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The Arrival of Plant-Based Junk FoodLynette Smithon September 1, 2021 at 12:24 pm

The Junk ($14) is one sloppy burger. Unwrap it just enough to keep it intact and revel in its precipitous architecture — a cheese-cloaked patty heaped with fried onions, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato. One side of the bun is slick with garlicky mayo and mustard, the other with avocado. It’s junk food, but don’t hold that against it: This burger and everything else on the menu are totally vegan.

Bobbie Beaugard-Williams has cheerfully reappropriated the term “junk food” to describe her offerings. There’s a lineup of Impossible burgers, including the Filthy Philly, with green peppers and vegan mozzarella ($13). But Beaugard-Williams serves full-service junk, so don’t overlook the terrifically crispy Fire Bird “chicken” sandwich with Cajun aïoli ($14). Everything comes with excellent skin-on fries, three packets of ketchup, and a wad of napkins.

Why not just get a beef burger? The roots of Black vegetarianism go at least as far back as the Nation of Islam, but spots like this are opening around the country — Atlanta’s Slutty Vegan gets lines around the block — to reach the burgeoning population of Black vegans. For Beaugard-Williams, it’s to keep her blood pressure in check. For me — I’m neither Black nor vegan — this food hits the spot and sits well afterward. Maybe this is the methadone of burgers, but count me one satisfied junkie.