Meatless Monday Lunch: Burger Lounge (Santa Monica)

(((One of my 2013 resolutions I'm actually still sticking to was to take up Meatless Monday. A grassroots campaign to encourage diners to go one day a week without meat, MM slowly swept through LA last year as some of the city's top restaurants embraced the concept. For a carnivore like me, however, it can be tough to go three meals sans carne. But, I'm doing it - partially for humane reasons, partially for health reasons and partially to just see if I can effing do it. Each week from now on I will share my Meatless Monday Lunch with hopes, in doing so, encourage my fellow carnivorous friends to take part... Note: although I aim for all veggies, fish counts for now... Please share Santa Monica/westside suggestions in the comments))

Date: Monday, March 18, 2013
Restaurant: Burger Lounge
Address: 213 Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica
Ordered: Classic Quinoa Veggie Burger and Onion Rings
Thoughts: The Santa Monica Burger Lounge just opened, so I wanted to check it out. Unfortunately the only time I had available was on a Monday, so my virginal BL experience was with their Classic Quinoa Veggie Burger. It didn't suck though. A nice quinoa, brown rice, zucchini, garbanzo bean, carrot, corn and chipotle patty blend topped with white cheddar cheese, grilled onion, tomato, lettuce and house-made Thousand Island dressing. It had a decent chew too, which is usually my main veggie burger complaint (a.k.a. it didn't seem like my teeth were entering quick sand). The onion rings though were the star. A great crunch - probably the best rings I've had in a long while.
Did I Miss Meat?: Not really. I left this meal plenty full. Definitely would return for a Meatless Monday Lunch. But we all know onions rings aren't, uhh, good for you, so while this meal is humane and meatless, it isn't exactly healthful. Oh well. I'll take it.