This past week I had the ultimate pleasure of attending a Triangle Foodie Adventure dinner event at b.good Raleigh, a “real” fast-food restaurant run by general manager Zach Pait in the North Hills of Raleigh. I was served six courses of different items off their menu (along with an alcohol pairing) and felt classy AF the entire night.
Photo by Lauren Kruchten
Now, you might think that after a 6-course meal I would’ve had a super large food baby and would be rolling back to my car, but because of b.good’s healthy, all-natural, and real menu items, I actually felt fairly good about myself. Here’s why.
First of all, the food was DELICIOUS. I had to literally stop myself from eating so that I would have enough room for all six courses. Luckily, each course was fairly small and light, which my stomach was probably more happy about than I was.
The first three courses were a selection of organic kale and grain bowls, made with an abundance of fresh, in-season fruits and veggies and kale from Burch Farms in Faison, NC. b.good prides themselves in having a seasonal menu, and incorporating fresh, organic produce when it’s available. The organic ingredients allow b.good to make their fast-food “real,” just the way it should be. This was the first time I’ve ever actually tried kale, and it changed my life.
Photo by Memoree Blackmon
Year ’round, b.good sources beef, baked buns, kale, sweet potatoes, ice cream and milk, cheddar cheese, pimento cheese, eggs, and craft beer locally. These items are grown naturally without any antibiotics or hormones. Locally-sourced foods are important for supporting small farmers and for benefiting your health. A recent study showed that freshly obtained food retains more of nutrients and is more flavorful than other foods.
Photo courtesy of bgood.com
b.good’s burgers use grass-fed and additive-free beef that is sourced from Harris-Robinette Beef in Pinetops, NC. Their operation provides environmentally sound, high quality, nutritious beef that earned them recognition by the Humane Society of the United States. Grass-fed beef is healthier for you, the environment, and the cattle it’s coming from.
The fourth and fifth courses we had were two of the selected local, all-natural, and house-ground burgers from b.good’s menu. I don’t usually eat beef, but because these burgers were made with natural beef without any pesticides or hormones, I didn’t feel bad about it. Plus, they smelled way too good to turn down, and oh boy they were tasty.
One was made with a local egg and local jalapeño-pimento cheese (pictured below). The pimento cheese was sourced from a company in Winston-Salem, NC and the bread came from a bakery in Pittsboro, NC. Let me just say that it was the best pimento cheese I have ever had, and I’ve been dreaming about it everyday since.
Photo by Lauren Kruchten
Lastly, b.good boasts that their food is made by real people instead of factories, which is how a lot of other fast food restaurants operate. Their ingredients come fresh from local farms and all of their menu items are prepared in-house and are made to order, meaning you know what you’re eating. You’ll never get a questionable frozen beef patty or processed cheese slice from this place.
Photo by Lauren Kruchten
After my experience at b.good’s 6-course dinner event, I learned that fast food doesn’t have to be greasy or bad for you (or have fries as an option) to be good. I hope that in the future, more places like b.good will exist to provide fresh, local, and healthy menu items that are just as easy to get as a McDonald’s cheeseburger.