The Wienery
Twin Cities, Minnesota

This is a super-tiny, old-school, barely-up-to-code joint serving burgers, fries and hot dogs. Vegans will find some dishes of interest here, however. They offer vegan hot dogs (which made be made a dozen different ways, with different toppings), a mock duck philly (without cheese if you're vegan), and a home-made blackbean burger. The fries are also famous here.

The first time I came I had the mock duck philly ($5) without cheese. It wasn't great. For one thing, I could still taste the can that the mock duck had been sitting in (this is a common problem with mock duck; better to switch to seitan bought at a co-op, or made yourself). Also, a philly without cheese is not a philly; that said, there's a great vegan cheese available (at Whole Foods and at Galactic Pizza and Z Pizza), Daiya, which would work well enough. Or, for that matter, an herbed, nut-based "cheese," like the "rinotta" offered at Pizza Luce, would be excellent. Lastly, the bun it came on was one of those ungodly soft, spongy and white pieces of bread that so many Minnesotans love, but I love to hate. Give me a whole-wheat, flaky sub roll over fake white bread any day.

The hand-cut fries ($1.75 for one potato's worth) were okay, but not great. Somehow I found them bland and boring. For great golden marvels, check out McCoy's Public House in St. Louis Park, or The Loop in Minneapolis.

The next time I came I had the home-made blackbean burger ($3). I got some grilled peppers and onions added to it ($0.50). This was pretty tasty and a great value at under $4. For one thing, the blackbean patty had a spicy kick to it. Secondly, the bun was whole-wheat, and not white. Third, the tomatoes and lettuce were fresh and not cafeteria-grade. The burger just worked and had heft and taste to it for an amazingly low price; my only gripe, and it's a minor one, was that the patty didn't hold together and fell apart the more bites I took.

The service is extremely friendly and casual. If The Wienery had more vegan options (namely things like tofu scramble, vegan cheeses, and vegan sausages from Field Roast) I'd be back there more often. As it stands, this is a great spot to get a quick, cheap and tasty vegan burger.

here's the lowdown on this place. the decor is that of a hole in the wall trashy bar. the cook was very nice though. i asked him what he could do for vegans and he said that he could get me a vegan hot dog or veggie black bean burger but that the hot dogs were fried in the same oil as meat. i cringed at this and opted for the black bean burger, which was incredibly tasty for only $3! trhe fries are also fried in the same oil i presume.
he was very informative about how he prepared the food he served though and did not hesitate to tell me these things, which i respect. it was a really fun experience overall. the cook seems really nice.