeon Jan. 30 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with the purchase of a beverae at all participating restaurants.
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Courtesy Starbucks
Starbucks
The coffee-giant of the world joined the plant-crazed patty craze in June 2020 when it announced all U.S. stores would start carrying the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. The Impossible sausage patty is topped with a fried egg and cheddar cheese, all served on ciabatta bread.
“Over the years, in response to customer interest, we have added plant-based milk alternatives such as soy, coconut, almond, and oat milk,” Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks, said in a release. “We are thrilled to expand our plant-based menu into food with this new breakfast sandwich.”
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McDonald’s
McDonald’s has been testing its own version of a plant-based patty—appropriately called the “McPlant”—in Canada and recently announced plans to roll it out to markets in the United States in 2021.
“There are other plant-based burgers out there, but the McPlant delivers our iconic taste in a sink-your-teeth-in (and wipe-your-mouth) kind of sandwich,” the company said in a press release. “It’s made with a juicy, plant-based patty and served on a warm, sesame seed bun with all the classic toppings.”
