Are patty melts, veggie burgers and loose-meat sandwiches burgers?

Veggie burgers aren’t burgers. They’re veggie burgers. And there’s a difference. Wait—isn’t there? 

RECOMMENDED: Best burgers in Chicago

Humankind will shape almost anything into a patty and shove it into a bun, but with each new entry into the burger—sorry, “burger”—category, a debate must take place. Does anything go? Clearly the answer is no—just look at the abominable turkey “burger.”

Below, we attempt to solve three particularly pesky cases of burger identity theft (or not).