By Anthony Acquaviva, @deepbellylaughs

I am a simple man with simple wants and needs. Actually, let me correct myself: I am a simple vegan man with simple vegan wants (yummy, easily available vegan goodies) and needs (tasty, tasty plant-based burgers).

Well, I am pleased to announce that now The Habit Burger Grill has joined White Castle and others in the fast casual/fast food space to offer more plant-based options! And I had the pleasure of sampling their new vegan goodies recently. For this particular excursion, my wife and I stopped into Habit Burger’s location in King of Prussia*, PA with two other couples: Philly Vegan Guy Eric Belfi and his wife, Karen; and The Food Duo and owners of V Marks the Shop, Carlo Giardina and Carmella Lanni-Giardina.

We were greeted by Russ, the District Manager, and were immediately treated as family. After being seated at a large community table in the middle of the restaurant reserved just for our party, we commenced the chatting. I, for one, really felt like vegan royalty. Not only was Russ extremely welcoming, but he was also very knowledgeable and took some time to give us a rundown of all the vegan options now offered at Habit Burger. He even threw out some history about the company. We learned about their humble beginnings in sunny California all the way to present day and the spread of their new restaurant locations up and down the east coast.

Here are a couple of specifics we learned from Russ about their new vegan fare:

1. The burger – Habit Burger had always used a MorningStar Farms burger patty for their vegetarian option but recently switched to a MorningStar patty that DOES NOT include egg in the ingredients in order to offer a suitable vegan option.
2. The sauce – They replaced their honey mustard sauce with a homemade sweet mustard sauce that DOES NOT contain honey (Russ wouldn’t give up the goods on what sweetener they use instead of honey no matter how hard we pressed him).
3. The sides – Their regular fries, sweet potato fries, and salads (minus the croutons) are all suitable for a vegan diet.

One of the really cool insider tidbits we learned was that not only is everything cooked over an open flame but they have a dedicated grill – and spatula – for the vegan patties (it’s the same spot where they warm the bread, which is vegan). How sweet is that?!?

Now, on to how it tastes!

I ordered the vegan burger (obviously) with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, raw onions (the cooked ones aren’t vegan), cucumbers, sweet mustard sauce, and seasoned smashed avocado (highly recommended!).

Having never tried a MorningStar patty before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I would have to give this veggie burger… drum roll please…two non-greasy, surprising light thumbs up! From the savory char-grilled patty to the sweet, tangy sauce and creamy spice of the avocado, this was one truly tasty burger, and I’ll definitely be back to sample it again.

It is so great to know, whether you’re dining solo or with friends, that it is super easy to eat compassionately on the go in King of Prussia.

Much thanks to Russ, Pablo and the whole accommodating Habit Burger crew for making my first visit an unforgettable – and highly enjoyable – one!

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P.S. Doing some initial research before our excursion, I found this article on PETA’s website touting some of Habit Burger’s vegan options. Check it out if you’re curious!

*As a quick aside, that town name always cracked me up. King of Prussia. Like, “Hey, where are you headed?””Who, me? I’m going to King…of…Prussia.” There is no other town name that sounds like it.