I tried LA’s vegan version of In-N-Out: Monty’s Good Burger

If you have read my other blog about my favorite vegan places in LA, you know that I’m down for a good juicy vegan burger any time of the day.

In this blog post I’m going to talk about what is considered LA’s vegetarian version of the most famous burger drive-thru chain in Los Angeles: In-N-Out.

Monty’s Good Burger was founded by Nic Adler and Bill Fold. It started out originally as a pop-up food station at Coachella in 2018, then expanded to the Riverside Food Lab, a communal food hall that features other eateries and bars. In August 2018, Monty’s opened its first brick-and-mortar location with a restaurant in the Koreatown neighborhood. 

An article from LA Magazine I came across, said that on the same opening day, random walk-in customers stopped by and gave it a try. It was so good that many of these customers were completely perplexed by how tasty everything was, and had to ask whether or not the burger was vegan. Just to ensure that they were indeed in a vegan place.

Here’s the full breakdown of the menu: The Impossible Burger (the main star of the place) can be served as either a single or double. I ordered the single and it was super big, seriously more than enough for one person, depending on the appetite. Another thing to mention is that the portions here are triple the size of In-N-Out. It is more pricey, yes, but you’re definitely getting your money’s worth and, of course, much better ethically sourced ingredients. 

The sides can either be julienne fries, which are basically vegan french fries, or tater tots, which are delicious deep-fried crispy golden hash browns. 

On top of this, there’s a whole plethora of different sauces for every palate, including house ketchup, house spread, onion aioli, ranch, and sriracha aioli. If you want to be extra healthy, Monty’s Good Burger also serves chopper kale Caesar salad and even a kid’s menu. Truly, there’s something for everyone here. 

The Impossible Burger, served In-N-Out style with paper tray fries, uses Follow Your Heart cheddar cheese. I absolutely loved the texture of the patty—super soft yet juicy and full of flavor. My new favorite vegan burger for sure (sorry, Jewel). Jewel is a restaurant in Silverlake also known for its Impossible Burger, but, seriously, with the amount of amazing vegan joints that I have yet to discover, every veggie burger I’m trying out keeps upstaging the previous ones. 

The shakes!! Like I said, Monty’s Good Burger is 100% plant-based and vegan, but, honestly, I really couldn’t tell the difference between this shake and a non-vegan milkshake. I don’t know the exact ingredients, but it says on the website that the shakes are organic blended with soy from A’la Minute Ice Cream. It was a solid 10 — super thick and creamy. Not only was it super big, but they also pile different toppings such as pie crust, brownie cookies, sprinkles, candy canes and chunks of strawberries depending on your choice. The cashier even had to take off the extra on the top so she could put a lid on it. After I walked out, two girls skeptically asked me if the milkshake tasted differently from a regular milkshake. I seriously couldn’t tell the difference. Kudos to Monty’s for this!!

If you are a burger enthusiast looking to expand your palate, Monty’s is a must visit. The only drawback is the location. Koreatown is known for its busy streets and almost impossible parking situation. The business is small, and seating is very limited, so keep that in mind. I wished the place were bigger with a more ample designated seating area and a separated kitchen space just like In-N-Out. Oh! And maybe have drive-thru window service? Although the hectic location it’s in, a drive-thru would be a complete nightmare.

Either way, this has definitely become my go-to burger joint. I highly recommend it 100% to vegans and non-vegans alike. The customer service is very effective and super friendly. A guy with an apron, which I presumed was the manager, walked around and asked everyone how the food was.

Side note: Monty is actually Bill’s dog!

Since I wrote this post, Monty’s Good Burger has successfully expanded to different locations:

Koreatown 516 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020. This is the first and original location.

Echo Park 1533 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

3rd Street 8432 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

If you still want to know more details on how Monty’s Good Burger came to fruition, watch this interview of Nic Adler on KTLA.

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