Bluff City Vegan Eats: Belly Acres

I feel like this Bluff City Vegan Eats post should come with an apology for how long it's taken me to get anything up about this awesome locally owned burger joint. Belly Acres opened over a year ago in Midtown's hip Overton Square entertainment district, but I didn't finally get around to trying it until last month when I had a lunch meet-up with a friend who works at Planned Parenthood.

Belly Acres (get it, belly ache-ers ... cause you ate too much!) is a casual, order-at-the-counter diner specializing in burgers made with farm-fresh ingredients. They're not all vegan, of course. Lots of grass-fed beef and "free-range" chicken. Of course, we all know free range is a farce that doesn't actually mean anything positive for the animals, but let's just be positive and thankful they have some vegan stuff.

There are three veggie burgers on the "Beef-less Burgers" menu, and on my first visit, I tried the Black-Eyed Pea Burger with roasted sweet potato and pickled collard greens. It comes with a sriracha aioli, but I asked to leave that off.

When they first opened, I sent Belly Acres a message asking if the veggie burgers were vegan, and I was told they were. So that's enough for me! This black-eyed pea burger was AMAZING. Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, full of flavor. And it's Southern-ness was really set off with the soft steamed sweet potato and pickled greens. This burger officially makes my list of top four best veggie burgers in Memphis (others are at Fuel Cafe, Imagine Vegan Cafe, and Huey's).

I haven't had a chance to go back yet and try the others. But there's a Lentil & Onion Burger with caramelized onions, spinach, tomato, and sauteed mushrooms (ask to leave off the cheese and aioli). And there's a Magic Mushroom Burger made with a portabella mushroom, spinach, sauteed onions, and balsamic vinegar (ask to leave off the goat cheese, please).

Menu items are ordered a la carte, so burgers don't come with sides. But for a couple extra bucks, you can get house-made chips, regular or sweet potato fries, local collard greens, fruit salad, local veggies, or a side salad. Lots of options!

Belly Acres is in Overton Square, home to four live theaters and a movie house, plus lots of bars, restaurants, a candy shop, a hip clothing boutique, a yoga studio, and an olive oil shop. And if you drink too much in the Square, for $2, you can hop a ride on the Roo, a shuttle that has a giant kangaroo on top.

Belly Acres is located at 2102 Trimble Place. Call 901-529-7071.