The plant-based burger war heats up at Dave and Buster’s

Plant-based food companies like Impossible, Beyond Burger, and Lightlife are all trying to accomplish the same goal, all in different ways.

Recently, Dave & Buster’s decided to replace its Impossible Foods burgers with Lightlife burgers — a move the franchise says will serve as an “upgrade.”

While the battle between meatless burger brands isn’t anything new — Beyond Burger and Impossible Foods have been the top competitors thus far — now that companies such as Lightlife are catching on to the “almost tastes like real meat” trend, only time will tell who reigns supreme.

What’s the difference between the Impossible burger and Lightlife products? Their major claim to fame is that they don’t use heme, which is a chemical naturally found in ground beef (not an artificial additive, though it is often added to plant-based foods like these).

Companies such as Impossible Foods use it in their products, but Lightlife uses yeast instead. Customers, the company says, don’t like the idea of chemicals being put into their food in a lab. Eliminating heme seems to erase this issue — they use yeast instead.

Whether or not the taste and texture of Lightlife burgers is an improvement over something from Impossible is really up to individual preference. Some people bite into a meatless burger knowing it isn’t going to feel or taste exactly like meat and they’re fine with that. Others want the same flavor and mouthfeel without actually biting into beef.

When it comes down to it, all companies trying to create a winning meatless burger are all trying to accomplish the same thing: Creating an alternative option that feels, looks, and tastes as close to the real thing as possible.

Some hit closer to the mark than others. Consumers are trying to eat less meat, yet don’t want to give up the experience of eating meat. So each company is using its own methods for coloring, flavor, and texture to try to get it right.

Nutritionally, a few meatless burgers don’t sit right in diners’ stomachs. Some plant-based burgers contain a saturated fat source such as coconut oil to improve the “burger-eating experience,” but if saturated fat is the reason you’re trying to cut back on your meat consumption, that doesn’t really help you much.

Companies such as Lightlife — which has been around for years — are trying their best to provide the highest quality in all areas even to people who don’t want to totally give up meat, but are simply trying to consume less of it.

Lightlife is really stepping up its game in order to compete with Impossible and similar plant-based meat replacement brands. You can now find its products in more retail stores than ever, including Target and Kroger.

Starting in October 2019, all Dave & Buster’s locations in the U.S. and Canada will serve Lightlife burgers alongside its regular ground beef burgers. Diners will either have the option to order a Lightlife burger all on its own — with a choice of toppings — or replace any burger on the menu with a Lightlife burger for an additional charge.

Have you had the chance to taste Lightlife’s new burger and sausage products? How do you think they compare to other plant-based burger brands you’ve tried?