There used to be this little Friday shindig on here that my pal @dandays and friends used to run. I didn't always get to join, but when I did it was a fun time throwing down and sharing in some delicious food on the blockchain from all over the world. I often shared my healthy homemade goodies, but occasionally had some plantbased treats from around the city. What I've got for you today is probably the smackdown of all smackdowns when it comes to vegan food.
A little over two years ago a bada$$ woman opened up Slutty Vegan here in the city of Atlanta. Pinky Cole had the vision to serve up some sexy, decadent, totally crave-worthy vegan burgers to fill a void in the local food scene. Atlanta has a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian food options all around, but there really wasn't anything quite like Slutty Vegan. Between finding a product that was in demand and launching an absolutely brilliant grass roots marketing scheme, the business seemed to have almost instant success. By the time the first brick and mortar location had been open for just six months, Pinky had already purchased two other locations in Atlanta to expand the brand. All while keeping the original "Slutmobile" hopping around town and taking further jaunts around the country to make raving fans all around. She has recently even franchised the brand, so I believe the first franchise location in Birmingham, Alabama, will be open soon.
I had been wanting to try these loaded vegan burgers for quite a while, but by the time I had really started following them their demand was so big the lines would sometimes be 4 or more hours long. They keep the menu simple, offering just a handful of burger or vegan chicken sandwich options each day and limiting guests of the truck to two burgers or the restaurant to three, I believe. Even so, people will line up around the block to get a taste of the juicy goodness. Since I live a ways outside of the actual city of Atlanta, I honestly don't venture in town much, especially this last year with the big "C" going on. However, yesterday afternoon I was sitting at a stop light close to work when I saw the glorious yellow sight drive by! I quickly headed in to the gym to be able to look up where that beautiful beast was being parked for the evening.
The social media team puts out a post letting people know where the food truck will be parked if the crew is out and about slinging burgers on the go. I didn't see it when the post first came out, but they were actually going to be just a few miles away from work! Upon first finding out the location, I was gutted that the way my client schedule stood I wouldn't have time to make it over there once they opened. Lo and behold, it was meant to be as a last-minute cancellation allowed me to rush over and grab a burger before my evening clients came in. Even better, I got there early enough to not have too long of a wait to have that long-awaited first bite. I've never been so happy to have a client cancel on me before, haha!
I opted for the Dance Hall Queen with jerk plantains as the topper, and snagged a Sloppy Toppy with jalapenos for @dksart. The fries looked heavenly, especially since I couldn't tell you the last time I had fries from a restaurant. One of my co-workers laughed at me because I practically danced my way across the gym to the office to dig in! I pretty much only ate cheeseburgers and fries the rare occasion we went out to eat as a kid, so this type of meal really is just pure nostalgia and straight up comfort food.
Of course I couldn't help but take a few photos to share. As good as they are with their social media, I always love to do my part to support local businesses and share on my own page, as well. I know of a few people who are now on the lookout for their chance to check them out because I shared a post on Instagram. I will never be a huge "influencer", but we all have an influence, no matter how small. Plus, it's fun to show how far vegan food has come along. I think most of their customers aren't actually vegan, but they just enjoy the food so much they keep coming back. Looking at the burger, I bet you wouldn't even be able to tell there was not one bit of meat or dairy in this package if you didn't already know...
Now, I know I have said to many people in the past that I don't miss meat at all and I do much prefer bean or lentil burgers, and that is true. However, I can't say it wasn't fun to partake in such a "guilty pleasure" for a rare treat. The patty is the Impossible burger, which I didn't enjoy the last time I tried one. But it really is all about the toppings, and Slutty Vegan delivered on that respect!
I would have never thought to put plantains on a burger, but they were delicious. Given that I don't indulge like this often, I thought my stomach would rebel a bit, but the worst part was retaining a good bit of water due to the sodium content. I will still stick with my usual homemade burgers the majority of the time, but this sure was fun to finally check out. I would definitely drop by again if I get the chance. The owner has started her own foundation and is already giving so much back to the Atlanta community, that I am happy to be one tiny customer to support her efforts.
Back to the farmers market tomorrow, and I'm sure a return to my usual colorful bowls to follow. This was a highlight to what has been a cold and often dreary start to the year so far, so sometimes you gotta say screw the kale and gimme the burger. That burger helped fuel a killer workout in the gym today. 😂
Cheers to a delicious weekend!
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