Imagine a hamburger made from plants that looks and tastes just like one made from meat. While that may sound impossible, Angel Everett and her husband, Danny, have developed a 100% vegan burger.
Everett – co-owner and director of Dawg! That’s Vegan – founded the business in February 2021 to offer customers a healthy alternative to the traditional hamburger. “We use beets to make it look red and coconut oil for fat,” says the U.S. Army Reserve veteran. “We cook all of our ingredients in olive oil.” They even add vegan cheese to their burgers and buy many of their vegetables from local growers. While many are initially reluctant to try them, she explains customers are typically surprised by how the burgers taste. “We haven’t had any complaints on the taste just yet,” Everett states. The couple has created six versions of vegan burgers, including the Mo’ Betta Burger, which is cooked in butter. The most popular is the Vegan Classic. She says they also serve burgers with a variety of sauces, such as teriyaki and barbecue.
Dawg! That’s Vegan serves both vegan and non-vegan French fries, as well as vegan chili cheese fries. They make some of them from the jicama plant – a vegetable that’s similar to a potato. Their drink options include water and their own versions of low-sugar tea and lemonade. “We are in the process of creating our own version of soda” with less sugar and a variety of drinks made from aloe vera – a plant that’s touted to have many health benefits, Everett says.
You can currently find the business’s tent at The Augusta Market downtown on Saturdays and in the parking lot at Sam’s Club. On Tuesday, Aug. 31, the couple will open their first physical location at 1696 Knox Avenue in North Augusta. By November, she says they hope to open a second location in the Augusta Mall food court. The business name is based on the Georgia Bulldogs football team.
Before she adopted a vegan diet, Everett suffered from various health problems, including high cholesterol, fatigue, insomnia, and heart palpitations. She states she quit eating meat cold turkey – something she doesn’t recommend to her customers because her body initially struggled to adjust to her new plant-based diet. Once she decided to become vegan, “I had to come up with new (meal) options,” Everett adds.
For more information or to place an order, visit dawgthatsvegan.com.