PACIFIC BEACH – The difference between unleashing your inner glutton at McDonald’s versus doing so at its vegan counterpart, Mr. Charlie’s, is that the latter doesn’t leave you feeling as though a tidal wave of saturated fat, salt and oil is racing through your veins. You exit with the same spring in your step as when you entered.
In three visits since the growing Los Angeles-based chain rolled into Pacific Beach earlier this year with its cheerfully loud red-and-yellow motif, I’ve sorted out my personal hits and misses when comparing them to the nostalgic grub at McDonald’s. (The eatery recently opened in central Hillcrest as well.)
My unexpected favorite item is the Mr. Rack. It beckons to the famous McRib sandwich, which looks notoriously unappealing when seeing the processed meat naked without its blanket of viscous barbecue sauce. Yet in terms of flavor, half of the world loves them, and Mr. Charlie’s would have been remiss in avoiding a vegan take.
Here, you’ll find a nicely textured slab of faux pork along with a few chunky pieces of onions, sliced pickles, and house-made barbecue sauce that isn’t too sweet or overly tangy. The sauce’s subtle pith of smokiness might seem flimsy to die-hard pit masters. But for this palate, it is a fine example of culinary balance while allowing me to comfortably forget about the horrors and virtues of an actual McRib.
All of the mock meats at Mr. Charlie’s are soy-based. That becomes slightly evident in the various burgers because of their softer mouthfeel.
But it’s hardly a deterrent.
The Mr. Chuck is built to mimic a Big Mac complete with two thin “meat” patties and a middle bun. It also features two slices of vegan cheese, crispy shredded lettuce, Thousand Island-type sauce, and freshly diced onions, which are not of the reconstituted ilk used at McDonalds. (Although admittedly, I like them.)
Kudos to the Mr. Chuck for also coming in at full size opposed to the noticeably shrunken Big Macs of today. In addition, the special “Mr. Chuck” sauce is honorably creamier and the pickle factor tastes a notch higher.
Both the single burger (called “Not a Burger”) and the “Double Not Cheeseburger” (a McDouble lookalike) are also commendably heftier compared to their McDonald’s cousins.
On the downside, some consumers — especially non-vegans — might take issue with the plant-based cheese used here. It’s sourced from the prominent company called Follow Your Heart. The non-GMO product is made with coconut oil, potato and modified food starches. It’s healthy stuff and melts fairly well, but it’s as sticky as glue. If you get even a small speck of it on your fingers, you’ll need a few wet napkins to wipe it off. It sits rather thickly on the palate as well.
Sunflower oil is used for the fries, which very closely resemble those at McDonald’s in terms of appearance. The only flavor difference is that they are about 25% less salty. I’m not a salt fanatic, but I applied a few pinches of it from mini salt packets provided by the friendly staff .
Franchisee George Bond said the lower sodium content in most of the food at Mr. Charlie’s is deliberate because “vegans are very sensitive and particular about their food.”
Breakfast items are served all day. And the Mr. Charlie’s version of an egg-sausage-cheese McMuffin was gratifying, although the mock sausage patty could withstand a little more sage, fennel and salt in its construct. Otherwise, the sandwich hits the mark for authenticity with its fresh English muffin and convincing egg substitute.
Fans of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets will easily wolf down Mr. Charlie’s “Not Chicken Nuggets” with a fair degree of gusto — and without guilt. They come in seven-piece quantities and could trick some into thinking they’re eating chicken. Dipping options include an excellent green cilantro-jalapeno sauce, a mediocre sweet and sour, and the zesty “Mr. Sunday sauce,” which Bond compares to the house sauce at Chick-fil-A.
Coming soon is a spicy chicken sandwich that Bond says is nearing final development. The menu currently offers a “Not Chicken Sandwich” with lettuce and vegan mayo.
Also, customers can cool down with either chocolate or vanilla soft-service ice cream made from soy and cassava potatoes. I could barely detect the absence of dairy.
“We sell a lot of it,” Bond added.
Mr. Charlie’s debuted in 2022 in Hollywood, and it has since branched out into other locations in the Los Angeles area, San Francisco, Sydney, Australia and soon, London. The menus are the same at each location.
Co-founder Taylor McKinnon, a British transplant with a creative knack for marketing, runs the company on progressive, diversity-driven principles.
“In our hiring process, we never judge anyone based on their past struggles or where they come from. It takes all of us to make this work.”
Locally, Mr. Charlies is located at 1560 Garnet Ave. and at 3896 Fifth Ave. More information can be found here.
