To celebrate the release of the all-new vegan-friendly Manual, we headed to Los Angeles to catch up with Burgerlords founder Frederick Guerrero. We chatted about what inspired them to create a 100% vegan menu that still has the looks, smells, and tastes of a classic burger joint.

What inspired you to switch to an all-vegan menu?
I’ve been vegetarian nearly my whole life, so having a vegan/vegetarian restaurant has always been something I’ve aspired to do. When the we shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, it me some time to reflect on the restaurant. I figured with so much uncertainty in the world, might as well give it a shot and transition the restaurant to what I had always envisioned.

Most vegan restaurants have a more granola vibe, but you have maintained more of a classic, greasy burger joint vibe. Tell us about that.
The aesthetic of the restaurant is just a reflection of what I’m personally interested in. Having been born and raised here in Los Angeles, I grew up eating at diners and classic fast food restaurants. I’m really inspired by nostalgia and how we can maintain that feeling but in a contemporary way.

Where do you get the inspiration for all those extra vegan-friendly ingredients you have to make?
I think the main draw of inspiration for the menu comes from classic, Southern California burger joints. We look at some of the places we grew up eating at and say “can we do a vegan version of that?” Sometimes it works, but sometimes is doesn’t. So the menu we’re presenting today is all the things that have worked!
Another thing is that we are focused on making food from real veggies. Just because something is labeled “plant based” doesn’t mean it is actually made of plants. It’s important that we source our food from like minded makers and producers that are aligned with our same values.

So, if somebody were to come into the restaurant for the first time, what would you suggest they order?
For first timers I would highly suggest our “Classic Vegan Burger.” We make it everyday from scratch using real veggies, nuts and grains. It is the foundation of our whole menu and my favorite thing to eat as well.

What’s next for Burgerlords or any other culinary pursuits?
Starting this month we will begin shipping burgers around the country on the Goldbelly platform. It is kind of like Postmates but for the entire country. So if you live on the East Coast, you can finally have our food shipped directly to you.

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