I might have shrieked just a little when I cut Next Level’s new Sunrise Burger in half. The fake yoke of the sunnyside up vegan egg squirted and ran. And it was so deeply yellow.
Next Level general manager Dakota Banas echoed my fascination. “I haven’t eaten an egg for ten years,” he said. “You forget how messy they can be.”
If you’re a vegan who misses real eggs, Next Level has two specials for you this May. And in case you didn’t know, it’s not just any month. It’s National Egg Month.
Next Level invited me to try its two new egg-centric sandwiches, the Sunrise Burger and the Sunrise Sub. Both are available through May 31 at Next Level Burger and at Veggie Grill.
Sunrise Burger
My husband and I visited the Southeast Portland location on a weekday night, and were warmly greeted by host Ayler and the rest of the crew. Ayler brought us the two egg specials to try.
The Sunrise Burger is a realistic-tasting egg-topped burger. Next Level starts with a house-seasoned Beyond patty, and tops it with a fried over-easy vegan Yo-Egg. My husband is vegetarian, not vegan, so could attest to the realistic taste of the faux egg. I liked the vegan smoked Gouda cheese, tempeh bacon and the pretzel bun.
Sunrise Sub
The Sunrise Sub uses Just Egg served as more of a scrambled egg patty. It also features tempeh bacon, plus avocado, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and cream cheese. If you prefer a non-messy egg, this one is a good choice.
Speaking of good choices: sweet potato fries with special sauce. One of the things Next Level does best.
Why faux eggs?
Why choose vegan eggs over the real reproductive matter of chickens? As Next Level’s press release puts it, “Choosing plant-based eggs has multiple benefits; it takes up to 52 gallons of water to produce a single chicken egg while vegan alternatives use a fraction of that and avoid harsh factory farming conditions and exposure to animal disease.” And oh, yeah, avian flu. So many good reasons to skip eggs!
National Hamburger Day
In other important Next Level and Veggie Grill news, both restaurants are celebrating National Hamburger Day on Wednesday, May 28. Mention National Hamburger Day at the register and you can buy one and get one free. The deal is valid for any burger excluding Stakk’d burgers.
