Most vegetarian friendly non-veg retaurant.
Seems to me that italian restaurants tend to be the best. Mexican restaurants tend to be the worst (they use lard in their refried beans, and everthing has meat in it). But I went to a italian restaurant when I was still vegan. I don't like to go out to eat usually because it is difficult to find something to eat. But this one restaurant was great, I explained my situation to the waiter, and he suggested this dish, pasta, with veggies and tomato sauce. I got that. Wow, one of the most delicious plates of food I have ever eaten!
Then there was the Olive Garden, I got this dish with pasta, tomato sauce with chunks of fresh tomato, fresh basil, and olive oil. OMG was so delish!
Then just last night went to the Lasagna House, I have had their meat lasagna before and didnt' like it. But I ordered their vegetarian lasagna, with broccoli, califlower, and carrots in it smothered in a fresh chunky tomato sauce. Again...WOW. It was so good.
Vegetarian food just plain tastes better, I am not sure how people can eat meat anymore, vegetarian food is just better...period.
Okay, I am getting hungry.
Then there was the Olive Garden, I got this dish with pasta, tomato sauce with chunks of fresh tomato, fresh basil, and olive oil. OMG was so delish!
Capellini Pomodoro. ;)b
careful with Olive Garden. Most of their sauces contain chicken stock.
I like middle eastern/mediterranean restaurants the best. Usually a good portion of the menus are vegetarian. Hummus, tabouli, falafel...yum!
Yeah, I go with Indian and Mediterranean as well. I have had the worst experience with Italian, actually! At least where I live. They make their own pasta, and it has eggs. That, plus cheese, rules out EVERYTHING on the menu.
Olive garden's pasta is made with eggs.
Granted, I base this on a particular bad experience where I asked the waitress, "Does the pasta have eggs?" and she said, "Oh, I don't know. I mean, probably. It's pasta. Who knows." And then kept on taking orders.
Um, hi? Could you GO CHECK? Not that it's your job or anything.
Yeah, we actually asked the waitress when we were there months ago (after first going vegan), and she said the pasta did not have egg in it..so we had the minestrone..and then I later learn that it does..
Yeah, we actually asked the waitress when we were there months ago (after first going vegan), and she said the pasta did not have egg in it..so we had the minestrone..and then I later learn that it does..
Yes, it does have egg. Which makes everything at Olive Garden non-vegan. I had a company dinner there once and ate soggy steamed veggies and a crappy iceberg lettuce salad (their dressing has both eggs AND cheese, so I just had balsamic vinegar on it). I am very anti-Olive Garden >:(
I think Indian restaurants tend to be the best along with Mediterranean, though I like a lot more kinds of Indian food than Mediterranean. Chinese/Thai/Japanese/Vietnamese are usually OK if you specify no fish/chicken/other meat stock.
There are a lot of decent Tex-Mex style restaurant restaurants around here that are very veg-friendly--beans, rice, guac, veggies...yum! But that gets old after a while. I'm just glad I have lots of yummy VegWeb recipes to choose from so I can just cook instead :)
Yeah, we actually asked the waitress when we were there months ago (after first going vegan), and she said the pasta did not have egg in it..so we had the minestrone..and then I later learn that it does..
Yes, it does have egg. Which makes everything at Olive Garden non-vegan. I had a company dinner there once and ate soggy steamed veggies and a crappy iceberg lettuce salad (their dressing has both eggs AND cheese, so I just had balsamic vinegar on it). I am very anti-Olive Garden >:(
I think Indian restaurants tend to be the best along with Mediterranean, though I like a lot more kinds of Indian food than Mediterranean. Chinese/Thai/Japanese/Vietnamese are usually OK if you specify no fish/chicken/other meat stock.
There are a lot of decent Tex-Mex style restaurant restaurants around here that are very veg-friendly--beans, rice, guac, veggies...yum! But that gets old after a while. I'm just glad I have lots of yummy VegWeb recipes to choose from so I can just cook instead :)
AGREE with everything you said! I don't have experience with Mediterranean restaurants..but the only restaurant we normally go to is Indian. I am also anti-OG after learning all that I learned (our waitress did inform us-after she went and asked-that the dressing had cheese, but she did not say egg-learned that later also). So, agreed. :ladybug:
Ugh. I have to eat at the Olive Garden Saturday. Gross. I didn't even like eating there when I wasn't vegan.
i have always had the best luck with mexican, actually.
even if they do fry everything in lard (which i have one place that does this... obnoxious), i can at least enjoy a margarita or mexican beer.
Now a days, (in my experience) at least on the West Coast and in most of the the South West, about 70% of the Mex restaurants have forgone w/ the use of lard as the main fat source in their recipes, also with the "anti-fat" movement, you can generally ask for black beans or non-refried pintos that will most of the time be lard free. The main risk in Mex restaurants (and any other non mid eastern/Asian cuisines) is the use of chicken stock in the use of sauces, soups, and the cooking of rice!! What I've found is if you know how to explain your needs in Mex restaurants, you can have some of the BEST FOOD EVER!!
But as has been said, for the restaurants that have the most "accidentally veg*n" options, middle eastern cuisines are the best!!!
i have always had the best luck with mexican, actually.
even if they do fry everything in lard (which i have one place that does this... obnoxious), i can at least enjoy a margarita or mexican beer.
see, now this is what I'm talking about! When in doubt, order a drink!
Sweet tomatoes! I love that place its a soup and salad sort of thing but they also have pastas or whatever. I love their vegtable harvest soup! They lable all their vegetarian items as such.
i love taquerias. they often times will have avocado tacos on the menu. mmmm. fresh avocado, tomato, lettuce with a splash of lime on a freshly made flour tortilla..... yummmm.
other than that. i find that asian restaurants are pretty easy to be vegan at! although we do have an italian restaurant in our town that does not put animal fat in the tomato sauce, we get cheesless pizzas and they are just delish!! i worked at a pizza shop one summer and learned that most pizza doughs are vegan, but sicillian is never vegan.
Sweet tomatoes! I love that place its a soup and salad sort of thing but they also have pastas or whatever. I love their vegtable harvest soup! They lable all their vegetarian items as such.
Yes!!! I'll second that. Sweet Tomatoes rocks! I discovered them on the West Coast - I live in PA & there aren't any anywhere near me. I shall be visiting one when I'm in Cali next week though - can't wait.
I like Moe's and Quadoba for mexican restaurants--they are very vegan friendly! it's not the greatest fine dinning in the world--but it makes for yummy, cheap vegan eats :)
Kissmekate, have you been to Madras Mahal? Their veg and kosher lunch buffet has got to be the best in the city!
OOO and Taco Chulo on Grand in Williamsburg?!? MMMMmm.
OOOx2 Ethiopian! Drool. Kaffa Crossing (Philly) here I come!