Ingredient

304 Ninth Street
(573) 442-1503
Sunday – Thursday
10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday – Saturday
10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Ingredient is fast, casual dining at its finest. Like other similar restaurants, Ingredient focuses on both using fresh ingredients and providing many options for customers. Among standard menu items, Ingredient offers custom-made salads and burgers. I went with the custom burger with a vegetable patty on ciabatta bread with fresh mozzarella, red onions, spicy sprouts and guac for $7.95. Ingredient offers a lot of customization, in that I was able to choose the bread, cheese, toppings and sauce on my veggie burger, as well as an additional side item. After ordering, I sat in a seat by the window, took in ambiance (half-studious, half-upbeat what with the Lady Gaga blasting overhead) and noticed the considerably sized crowd, despite it being 2:26 p.m. on a Tuesday.

When I started in on the “burger,” I immediately knew it was a new contender for the best veggie burger I ever had. The patty was flavorful, and I was actually able to discern between the different vegetables used to make the patty. The patty was grilled to perfection, however it still slightly fell apart — as most vegetable patties do. It was a very filling lunch, but it would have been an appropriately-sized dinner. Ingredient surpassed my expectations as an eight-month vegetarian, and I can’t wait to go back.