Trader Joe's has carried some of the Dr. Praeger's line of veggie burgers for a long time. I've never tried them, but I've noticed their packaging, and when I first saw this new TJ's product, I thought that they were not-so-subtly trying to suggest a connection. Compare the photo above to Dr. Praeger's box:
I thought it likely that this new TJ's burger was just a Dr. Praeger's rebranded. But I've looked over the various offerings of the latter company on their web site, and I can't find any that seems even remotely like the ingredients of TJ's. Dr. P's burgers all contain chunks of vegetables, while TJ's are blended smoothly, and none of Dr. P's seems to have pea protein as its first ingredient.
Regardless of the origin, the TJ's product is not a great success. The breaded coating is nice, and they physically hold together well, which isn't always so for veggie burgers. But that's about the best thing I can say in their defense. They're expensive--$3.49 for just two patties. The texture is kind of unpleasantly gritty. And the taste is, well, just kind of nothingness. (Nina said "sawdust," but I think that's being unfairly harsh.)
On a bun with cheese, pickles, and ketchup, they'll do, but more in the sense of "edible," not in the sense of "enjoyable." You're much better off with any of several other choices, including those from MorningStar, Boca, and Gardein.
Will I buy it again?
No.
As a vegetarian i was excited to see these- especially since they are not a rubbery texture fake meat thing and have such a high protein content. I tasted it as is and yeah definitely needed a lot of toppings but worked great as a loaded burger sandwich. I'm going to crumble and sauté the second patty with some taco seasoning for tacos, might be better that way than as a burger.
ReplyDeleteDr praeger patties are all veggie based and have a very very soft texture (that i dislike) and much lower protein content, they're not very filling but tasty enough.
Ttrockwood