“Vegetarian” Turkey Burger & Buffalo Shrimp
It’s always hard being a vegetarian at restaurants, but particularly the cheaper chain restaurants (think Applebee’s or Spoons) in which every menu option consists mainly of some sort of chicken product. So, it’s always a relief when I see that any burger can be turned into a veggie-burger (or ‘Boca Burger’) for a buck more. Finally restaurants are aware that not everyone eats dead cows.
A month ago my husband and I were at a Spoons restaurant – famous for their “Tex-Mex” cuisine (I should but quotes around cuisine as well). I really don’t know why we choose a Spoons, other than we were bored one afternoon & the other two restaurants in the same complex (Macaroni Grill & El Torito) were crowded on this particular Saturday.
So, there we sat, carefully studying the menu for veggie-items. Because we both eat fish, the menu had some Buffalo Shrimp Wraps and I choose that dish. Then we both saw it. The burgers on the menu could be replaced with a turkey burger or a ‘Boca Burger’. My husband was feeling adventurous and choose a mushroom burger but substituted a Boca Burger for the dead cow. Yay! We were kind of excited to be eating at such a meat-oriented restaurant with out ordering chicken caesar salads minus the chicken. Have you ever eaten a salad consisting of greens and ceaser dressing? I did the other day, but thankfully there were croutons and tomatoes.
As I sipped my ice tea and my hubby gulped his Dos Equis beer, the kind but apparently not so bright waitress brought us our meal. There it was, staring us in the face. A gray patty smothered in mushrooms and processed cheese. Hubby took a bite and had a pained look on his face. “What is it!” I said, mouth full of Buffalo Shrimp Wrap. “I think this is a Turkey Burger!” Hubby exclaimed. Ahh!
We opened up his sandwich with careful precision and examined the gray patty. We poked at it with forks expecting it to cluck back at us. I took pity on my poor husband and gave him the other half of my shrimp wrap, which was surprisingly good; the poor Turkey Burger left abandoned at the other end of the table.
Then we get the bill. There it is in black and white. Sub: Turkey Burger, under Mushroom Burger. What!?! I realize the waitress probably just pressed the wrong key when entering our order, but now I have to leave a tip for this person. I end up leaving a decent tip and we leave Spoons. Another vegetarian calamity…
What exactly are Buffalo Shrimp?
You should have told her that he ordered the boca patty! Then you wouldn’t have had to pay for her mistake.