‘Top Chef’ Alum Spike Mendelsohn’s PLNT Burger Plots a Boston Debut

Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn is unleashing his vegan take on the greasy fast food burger alongside oat milk-based shakes, fries, and more in Boston this spring. PLNT Burger, the fast-growing vegan chain he founded with business partner Seth Goldman in 2019, will open a food stall in the Whole Foods Market (348 Harrison Avenue) in the South End’s Ink Block Development on Earth Day, April 22.

PLNT Burger’s short menu stars Beyond Meat burgers, Gardein chick’n sandwiches, and shakes. The cheeseburger includes a Beyond Meat patty with tomato, lettuce, pickles, caramelized onion, melted vegan cheese, and the brand’s signature sauce, a creamy combo that folds in ketchup, relish and molasses, on a toasted potato bun. Meanwhile a crispy “Chick ‘N Sandwich” includes a “chik’n” patty fried in sunflower seed oil, tossed in a spice blend, and served with pickles and garden herb sauce on a potato bun. Iconic fast food sides, like “Bloomie Petals” and wavy sweet potato fries, also get the vegan makeover, while milkshakes and soft serve are whipped up with oat milk.

PLNT Burger

Though menus at the various PLNT Burger locations closely mirror one another, PLNT Burger’s South End location will partner with Lovin’ Spoonfuls Boston in support of its mission to facilitate the “rescue and distribution of healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded throughout Greater Boston.” To that end, PLNT Burger will start by donating one Lovin’ Spoonfuls meal for every PLNTY Meal sold.

The Season 4 of Top Chef alum debuted PLNT Burger in a Whole Foods Market in Silver Springs, Maryland, in 2019. Goldman, executive chairman of Beyond Meat and co-founder of Honest Tea, quickly joined Mendelsohn as a co-founder of PLNT Burger.

The Boston PLNT Burger outpost is the 11th for the aggressively expanding vegan burger chain, with other counters sprinkled throughout Maryland, D.C., and Pennsylvania, as well as one brick-and-mortar near Union Square in New York City.

“Boston is a market that we have always had our eyes on for PLNT Burger. It is a city with conscious consumption at the forefront. The Boston consumer understands that they can use their dollars thoughtfully to support causes they believe in. We hope PLNT Burger provides a delicious and accessible way to be conscious with our food choices and their environmental impact, which is why the opening on Earth Day is such great timing,” Mendelsohn told Eater via email.

PLNT Burger plans to expand more in Massachusetts after the Ink Block location is up and running. A company representative says that the group has already identified potential spaces for other Massachusetts outlets.

PLNT Burger’s menu will be available for dine-in, take-out, or delivery via the PLNT Burger website and app, in addition to Doordash, Grubhub and UberEats.