If the past year has taught us anything it’s the importance of staying healthy and eating clean. Burger Boss, a Southern California fast-casual “build your own” burger chainlet with five locations throughout Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, is helping its guests transition to eating whole foods that are GMO-free and made with natural ingredients.
The fast-casual dining destination eschews foods that are processed, like plant-based meat substitutes which are high in sodium and sugar. Instead, Burger Boss offers a gluten-free and vegan black bean patty made fresh in-house with three staple ingredients for vegan guests. The beef is grass-fed and sourced from a small family farm in the Pacific Northwest while poultry is pasture-raised and all-natural with no fillers or hormones. Guests can then “boss” their burger by adding their protein, bun or lettuce wrap, cheeses, sauces and toppings.
“This past year really gave people time to think about what’s important,” said Mo Farha, owner and founder of Burger Boss. “Food and nutrition played an instrumental role during the pandemic as people were forced to slow down and get back to basics. Everyone was making bread and planting vegetable gardens. It became a priority to explore clean eating, and that’s what Burger Boss has always been about.”
Farha went on to say that while many burger-centric restaurants now offer options for those who do not consume animal byproducts, plant-based burgers are not necessarily healthy for you.
“I encourage people to read labels and see if the ingredients sound familiar or can even be pronounced,” he added. “Our vegan patty contains black beans, cilantro and spices. While others claim to offer popular meat alternatives, we have done it by blending just three simple ingredients that are staples in most pantries and gardens.”
Guests can place their order on a touch-screen kiosk or pre-order from home on the Burger Boss app, which allows them to visually build their burger by adding protein, bun, cheese, sauce and toppings at various stages.
The five-step selection process includes:
- Protein – grass-fed beef, all-natural turkey, or a vegan and gluten-free black bean patty
- Bun – white Kaiser, wheat grain, gluten free bun or they can place their burger in a lettuce-wrap or bowl
- Cheese – from American and blue cheese crumble to sharp cheddar, dolce provolone, pepper jack, ages swiss, and vegan smoked gouda
- Sauce – 16 varieties including a garlic herb mayo made fresh daily, chipotle mayo, honey mustard, Sriracha, sweet chili and more
- Toppings – 13 options to choose from, including turkey bacon, cage-free egg, avocado as well as more traditional offerings, such as vine-ripened tomatoes and grilled onions, just to name a few
Burger Boss is also one of the only restaurants using sunflower oil. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the balance of fatty acids found in sunflower oil, including a decent amount of linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, aids in lowering cholesterol. Sunflower oil is also known to boosts heart health and energy while improving the immune system.
Burger Boss, which has been named the Best Burger in the Inland Empire year after year, and top 30 emerging brands by QSR magazine. The original Burger Boss is located in Riverside with the newest eatery located in West Hollywood at Santa Monica and La Brea a trio of Orange County locations including Tustin, Cypress and Mission Viejo. Delivery is available via DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and UberEats. For more information, visit burgerboss.com.