Product review: Gardenburger GardenSteak
Posted by peppertree on November 11, 2008
I saw these at the store last week, and they looked kind of interesting. Is it faux-steak? Is it a burger? These come in several flavors, and I chose the “Gourmet Tuscany”, which is described as “Veggie Steaks made with Gorgonzola, caramelized onions and couscous.” You can microwave them or pan-fry them, which is what I did. The verdict? I think Toby said it best- they are “underwhelming”. They are basically a bigger, thicker veggie burger. I wasn’t sure how to serve it- does it need a sauce or something? A roll to eat it on? After tasting it, I ended up dipping mine in honey-mustard, and I think Toby used BBQ sauce. I probably won’t buy these again. They also had a weird aftertaste…kind of bitter. I also served a green salad, some German potato knudel things, and some bread.
rating: taste-4, easy to prepare-9.5
more details here: http://gardenburger.com/Gourmet.aspx
Justine said
It honestly doesn’t look that tasty!
Nina said
I had a very similar experience — I recently returned from a trip to Italy and had been craving all of the fresh, sun-ripened, wonderful flavors I sampled there. I saw these “Gourmet Tuscany” GardenSteaks at my local Central Market and got excited by the ingredients I read on the box. I was hopeful for a vegetarian product that might possibly remind me of Italy. I never really cared for GardenBurgers before — preferred MorningStar Farms, Boca, or independent varieties — but I was going to give it a shot. I also prepared it by pan-frying it in a light coat of olive oil as the package suggests, and shredded authentic parmasan cheese on it (actually from Parma, and hand-carried by me on my return flight to Seattle) and placed it between some artisan olive bread. To say the flavor was “underwhelming” is too kind. I was repulsed by the first bite and resentful for the waste of such beautiful bread and cheese. So glad I didn’t bust out the good wine too! I had to bring out some hot sauce just to be able to choke it down.