Dining Out with Rob Balon: Terra Burger

AUSTIN, TX - Terra Burger, with locations on Guadalupe and Research, bills itself as organic and natural fast food. They use no artificial ingredients. No artificial colors or flavor enhancers. No trans fats. Nothing highly processed. No artificial additrives. In fact, all their core prducts, from the ground beef to the cheese, milk and fruit are organic.

So now for the key question: Is healthy fast food an oxymoron? Is it possible to achieve? The answer is yes and yes.

Terra Burger's flavors and tastes are consistently interesting and compelling. I recall the last time I tried the Pasta made for the Adkins diet. It tasted like cardboard and was disgusting and virtually inedible. No such problem at Terra Burger. The namesake 1/3 lb Terra Burger, made from 100% organic beef, is very tasty. The roll is fresh and pleasantly soft. The usual suspects in the form of organic lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and condiments are present.I like to add organic white cheese and bacon to mine.

All in all, a pleasant surprise which I recommend. Only complaint is that they tend to get a bit carried away on occasion with the mustard, mayo, ketchup et al. Another favorite of mine is the Sliders or mini burgers. The slider has made a huge comeback in the world of fast casual dining and Terra Burgers has made theirs with care. The key to a good slider is that the rolls must be fresh and the meat moist. Terra Burger delivers on both fronts. And of course you would expect to have an organic restaurant serve a great veggie burger.I tried this on my first visit and was very pleased. In my opinion, the best veggie burger has a distinctive but not strong flavor and the veggies are well integrated into a comforting taste.

This is exactly what Terra Burger does with theirs. Now can we please talk about ther Sweet Potato French Fries? Man, these little puppies have real flavor. And unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes aside from being better for you, have a much lower glcemic index, meaning that they take far longer than white potatoes to break down into glucose in your blood.

The salads are all made with fresh organic produce. The Asian, which is my favorite, the Austin Southwest which features a tasty blend of avovado, jicima, and a zesty coren and bean salsa, and the Caesar, all have wonderfully fresh and invigorating flavors. You can also add grilled chicken to any ofthe salads. Even the beverages are organic at Terrra Burger. I've really come to like the Blue Sky brand of lemon lime and orange sodas.

And did I mention that you can get breakfast as well at Terra Burger? They've got very tasty breakfast tacos, orgamic smoothies, and breakfast muffins, to name just a few. And of course, all organic. Terra Burger is the kind of place for people who value what they put in their bodies. But it's also the kind of place for people who value taste. What a plesant idea to find a restaurant that appeals to both of those needs!