OK, so last week I told you about all the tasty sit-down type restaurants here in Johnson City that serve vegetarian dishes. I also promised a column on vegetarian fast food, and here it is.
Amazingly enough, I found that many of these establishments offer not only vegetarian options, but many vegan choices as well.
I’ll begin with a restaurant that is really a little bit sit-down, a little bit fast food
Cranberries on State of Franklin. They’re not vegetarian, but they have some good veggie salads (tomato and feta recommended by Chris) as well as sandwiches. Dependent on the day you might find a veggie quiche (by general definition this makes them un-vegan) or soup as well.
Vegans should ask about salad ingredients because some could certainly fit the bill, but I wouldn’t know, I’ve never asked. The ambiance is really nice as well; it makes up for the slightly higher prices.
There is of course Burger King, whose fries are safe and veggie burgers tasty, not to mention on campus. However, for those who may not be aware, the veggie burgers are no longer vegan as they now contain milk and eggs. I know, stupid, but still better than nothing in terms of corporations catching on to the needs of the meatless.
McDonald’s also has a veggie burger on the market in some cities, though not ours yet. But everything that’s normally vegetarian at fast food places is off limits at Mickey D’s, except maybe salad. McDonald’s fries have beef flavoring, so they’re bad despite being cooked in vegetable oil. The yogurt in the fruit and yogurt salads probably contains gelatin (a combo of hooves and other body parts) but the web site is unclear.
I wouldn’t trust it myself because very few yogurts do not contain gelatin. They do have apple dippers, and they’re good for vegetarians desperate for a snack, but the caramel dip is a no-no for vegans.
Wendy’s is pretty good spot for some veggie food. Potatoes abound, fried or baked. There are garden salads, which are vegan when you minus the cheese and use red Italian dressing, and you can always ask for any sandwich without the meat. I can’t guarantee they won’t charge you full price, but ask with a smile and maybe you’ll get lucky.
Subway is a no-brainer. The Veggie Delite sub is easy, filling and cheaper than everything else on the menu. You can put it on Italian bread, forgo the cheese and mayo and you have yourself a tasty vegan meal. If you’re getting it to go you can smack on some fake deli meat when you get home to make it even more scrumptious. Some Subway restaurants offer a veggie patty you can put on your sub, I’m not sure if the ones in Johnson City do, but you can always ask.
Quiznos is also great, and also on campus. They have cheese subs which are really yummy, but if you want vegan, hit up the good ole Veggie sub minus cheese and substitute balsamic vinaigrette dressing in place of the red wine vinaigrette. Simple, yet satisfying.
I’m not sure if the campus Quiznos has salads, but if so, grab a side salad to round out your meal. Or get one by itself if you’re low on snacking time or cash.
Now, I couldn’t write this column and not include one of my favorite places, Panera Bread. They serve a few different veggie sandwiches, which with some tinkering can become vegan in a snap. Stick with simple breads like Ciabatta or sourdough if you’re vegan, or check their web site, www.panerabread.com, before you go to make sure what you want doesn’t contain dairy or eggs. They have a really good listing of all foods available so you can look up what’s in everything from a Greek salad to a cherry danish. They also have vegetarian soups (dictated on the menu as so) which change pretty often so you won’t get bored.
Atlanta Bread Company is a good option for veggie sandwiches as well. They have vegetarian soups too, but only vegetable and tomato, so if you’re looking to go more festive, try Panera.
My all-time favorite easy veggie (and oh yeah, vegan) meals happen to come from none other than Taco Bell. Simple bean burritos are not only vegetarian right off the bat, but become vegan by simply asking for no cheese. Seven layer burritos are veggie and by making them five layers (no cheese or sour cream) they’re vegan as well. Substituting rice or beans for meat in dishes is a quick way to have a cheap veggie (or vegan) snack. They even have a way to do this so you don’t pay extra, which is great since beans and rice are cheaper than meat in the first place. And you won’t get as many funny looks when you order weird vegetarian concoctions thanks to the desensitization administered by millions of orders by me and Chris.
Now if you’ve eaten dinner and just need dessert, well fear not.
Obviously you’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant dessert that wasn’t vegetarian, but vegan is a little trickier. But I, your faithful veggie guru, have found a solution.
Baskin Robbins has vegan ices which are nice, cool ice cream substitutes. They also have Bold Breezes, which can double as desserts or just tasty (and calorie-laden) drinks on a toasty afternoon.
Atlanta Bread Company has an array of smoothie options and now offers soy milk for any other dessert-type drink you might fancy. This is good news for me because it’ll soon be fancy hot coffee season and I’m an addict.
Starbucks will substitute Silk in place of real milk on request, but it’ll cost you a little extra change. I’m not sure if Atlanta Bread Company charges extra, I hope not though, paying extra sucks.
Well, I leave you now with a long list of cheapie, tasty vegetarian and vegan options and the hope that you’ll try some out.
As with everything, if I missed something or somewhere, let me know. Mohawktown@hotmail.com or etnews@etsu.edu.
And someone bring me a soy caramel macchiato stat!

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