Veggie Grill serves 100% plant-based food in a casual atmosphere along the West Coast

It started in 2006 when T.K. Pillan and Kevin Boylan formed a partnership to create a new restaurant that offered great-tasting, convenient, feel-good food. Along with Chief Foodie Ray White, they hoped to show people how delicious and enjoyable plant-based food could be when prepared correctly. Veggie Grill is also taking advantage of the fresh, local seasonal produce so entrees will always feature the freshest and most sustainable products available during any season. 

 Harvest Bowl is Field Roast sausage, herb-roasted veggies, super grains, porcinis, mushroom and miso gravy, and hemp seeds. The Field Roast sausage, even though it was vegetarian, had a familiar texture and sausage-like flavor. I loved the herb-roasted vegetables, but I think the root vegetables need to either be roasted separately or roasted longer as they were a bit undercooked. The rest of the vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini) were perfectly roasted. The super grains gave it a hearty, nutty flavor. The kale added a refreshing green flavor. Thumbs up, way up!

Bombay Bowl is herb-roasted veggies, super grains, steamed kale, cannellini beans, cilantro/green curry sauce with coconut milk, almonds, and hemp seeds. As with the Harvest Bowl, the root vegetables need to be roasted longer. The green curry sauce was mild and complemented the taste of the vegetables. I liked the contrasting textures from the soft cannellini beans and the crispy almonds. Thumbs up!

Herb- Roasted Veggies is on the Sides menu -- a seasonal selection of herb-roasted root vegetables, squash, mushrooms, and red onions. Again, the root vegetables need to be roasted longer, but the rest of the vegetables were al dente. The mushrooms absorbed the flavors from the herbs and acted as the "salt and pepper" for the vegetables. This is a great vegetable side option instead of fries.

Mexi-Mini is a Mini Wrap with a taco blend, Mexican spices, avocado, lettuce, and spicy sauce. The aroma from the wrap was just like a burrito you would get at a fast food restaurant from the spices. The texture was similar to chicken but a little softer. If you are familiar with sesos (brains) in Mexican cuisine or a tofu burrito, the texture is very similar to that. The flavor isn't very spicy and could be a little hotter. Interesting for a snack concept but not for dine in. I would suggest ordering some sides if you plan on eating this for a meal.

Buffalo-Mini is a Mini Wrap with Buffalo Chickin’ tender, lettuce, and ranch dressing. It has a really good buffalo flavor, just spicy enough. The Chickin’ tender has a texture just like that of a chicken nugget or patty and even looks like chicken when you bit into it. But again, interesting for a snack concept but not for dine in. I would suggest ordering some sides if you plan on eating this for a meal. I also think that this buffalo chickin’ would work great on a salad. I’ll have to try the B-Wing Salad next time. Thumbs up, way up!

BBQ Tempeh Plate is organic blackened tempeh, caramelized onions, house-made BBQ sauce, super grains, and cole slaw. Tempeh has a very different texture and flavor that you may not be accustomed to. This is definitely for the hard core vegetarian. Truthfully, I had a really hard time eating this. I prefer the other “protein” styles better. The house-made BBQ sauce was really good with sautéed onions. The cole slaw was refreshingly creamy and the currants added a nice sweetness to it.

Quinoa Power Salad is Quinoa + Kale Salad, avocado, fresh fennel, cannellini beans, carrots, almonds, currants, mint, citrus dressing, and hemp seeds. This salad was light and the mint added a refreshing flavor. It was hearty from quinoa. The avocados they use are very cool and creamy, almost like the ones we have in Hawaii, with a buttery flavor. I would add the Chickin’ protein to this one as well. Thumbs up!

Chocolate Pudding Parfait is made-from-scratch pudding, topped with chocolate sauce, crushed cookies, and walnuts. I heard the carrot cake is awesome, but due to my allergies, I wasn’t able to try it. Instead, I tried the Chocolate Pudding Parfait and it was very good. Almost a cross between a pudding and a mousse, it was silky smooth, yet had a rich chocolate flavor like a gourmet mousse. The chocolate sauce intensified the flavor and the walnuts and cookies added a crunchy texture. Thumbs up, way up!

Try Veggie Grill for your next meal! 

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 4 out of 5 stars

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Veggie Grill 

22 locations and counting on the West Coast – Find one near you

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