Gordon Ramsay’s New Chicago Restaurant to Serve Vegan Burgers

Has Gordon Ramsey grown a heart? That’s what you might wonder when you hear that he just added vegan burgers to his latest menu.

Ramsey, known as an unforgiving chef and screamer, is making sure that vegans (who he has derided the past) will be well served when they show up this Chicago restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Burger, which just opened in the River North neighborhood.

Gordon Ramsay Burger will offer eight signature burger creations developed by the TV chef, including one Vegan Burger complete with a plant-based patty made from his own recipe, bib lettuce, avocado, eggless mayo, tomato, and vegan burger bun.

Ramsay’s new vegan creation signifies a shift in the food world as formerly critical chefs begin to accept the quality and potential of plant-based cooking. In past years, Ramsay has been outspokenly anti-vegan, previously joking that he was "allergic to vegans." Now, the chef will allow his customers to substitute the vegan patty for every burger at his restaurant with a $6 upcharge.

“As a huge fan of Chicago and its food scene, it’s an honor to now have a restaurant in this amazing city,” Ramsay said in a statement. “We can’t wait to serve Chicago residents our signature burger and some really delicious variations.”

The flagship Gordon Ramsay Burger opened inside the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in 2012. The original location recently rolled out a vegan burger to coincide with the chef’s decision to cater to plant-based customers with his newest restaurant. Ramsay’s vegan dish indicates that the chef is warming up to plant-based cooking.

Recently, Ramsay has backpedaled significantly on his plant-based criticism: The chef first tweeted that he was going to give vegan eating a try in 2018, announcing his Charred Aubergine Pizza at his London-based Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza. The vegan pizza received positive feedback and encouraged him to continue developing vegan alternatives to his iconic recipes.

From Beef Wellington to bacon, Ramsay started showcasing vegan alternatives to meat-centric dishes. He recreated his famous Beef Wellington using beets as a meat substitute. The celebrity chef has also showcased several vegan recipes on his Tik Tok including an eggplant steak, opening the viral Tiktok by claiming that he was “turning vegan…for lunch.”

This summer, Ramsay even joined Silk for a new advertisement campaign that granted the chef with a G.O.A.T. award, claiming that its new oat milk product is the Greatest of All Time. Ramsay – dubbed the G.O.A.T. of Yelling in Kitchens – explained that he joined the plant-based milk campaign because his children inspired him to consider more plant-based options.

“Well, it took my kids getting on me, but now I really enjoy cooking more plant-based dishes at home and in my restaurants,” Ramsay said. “Let me tell you, I know greatness when I taste it, and I am loving Silk Oatmilk for both sweet and savory recipes.”

Ramsay’s plant-based acceptance also became apparent when the chef announced that Hell’s Kitchen would feature two plant-based chefs for the first time. Chefs Josie Clemes and Emily Hersh became the culinary competition’s first two vegan and vegetarian chefs, respectively. Their time on Hell’s Kitchen marked the first time that Ramsay allowed for plant-based cooking to be heavily featured on the show.

Including the plant-based chefs marks a substantial shift in the fine dining food scene as well. Upscale dining is also moving toward more plant-based foods as consumer demand makes it impossible for any chef to avoid innovating their menus. The Michelin organization revealed that it already awarded 81 Michelin stars to vegan and vegetarian restaurants throughout this year. Alongside Ramsay, esteemed chefs worldwide have started incorporating plant-based dishes as more consumers become concerned about sustainability and health, and plant-based cooking takes up more of the spotlight.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.