A couple of weeks back I was in Phoenix (well, Tempe really) for Pressnomics. Thought I’d share a few vegan spots in the area worth checking out.
Green (@greendamon) has two locations – one in Tempe (2240 N. Scottsdale Rd #8, Tempe, AZ 85281) and one in Phoenix (2022 N 7th St Phoenix, AZ 85004). Their menu is 100% vegan and focuses on what they describe as “comfort foods.”
They’ve also got (in the Phoenix location) an associated vegan bakery / soft-serve cafe called Nami, products from which are available in the Tempe location too. (Including excellent vegan chocolate shakes).
I had a fantastic dinner here (we had the spicy buffalo “wings” and the samosas, and the Kung Pao bowl), and seeing they had a brunch menu tried to go in for breakfast the next day, only to realize the brunch is only on Sundays – check the hours before you go.
Buffalo “wings” from Green (photo from their website)
Kung Pao bowl from Green (photo from their website)
Desert Roots is a counter-service healthy cafe tucked away inside a little courtyard (Mill Avenue Shops) right off of Mill St in Tempe: 414 S. Mill Avenue #111.
They post their menu each day as it changes – but it’s said to be vegan/vegetarian (all the dishes were vegan the day I was there), with an emphasis on fresh, local, and organic. You can see a bunch of sample menus in their photo stream on facebook.
Sample of Desert Roots options (Photo from their Facebook page)
Not a wholly vegan (or even vegetarian) restaurant, C.A.S.A. (right on Mill St. and 6th) has a fairly healthy set of vegan options, and (apparently) at least one vegan chef. Through the online menu doesn’t show it, the physical menu we got had a half-dozen or more vegan versions of their house burritos. Vegan carne asada, vegan Mac & cheese, and so on.
It does get quite crowded, even on a week night – my guess is you’d want to avoid C.A.S.A. SunBá on a Friday or Saturday night.
C.A.S.A. on a Friday night (photo from their Facebook stream)
All in all an excellent set of options for the Tempe area.
Which did I miss? Let me know in the comments Phoenix vegans!