Santana's Vegan Grill

So that funny little structure that looks like a matchbox on its side with a red strip on top is Santana's Vegan Grill in Colorado Springs. It is a drive-through only, and customers are served from both sides of the tiny building.




We picked up vegan burgers, hot dogs, and fries yesterday, and they tasted deliciously authentic! The burgers are made with Beyond Burgers, a plant-based burger pattie that is so realistic that it even bleeds reddish juices (in the form of beet juice).

I didn't know Santana's existed until I took a vegan cooking class with JL Fields, who recommended it. It's apparently been there for years. It's not signposted, and it's not clear, from the displayed menu, that it's even vegan. Nevertheless, it seems to be well known through word of mouth, and we waited in a longish line of cars to order food. It was well worth the wait!

I'm hoping a veggie fast food restaurant will open a little nearer to us. A chain called Veggie Grill operates restaurants on the West Coast and in Chicago, and offers an exciting menu with a broad array of meat analogs. I hope they come to Colorado soon!

In the meantime, I plan to pick up some Beyond Burgers at Natural Grocers and make my own guilt-free burgers. I also plan to get an airfryer, which cooks French fries using hot air rather than oil. Who knew burgers and fries could be cholesterol-free? I hope to make them a weekly staple.