Cheeseburger Week: Dog Haus Accomplishes the ‘Impossible’

The impossible continues. In our quest to find a plant-based cheeseburger that tastes like a cheeseburger, we’ve been pretty successful, frankly. As the popularity of “Beyond” and “Impossible” burgers continues to rise, they’ve become a part of the menu of every eatery that serves burgers, save for some steakhouses and maybe, McDonald’s. And maybe that will come. Stranger things have happened.

On Wednesday our quest took us to Green Street in Old Pasadena, and the Dog Haus chain. Long known for their hot dogs (natch), they also serve up a mean cheeseburger. Their basic cheeseburger is a thick, hand-formed patty topped with white American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions, and their secret sauce. I looked longingly across the table as it beckoned me.

What distinguishes the Dog Haus burgers is their use of King’s Hawaiian Bread for the buns. (“It’s almost cheating,” said my dining partner.) To be sure, it’s an acquired taste for Cheeseburger purists, but oh, what an acquisition. They also make a “Freiburger,” which adds a fried egg and Haus slaw to the mix.

I couldn’t help it. I asked for a bite. It was pretty perfect. As my associate mentioned when the food arrived, “This might actually be my favorite burger of all.”

As you know, up here in the press box, so to speak, we don’t cheer.

But, objectively speaking, our “Impossible” burger seriously tasted like the real deal.

As manager Matt Wooten explained, “We get a lot of customers who come back to us, and complain, saying, “I ordered the Impossible burger. This is beef!’”

The Impossible comes with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion (which we skipped), white American cheese and again, the secret sauce. Bite for bite, it was basically indistinguishable from a burger made with beef.

For a lot of plant-based burgers, the secret is in what you add. Sometimes, it’s all about the ketchup. At Dog Haus, the combination of the bun, the ingredients and the toppings, makes for a pretty unbeatable combination.

We understand now that we will never understand the unknowable question: “Are impossible burgers for vegetarians or for meat-eaters?” Certainly a vegan would look askance, but so might a pure carnivore.

Now, I’ve been trying them since a cardiologist basically ordered me to. I’m not here to tell you that they have changed my mind from hot, sizzling beef right off a grill, but if you’re opting for less red meat, for whatever reason, Dog Haus might provide a tasty solution.

Want a real, dripping, juicy beef cheeseburger, filled with everything you love, instead? You’re still in the right place, peeps.

Dog Haus is at 93 East Green Street, Pasadena. (626-683-0808). www.doghaus.com.