Mary Lopresti, owner of VegOut Bethlehem, has been vegan for more than two decades. “There are a lot of foods people eat regularly that I've never even tried,” she says, “including a Big Mac.” But she didn't set out to create her own vegan variety; she was actually just adding all of her favorite toppings to a vegan burger when she realized it turned into a Big Mac. “But it got too messy too fast on a burger bun, so I piled it high on a hoagie roll, and my best-selling sandwich was born!”
Lopresti tries to make her food look and taste as similar to what most people are accustomed to eating so that they're excited to try her version. “It did so well when I first introduced it that I quickly created my Big Mac n Cheese, which is a magical combo—and my second most popular item!” she says. “I always recommend both to new customers because these two are so similar to the originals for taste and appearance.”
The entire sandwich is 100 percent vegan, along with everything else on VegOut's menu. “New customers are shocked to find out it's all vegan,” she says. “I think it's a testament to how appealing our food sounds, looks and tastes.” Their Big Mac Hoagie is made with an Impossible Burger patty, and is topped with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, Thousand Island dressing and sesame seeds on a hoagie roll. It's served with a side of potatoes.
“The Impossible Burger patty so closely resembles a traditional burger,” says Lopresti. “It appeals to vegans who miss the taste of beef but choose a cruelty-free option, and to meat eaters because they can't tell that it's vegan.” She explains that the reason most people don't try or don't stick to veganism is because they miss certain foods—like cheeseburgers—too much, so her goal at VegOut is to make the difference indistinguishable.
1 E. Church St., Bethlehem | 610.419.0126 | vegoutbethlehem.com
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