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Want the Impossible Burger? Here are 7 restaurants in the DC area to try

Two vegetarian burgers are gaining popularity with carnivores because of their meaty taste
Credit: Richard Drew, AP
An Impossible Burger, left, and a Cali Burger, from Umami Burger, are shown May 3, 2019, in this photo in New York.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Meat eaters who want to try a vegetarian burger with a beefy flavor or vegetarians who miss that hamburger taste have options in the Washington area: an Impossible Burger.

This burger is made with proteins fermented from heme — what gives the food its meaty taste and aroma — in the roots of soy plants, plus potato proteins, coconut oil and sunflower oil. It's produced in a laboratory instead of on a farm. 

One 4-ounce burger has 240 calories, almost a third of the recommended daily requirement for protein and zero cholesterol, according to Impossible Foods, which developed the recipe. Beyond Meat, which uses pea protein to replicate the taste of meat, also is a competitor in the beefy veggie burger wars but has concentrated more on getting its product in supermarkets.

Yelp shows plenty of restaurants in the District where you can find versions of the Impossible or Beyond burgers. 

► APRIL 30: Burger King Impossible Burger at more restaurants: report
► APRIL 2018: Vegan spaghetti squash recipe with Beyond Meat sauce

Pay attention to the way it's dressed; you'll probably like it better with more condiments and other toppings. 

Be aware that not all eateries that Yelp lists serve Impossible or Beyond Meat burgers. The top burgers from Yelp reviewers:

1. HipCityVeg, 712 7th St. NW, downtown. Its Smokehouse Burger uses a Beyond Meat patty. 

2. Bareburger, 1647 20th St. NW, Dupont Circle. You can do an Impossible vs. Beyond Meat taste test here because both are on the menu.

3. Farmers & Distillers, 600 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Mount Vernon Square. If you're not in the mood for the restaurant's Impossible Burger, try the Impossible meatloaf with the same stuff. 

4. B, 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Penn Quarter. You can make any of the burgers here Impossible for an extra charge.

5. Fare Well, 406 H St NE, H Street Corridor. If you like bacon, try the BBQ Bacon Burger with an Impossible patty and shiitake bacon. It's one of three Impossible Burgers on the menu.

6. Dog Haus Biergarten, 7904 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, Md. Don't let the name fool you. This eatery has burgers, including the Impossible, too. Plus you can try the Beyond version of sausage.

7. Burger Fi, 8504 Fenton Ave., Silver Spring, Md. The chain's Beyond Burger is available with cheese or totally vegan, and you can find the same menu in Leesburg, Va.; North Bethesda, Md.; and Woodbridge, Va.

Beyond Meat burgers also can be found at A&W, Carl's Jr. and TGI Friday's, according to the company's website. If you want to cook your own, Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Whole Foods and Yes Organic Market stock them. Impossible Foods expects its burger to be available in grocery stores later this year.

If you want an Impossible Whopper, you'll have to head to the St. Louis area, where it debuted earlier this year, or Burger Kings in Columbus, Ga.; the Florida Keys; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Miami; Montgomery, Ala.; and Opp, Ala.

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