Herb 'n' Om's STL Vegan Burger Tour: Big Sky Cafe

Big Sky Cafe (The Big Sky Veggie Burger)

47 South Old Orchard

Webster Groves, MO  63119

HOURS

Lunch   Tues-Fri: 11:30-4:00pm

Dinner  Tues-Thur: 5-9pm , Fri & Sat: 5-10pm

            Sun: 4:30-8:30pm

In our quest to find vegan burgers in the STL area, not one person ever mentioned Big Sky Cafe. It wasn’t until a friend had lunch there and noticed it on the menu that our ears perked right up!  They have been tucked away in the same little non-descript, but oh-so charming spot for 20 years (wow!!) in Webster.  With all the comings and goings of restaurants, these fine folks have remained steadfast in keeping their inviting little cafe going.  It fell off of our map for a bit, but after this visit, we won’t make that mistake again. 

Herb’s Take

First Bite: Damn that’s good!

If I saw the pictures of this burger before I sat down to it, I’d definitely say it’s a Match Meat Burger. Wrong. This soy-free burgers was made 100% by Chef Colleen Clawson, who says it took her about a week to make and then a month to perfect.  And though we fell in love with her burger, I have a feeling she’s still playing around with it. 

The thick patty offers a smoky cumin flavor.  With just enough spice, it does not fight with everything else this burger offers.  The chickpeas and mushrooms not only gave it an earthiness, but also offered some really great textures as well.  It was crispy on the outside and gives a little on the inside.  The burger was slightly dry - but normally this is a lunch item, so I’m guessing it was hanging out for a while in the kitchen and there is usually a feta mayo that accompanies it, which would help with the dryness.  This all said, it did not crumble, nor did it become mushy when I pressed the grilled sourdough bun together to get this generously sized burger in my mouth. 

OM’s Take

First Bite: Good.  Very Good.

Chef must have used a lot of dark colored veggies to get this color.  It actually looks like a real beef patty.  Good sear marks too - my Weber can do that.  After biting in to it, I appreciate that I can see all the vegetables, it gives the burger some nice texture options.  I too noticed the cumin, but also tasted a little kick.  Nice.  She was out of the regular vegan bun and for a minute I though we’d have to resort to wrapping this thing in lettuce (not fun), but she grilled up some sourdough and that was definitely the right choice. 

The patty is sizable, tasty and really, just fun to eat.  This is Meat Eater Approved.