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The thread on vegetarian/vegan friendly areas really got me thinking about where I live, and the restaurants available to me. I live in Memphis, where it's all barbecue, all the time. There ARE veggie-friendly restaurants, but you really have to look for them. There are also far more restaurants that look at you like you have a second head if you ask about a vegetarian friendly option.
So my question is...what restaurants have given you the best and the worst experiences in dining as a veg? If you can, think specifically of national/regional chains, as it would be helpful to the most people. (Of course, horror stories at restaurants are always welcome!)
In terms of chain restaurants, mine are:
Best
1. Jason's Deli -- Hands down the winner. I don't think these are all over the country, but there are several of them. A divine salad bar, complete with roasted red pepper hummus, and vegetarian sandwich options that are actually interesting. There's one literally around the corner from my place, so it's my standby whenever I don't want to cook. Jason's Deli
2. Red Robin -- A surprising choice, I guess, but with two different kinds of veggie burger (Boca and Gardenburger), a bajillion possible burger toppings, and a general willingness to make any item vegetarian, going here is very easy for me. Minus the screaming kids, of course! Red Robin - Home
3. Macaroni Grill -- Simply because of their create-your-own pasta pad. I always get the same thing -- whole wheat penne with spicy marinara, roasted red peppers, eggplant, broccoli, olives, red onions, artichoke, spinach and mushroom. It is always awesome. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Italian Restaurant
Worst
1. Outback Steakhouse -- Unless you want to subsist off a few side dishes, nothing in here is particularly healthy, let alone vegetarian friendly. The last time I was forced to go there, I modified a pasta dish, simply removing all of the seafood and I think adding a veggie or two. Nothing complicated, and I was very polite about it. It came out with shrimp on it, and when I pointed it out (politely) to the server, she rolled her eyes, snatched the dish away from me, and returned literally thirty seconds later with what looked like the exact same dish with the shrimp dumped off.
2. Cracker Barrel -- Everything, except the salads, seems to be cooked in some kind of meat grease. The house salad is the saddest looking bunch of vegetables I have ever seen in my life. Avoid.
If anyone makes it to Portland, Oregon there are many, many good places to eat! Almost too many to list, some better than others.
My favorite is Hartwell's, in Milwaukie. It's a gourmet restaurant; Chef serves meat dishes as well, but exceptional vegan and vegetarian dishes. (His wife's been a vegan for over 25 years - an interesting couple!)
I don't frequent some of the major chain restaurants that've been mentioned - Applebees, Red *******, Shari's, etc. I'd rather just keep some high protein crackers in the car for emergencies (whole story on those locally made crackers!!!).
Good info here, to file away for traveling (not that I'm headed to europe anytime soon!).
Most veg-friendly ethnic food would be Indian for me. Just tonight, my son was wondering if we could go to an Indian restaurant next time we are in Tucson.
Just ate at an Ethiopian restaurant and it was wonderful--lots of veggie options!
The absolute worse chain restaurant in my book is Applebees. I mean, come on. Even Chilis has a black bean burger. At least the Outback and Red Lobster are pretty clear they specialize in meat. Applebees doesn't even have any non-meat appetizers, and I think they may be the one that even has meat on all its salads, although I'm not sure.
Red Robin question-do they toss the veggie burgers on the same grill as the beef burgers?
I asked this one time, and I was told (at my Red Robin) that they have a separate space for them. Whether or not this is true, or how scrupulously they stick to the "separate space" idea, I will never have a way of knowing unless I actually work there. I try not to drive myself crazy about that sort of thing, though, because no matter who you are or what you eat, you take a chance on food preparation wherever you eat.
I asked this one time, and I was told (at my Red Robin) that they have a separate space for them. Whether or not this is true, or how scrupulously they stick to the "separate space" idea, I will never have a way of knowing unless I actually work there. I try not to drive myself crazy about that sort of thing...
Precisely. It's all about selling a product, and I'm quite sure most restaurants will go the easy route. I just can't imagine that any chain restaurant would purchase a separate industrial grill (or design a kitchen with "separate space" in mind) for the purpose of cooking a veggie burger.
Quote:
Originally Posted by heather21365
...because no matter who you are or what you eat, you take a chance on food preparation wherever you eat.
I could make myself crazy over it, but the way my lifestyle is these days, eating out is a big(ger) part (than I'd like) of my life. Maybe the cook didn't change gloves between handling something meaty then my food, I just don't know. I'm sure I've accidentally eaten something containing chicken broth before (gross), though I do my level best to make sure something is meatless before ordering, and if in doubt, I just don't get it.
I did appreciate my experience the other night -- the boyfriend and I were dining out at a local place, and I inquired if the black beans served with a grilled veggie platter were vegetarian. The server knew immediately that they were cooked in chicken broth, and told me so, then helped me find something that was suitable.
Let's not get into the idiocy of ruining an otherwise vegetarian platter (with a name that implies it to be vegetarian) with chicken broth, though...
Ashland, Oregon has a restaurant called Pilaf that was once vegetarian. It has (or used to have; I haven't been there in years, but I know they now serve meat) amazing, amazing food; the portabello burger with corn fries and vegan silk pie was one of the best things I have ever eaten. And Seattle has so many vegan/vegetarian-friendly restaurants that I'd like to go to. Cyber Dogs, Mighty-O Doughnuts, and so on. Atlanta is loaded with so many restaurants; it's like a vegetarian gourmand's dream.
The town I live in now might have one veg. restaurant. It isn't much of a foodie town, even for omnis I would guess. It's basically a suburb of Boston, as most of Eastern Mass. is.
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