Off the Menu: What Happened to All the Hype About Plant-Based Foods?

Just a few years ago, plant-based meat and seafood substitutes seemed to be “the next revolution” in the restaurant industry.

Plant-based meat startups like California’s Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat developed ground beef and sausage substitutes and signed deals with brands across the fast-food and casual-dining spectrum. Dishes made from the meaty wannabes soon started popping up on menus from coast to coast.

Flash forward to 2024, and it’s clear that these engineered meat alternatives have yet to live up to the hype that first greeted their introduction. Plant-based options have been quietly removed from some menus (remember the McPlant burger?) and relegated to niche status in others. Meanwhile, major plant-based meat producers are struggling with declining sales.

What explains the lack of success of plant-based meat?

Cost is certainly a factor. Plant-based meat substitutes still cost two to three times more than the products they are intended to replace. This cost difference is partly due to the nature of the products themselves and partly to a lack of economies of scale in their production.

And then there’s the perception of the “disgust factor” that comes with meat and plant-based proteins. Studies confirm that there’s an inherent reluctance among consumers to switch from “natural” meat to factory- or lab-made alternatives. Overcoming that resistance, especially when plant-based meat alternatives remain at premium prices, is a significant barrier to mainstream acceptance.

Finally, plant-based protein products, which are made through complicated manufacturing processes, are viewed by some as potentially unhealthy. To combat such criticism, manufacturers like Beyond Meat are reformulating their beef and chicken substitutes, swapping out saturated fats and reducing the overall number of ingredients used. In doing so, they hope to avoid the pejorative label of “overly processed” foods.

Given the issues of cost and consumer acceptance, it is unlikely that plant-based meat substitutes will gain widespread acceptance any time soon.

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Additional dishes:

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews has announced the Jalapeno Heatwave Burger as part of its limited-time fall menu. The burger is topped with jalapenos, pepper jack cheese and more; a sprinkling of fried jalapeno coins completes the sandwich.

The menu update also includes three new wing flavors – sweet and spicy scorpion wings, garlic parmesan wings and sea salt and pepper wings.

Red Robin also offers, under the same LTO rules, a chocolate soufflé cake and a lemon cream layer cake for dessert.

Red Robin outlets are located at Holyoke Crossing in Holyoke and Hazard Avenue in Enfield.

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Matt Grimes of Northern Soul Cafe and Catering is hosting a temporary charity dinner to benefit the JC Williams Community Center in Springfield.

The event, which will take place on September 28 from 11 a.m. while supplies last, will feature fried chicken, fried fish, fried shrimp and fried salmon, as well as macaroni and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, kale and rice with sauce.

The phone number for Northern Soul Cafe, located on Main Street in Springfield, is 413-209-8704.

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On Wednesday, October 2nd, Boulevard Tavern & Grill in Springfield will host an Oktoberfest Beer Dinner.

The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. For more details, contact the Grill at 413-732-0904.

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The John Boyle O’Reilly Club, in partnership with Jack’s Abby Brewing in Framingham and Fazio’s Ristorante in East Longmeadow, is hosting a venison dinner on Thursday, October 10. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact the club at 413-788-8603.

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Dirty Truth Beer Hall in Northampton is hosting Oktoberfest until September 28. For the event, Dirty Truth is offering a menu of German-inspired dishes, as well as a selection of German wines and hard ciders. German beers are available on tap, and the bar staff has also created a range of cocktails featuring German spirits.

To learn more about the festivities, call 413-585-5599.

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Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp., recognizing the company’s record for boosting sales with its $5 Meal Deal, recently announced it is extending the availability of the meal deal through December.

The price of a $5 Value Meal, which includes a McChicken or McDouble sandwich, small entrees, small McNuggets and a small drink, will be $6 in some more expensive areas.

McDonald’s also revealed its intention to offer additional value-added “deals” throughout the fall months, but they will only be available through the brand’s mobile app.

In its $5 Meal Deal earnings report, McDonald’s noted that its McDouble hamburger sandwich was the most popular, with two-thirds of customers choosing it over the McChicken sandwich.

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On Saturday, September 28th from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m., Iron Duke Brewing in Ludlow will host its annual Harvest Fest.

Harvest Fest is a celebration of food trucks and live music, featuring delicious treats like popcorn, mini doughnuts, macaroni and cheese and more.

Iron Duke Brewing, which is available at 413-624-6258, will be promoting its own Oktoberfest Marzen beer during the festival.

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IHOP locations are currently promoting select fall menu items, which include three new items: Eggs Benedict with Bacon and Avocado, Chicken Florentine Pancakes and Bacon and Avocado Steak Burger.

The brand’s “Pancake Tacos” offering has also been expanded for the fall with variants filled with chicken fajitas, spicy shredded beef and bacon, egg and cheese.

IHOP favors caramel apples as its fall flavor, using them in its Caramel Apple Butter Hot Chocolate, Caramel Apple Milkshake, and Caramel Apple Lemonade.

Local IHOP restaurants operate at Five Town Plaza in Springfield and on Riverdale Street in West Springfield.

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National Cheeseburger Day, celebrated on September 18, is becoming a bigger and bigger event in the restaurant industry.

Many major fast-service and casual dining brands ran promotions this year to celebrate the occasion. McDonald’s offered 50-cent cheeseburgers through its mobile app, and Burger King gave away a free cheeseburger with a purchase of $1 or more.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brew has a $10 burger promotion, and participating Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bars locations have slashed the price of their classic burgers when ordered through the brand’s digital platform.

Given the growing interest in this year’s National Cheeseburger Day, burger lovers should mark September 18 on their calendars for 2025.

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Pafumi’s in Wilbraham is hosting a Books, Bites & Banter event on Tuesday, October 1st.

An evening of exquisite cocktails, family-style hors d’oeuvres, and literary conversation. The October 1 session will focus on “Frozen River,” a crime novel by New York Times bestselling author Ariel Lawhon.

The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 plus processing fee and are available at Eventbrite.com.

Pafumi can be contacted at 413-279-3303.

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Bean Restaurant Group, which operates a number of independent restaurants in the Springfield area, also contributed to the creative fair fare available at this year’s Big E.

Bean’s Wurst Haus on Commonwealth Avenue offers the Supreme Schnitzel sandwich, a large pork cutlet breaded and fried until crispy golden brown, served on a pretzel bun and topped with cheese sauce and crumbled bacon.

The White Hut stand in the food court is offering the new Quad-Father, a sandwich with four cheeseburgers, four strips of bacon, pickles, signature sauce and fried onions.

Harpoon Food and Beer Hall serves up two specialties created especially with the Big E in mind.

Colossal Fried Shrimp in General Tso Sauce features two enormous beer-battered shrimp topped with spicy General Tso sauce and garnished with sliced ​​jalapeno peppers.

The Getting’ Dilly With It Loaded braided pretzel is baked pizza-style with mozzarella, bacon and pickles, then served with a drizzle of ranch dressing.

Harpoon Food and Beer Hall will also serve Harpoon Haze-E Days IPA, brewed to order.

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Stafford AppleFest 2024 will take place on Saturday 28th September.

Hosted by Explore Stafford CT, AppleFest takes place in downtown Stafford Springs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Live music, family fun, and fall-themed food and drinks will be part of AppleFest. More details are available online.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member at Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of experience in food service and education. Robert can be reached online at [email protected] .