I’ve never tried real meat, yet I’ve become an enthusiastic fan of plant-based meat over the past few years. To find the best plant-based burger, I went to Raw ASF and Indigo Burger, located on Stevenson Boulevard, Newark and Capitol Avenue, Fremont respectively. Indigo Burger is a single restaurant, but they are expected to merge into Raw ASF in upcoming years, which is a larger chain of vegan restaurants. 

At the face of it, both restaurants have the exact same menus due to their expected merge. However, the main difference between the two is that Indigo Burger is better described as a fast-food restaurant that focuses on items like Burgers/Fries, while Raw ASF is a vegan superfood cafe that specializes in items like vegan smoothie bowls. Although sold out when I visited, Indigo Burger offers more side dishes that Raw does not such as Impossible Chicken Nuggets, Beyond Chicken Tenders, Mozzarella Sticks, Burritos, and Loaded Fries with Impossible crumbs. 

I tried the same “classic” burger from both restaurants with a side of Baked French Fries and could honestly tell a stark difference between the two. For context, each burger came with an option of a patty you could choose. An impossible patty which is made of soy, a beyond patty which is made of pea protein, a taro mushroom patty with mushroom/chickpea, or a beet energy patty made of black beans and bell-peppers. Both Impossible and Beyond are supposed to replicate real beef. Along with the patty other ingredients in the burger included sliced cheese, island sauce, grilled onions (exclusive to Indigo), lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, all served in between a Brioche bun. 

Although there was a 10 minute wait time compared to a 5 minute wait time at Raw (with an equal number of guests at the restaurant), Indigo served me the better meal. The “Indigo Cheese Burger” was served warmer than Raw, and had a juicer spread of island sauce that provided a tangy flavor to each bite. Their sliced cheese melted perfectly onto the Impossible patty and complemented the overall taste of the meal. Similarly, their French Fries were some of the crispiest, fresh and well-baked I’ve ever tasted. You could easily tell that these weren’t regular frozen fries you’d get at fast-food chains. 

The “OG Burger” from Raw on the other hand, had room to improve. As mentioned earlier, the burger could have been served warmer, and it focused more on raw ingredients such as tomatoes and lettuce compared to the emphasis on sauce and grilled onions I enjoyed at Indigo. Although baked well and crisp, their fries were served partially burnt. 

Notably, as a vegetarian I appreciated that both Impossible patties didn’t have a red bleed after each bite, which is something I’ve noticed in frozen Impossible patties. 

When it came to ambience, Raw ASF hands down were the better restaurant. Indigo Burger had a vibey night royalty look with a glowy purple sign that said “Feel Good Burger”. Raw on the other hand had a completely modern brown and cream interior with aesthetic green plants all around the place to emphasize their advocacy for the environment. The seating area consisted of a shiny white table complemented by rose-gold basket-looking chairs. Located in downtown Fremont at a newly developed area, their stylish interior made their restaurant true to its name, “Raw As F***”. 

Both restaurants had the option to order from two self check-out touch screen machines, along with the menu displayed on large screens beside them. Additionally, water was available in metal cups which not only was a pleasant aesthetic, but it also showcased both Indigo and Raw’s concern for the environment. Food was served in a metal tray along with the fries in a paper tray similar to other fast-food restaurants. Although I ordered the same meal (the same Burger & French Fries) from both places, Despite similar sizes of both burgers, Raw ASF turned out to be $3.59 more expensive than Indigo Burger. Raw’s Burger was $12 while Indigo’s was only $9.50. 

I’m excited to continue to explore more vegan meat options and perhaps the smoothie bowls and lattes at both cafes for the full superfood experience.