Taco Guild

During 2013, I watched the Northwest corner of Osborn and 7th Ave transform. It started out as a run-down, vacant Korean Church. The church was renovated and beautifully restored and reopened as Taco Guild. Before ever stepping foot in the restaurant, I was already excited by the menu! At the top of the menu, it states "We are proud to partner with Arizona farms to use organic and locally grown products whenever possible." I am a big supporter of restaurants that responsibly source their ingredients! 

I visited Taco Guild on a Saturday night and (free) valet was the only parking option. There was no wait for a table and me and my 3 omnivore friends were seated immediately! This place is really a beauty! Here's a photo I took of the bar while trying to not be that guy taking pictures:

Such a beautiful place with many local craft beers from Four Peaks Brewing Co, San Tan Brewing Co, Grand Canyon Brewery, and Cartel Coffee. I opted for the Cartel Coffee Brown and it was pretty damn tasty. Beer? Good. Coffee? Good. Coffee beer? Amazing! 

The menu didn't seem to be overly vegan-friendly. My buddies and I started dinner with the Grilled Serrano Guacamole, which was spicy and absolutely delicious. The Grilled Seasonal Vegetable Tacos seemed to be a pretty safe bet. Though it's not listed on the menu, these are topped with cheese. I, of course, asked my server to omit any animal products from my tacos. I opted for 3 vegetable tacos, which comes with one side. I ordered Green Chile Achiote Rice as my side. My server mentioned that the rice was previously made with beef broth, but they recently switched over to vegetable broth. Score!

The verdict? Pretty good! Veggie tacos are fool-proof. Were these amazing? No, but they hit the spot. I would definitely return and order the exact same thing. My omnivore fans all loved the food they ordered! Plus, Taco Guild scored some major points by spelling "chile" correctly. As a former resident of New Mexico, I quickly learned that chili is a bowl of beans and veggies (and sometimes animal flesh), and chile is the roasted pepper that you smother on anything and everything. 

Ok, so here's what you need to know about Taco Guild:

Address: 546 E. Osborn Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85012

Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Friday/Saturday: 11am-12am, Sunday: 11am-9pm

Facebook: Taco Guild Facebook

Delivery? No! You're going to want to see this beautiful restaurant in person!

Bike Rack? Yes and additional bike parking at the Starbucks next door

Dustin's Recommendations: Grilled Serrano Guacamole, Roasted Seasonal Vegetable Tacos, and Green Chile Achiote Rice

Welcome Diner

Welcome Diner is a quaint and unique restaurant located on Roosevelt Street, a bit East of the more "happening" section of Roosevelt. Frequented and run by hipsters, this place is absolutely adorable!

Let me give you the run-down, because I was a little bit confused by this place. First you go up to the window and order your food and your PBR. You give them your name and they'll give you your drinks right then and there. You sit down and later someone with an I'm-trying-so-hard-to-be-cool-that-you-can't-tell-I'm-being-cool vibe brings you your food. The food is totally appealing and you dive in and devour it all. After you've licked your plate clean, someone will come over with an iPad and you pay afterward. I have trust issues so I could never run a restaurant this way. Pay me first, yo!

Oh, and there's apparently indoor seating. It's December and 75 degrees in Phoenix. I'll venture inside when it is absolutely necessary (July). 

Anyway, back to the food. There is only one item on the menu that is vegan, and it's very clearly marked as so. I give to you...the VEGAN PO'BOY! 

On the menu, it is described as "Fried avocado, kale, pico de gallo, and chipotle remoulade on French Bread." Holy hot dogs. FRIED AVOCADO?! This sandwich is seriously brilliant. The full menu can be seen here. 

The Vegan Po'Boy is listed on the regular menu and the brunch menu. Do not fear, this sandwich will be available no matter what time you show up to dine. It is normally served with fries or cole slaw. During brunch, it is served with hash browns (as seen above). Seriously...just do it. Eat this thing!!

Ok, so here's what you need to know about Welcome Diner

Address: 924 E. Roosevelt Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:30am-12am (Closed Monday)

Facebook: Welcome Diner Facebook

Delivery?: No

Bike rack? Of course! Hipsters gotta park their fixies somewhere! 

Dustin's Recommendations: Vegan Po'boy, fries, and a Numbus Brown Ale! 

Pizza Heaven Bistro

Pizza Heaven Bistro. This place should be called VEGAN HEAVEN!!!

This family-owned pizzeria is a stellar place to eat with your omnivore friends! There is a vegan menu smack-dab in the middle of the full menu. The vegan options on the menu include appetizers, sandwiches, pasta dishes, CALZONES!!!!, pizza (duh!) and dessert. According to signs inside the restaurant, they use Gourmet Mozzarella Shreds made by Follow Your Heart. For people trying to avoid consuming gluten, the menu also features a 10 inch gluten free pizza crust and brown rice pasta.

The entire menu can be seen here. (Scroll to the last page for vegan options).
Update: Pizza Heaven revamped their website and the vegan menu can be accessed here!

Yum yum YUM!!! I have eaten at Pizza Heaven Bistro many times. When I ate there in late December, the server mentioned a vegan cheesecake that was available that evening. Of course, I could not say no!

I asked for the dessert to go so I could eat it at home. In my pajamas. On the couch. That's normal, right?

So here's what you need to know about Pizza Heaven Bistro...

Address: 5150 N. 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (Keep an eye out, it's easy to miss at night)

Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30am-9:30pm, Friday-Saturday 10:30am-10:30pm, Sunday 2:30-9:30pm

Facebook: Pizza Heaven Facebook

Delivery?: Yes! With a $15 minimum order. 

Bike racks?: None

Dustin's Recommendations: For an appetizer, try the Veggie Balls in marinara. These are my favorite thing on the entire menu!!! For your entrée, try a GIANT calzone stuffed with mozzarella shreds, soy sausage, and tons of veggies! If you're craving pizza, I highly recommend the Vegan Delight Pizza. And don't forget to order a side of vegan ranch dressing for all of that dippin' you'll be doin'. 

Enjoy!

First Things First!

Hey Phoenix Vegans!!!

First things first! This blog won't be covering vegan or vegetarian restaurants in Phoenix. This blog will primarily focus on vegan options at non-vegan restaurants. And I'm not talking about where you can get french fries or a side salad with olive oil dressing! I'm talking about totally-delicious, totally-filling dishes. I will post pictures if I remember to take a picture before I dive into my food. What can I say? I'm hungry!!

With that said, this website will direct you to vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the Phoenix area. Some of my favorites include...

Green (get the BIG WAC!!!!!)
Nami
Treehouse Bakery- Flavors posted almost daily on their Facebook page
24 Carrots- Located in Tempe
Pomegranate Cafe- Located in Ahwatukee
Loving Hut

Happy eating!