One of the great pleasures of living in a foodie town is just dropping by any strip center and trying out a new, locally owned and operated eatery. The owner is usually there to make sure you are treated like royalty and the food is just how s/he wants it to be. Fun! That's how I discovered Veggy Street. This is not a vegeterian restaurant; it's a vegan one. ALL the ingredients are 100 percent plant based. Up front: the hamburger didn't taste anything like the real thing. But it was absolutely delicious in a different way. I had the Mea Culpa Bacon Burger. How much further away from the original can you get? All the stuff on top was what made it exceptional. The restaurant uses hydroponically grown butter lettuce, tomatoes and red onions. Then there's a layer of guacamole, atop faux bacon. The sandwich is littered with crispy garbanzo crumbs. There's a slathering of tahini covered by a blanket of pepper jack cheese. All wedged into a pretzel bun. There was a fireworks of flavors. I didn't miss the real meat part. The eatery has many varieties of hamburger. Veggy Street has hot dogs too! In the winter lentil soup is on the menu. This is one spicy mother. The thick soup is topped with raw onions and fresh cilantro. A bowl would certainly keep you warm. There are wonderful smoothies too. The wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable and committed to the cause. Our person had great patience explaining everything to me, the committed carnivore. In case you are in a bad mood, read the inspirational sayings on the wall. All explain why eating vegan is THE healthiest thing to do. There is a small patio for outdoor dining when the weather permits. I am not going to give up meat. But I will be back because hey I like doing my part to save the planet as long as the food is fantastic!

I had the gnocchi pesto which was plenty filling and tasted great. Would never know it was vegan. My wife had a Chinois salad which looked great but came swimming in dressing. They happily made it again with the dressing on the side. The vegetables were all very fresh. We also shared the jalapeno poppers and they were our least favorite item. Way too much breading that distracted from the filling. Will be returning as they have quite an extensive vegan menu. Many many burgers. It's like this place is 2 restaurants in 1.