Three Must Visit Charlotte Vegan Restaurants

I want to be up front and say this list will be expanding in the near future. The family and I did a quick turn around trip to Charlotte on a Sunday and didn't get to go to all the restaurants on our list because they were closed. However, the restaurants we did get to go to were absolutely PHENOMENAL! We were truly impressed at the diversity of culinary selections we had access to while visiting this beautiful city. Below are three "MUST VISIT" vegan restaurants in Charlotte, NC.

Fern (1419 East Blvd)

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This elegant restaurant is the perfect place for an intimate dinner with someone special. It's beautiful rustic decor sets the tone for cuisine that may be simple in terms of ingredients but complex in terms of flavor. Yes, the menu may be small but their garden focused approach will leave you both full and wanting for more. Our selections for the night are below:

- The Southern Bowl

- Chicken and Dumplings

- Roasted Brussel Sprouts

- Macaroni and Cheese

- Carrot Cake

Now the southern bowl is by far the Fern's most complex dish. It still confuses my taste buds because all the elements at first seem to not fit but once you eat everything together there is a sort of flavor harmony that you just have to experience to understand. Components consists of creamy grits (excellently seasoned), fried tempeh chicken strips, tex-mex style queso, pickles, and hollandaise sauce. Flavor overload right? but trust me it actually works and I would definitely recommend this dish to anyone who considers themselves to be a shrimp (vegan shrimp of course) and grits lover. 

Next was the chicken and dumplings. The traditional southern soup had all the right fixings. Veggies, biscuit style dumplings, and tempeh chicken chunks. I was a fan of the broth and the dumplings but my wife felt as though dragon fruit would have been a better choice for the chicken. The texture of tempeh was slightly off putting within the soup. Never the less, this is still a heavy hitter on their menu and is worth a try. 

 

During the course of our meal we all were nibbling on these truly DELICIOUS brussel sprouts. They were roasted to perfection, accompanied with a Dijon mustard sauce and topped with candied walnuts. Although the dish was extremely satisfying, I will put out a word of caution. The Dijon mustard sauce has an intense flavor, so if you are sensitive to spice I would recommend having them put the sauce on the side.  

As a side dish, my son (he's five) decided  on the the mac and cheese. I was so happy we let him pick because the mac was great! The mac was not only seasoned well but extremely cheesy to the point where I had to make sure it was vegan. Have no fear my friends it is 100% vegan and 100% that good. 

It is rare that we get dessert at a restaurant (usually too full) but the wife felt that it was our duty on this trip to report on the sweet stuff. Our choice at the Fern was carrot cake- which is a personal favorite of mine. This dense cake was jam packed with cinnamon and clove flavor. Stuffed with carrots and raisins and topped with the lightest and most delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting I have ever had and the perfect way to end our night. Word of advice though, have them warm up the cake a bit. They serve it cold and sense the cake is so dense it would cut easier with a bit of warmth to it. 

Bean Vegan Cuisine (3001 E Independence Blvd)

Located right off the highway The Bean is the perfect breakfast/brunch spot. With a variety of choices, excellent service and funky superhero figurines, the Bean was a great way to start our day of adventure. 

- Chicken Fingers with waffle and sausage

-Veggie scramble

Starting with the chicken and waffles. The Bean's primary vegan protein for most of their dishes is tofu. The tofu chicken fingers were fried PERFECTLY. They had a beautiful golden brown color and the coating was crispy. However, I will say it lacked in the seasoning department. There is a light seasoning on the coating but the tofu itself is bland. The waffle makes up for it though with its great homestyle flavor. The batter is infused with cinnamon perfection and is far from being an ego. We also chose to go with a side of sausage which was also well cooked and had fresh fennel which gave it a wonderful licorice flavor that I enjoyed.

Next, we have the veggie scramble or as I like to call it, the kitchen sink plate. You can literally have this dish 20 or more different ways. I decided to create mine with mushrooms, seitan, and spinach.  I truly am NOT a fan of tofu eggs but the Bean does it right! The tofu is crumbled, colored (probably turmeric), and then sauteed with the rest of the chosen ingredients. Once you put a little salt, pepper, and hot sauce your tummy will thank you. The biscuit on the side was soft and not too dry. The biscuit also goes pairs wonderfully with the house made orange marmalade. All together a great meal that I would love to have again.

Jyoti's World Cuisine (7128 Albemarle road)

If you are a lover of African, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisine  Jyoti's is truly for you. To say their menu is ambitious is an under statement. The menu has over 50 items inspired from all over the world. At first I thought, there is no way they are actually cooking all this food. Well, I was wrong! Not only do they cook everything with fresh ingredients but the owner is actually on the line cooking most of the food herself. 

-Ethiopian Doro Wat Platter

- Beyond Burger

-Po Boy

-Lemon Coconut Cake

 I have been craving Ethiopian for awhile so I went with the platter. My protein of choice was jackfruit.  If you are looking for Queen Sheba quality- this is not it. However, there were two elements that I felt were cooked well and had great flavor. The jackfruit portion reminded me of adobo, the deep red hue of the sauce and braised jackfruit was heaven when eaten with the injera bread. The potatoes and cabbage were also a hit for me. The potatoes were tender and the cabbage was soft but not soggy. Overall tasty but the rest of the elements I could've did without.

Next, we have the Beyond Burger. This was our son's choice, he is familiar with beyond burger because we cook it at home. He prefers his burgers plain so it was just beyond patty, vegan cheese and bun. The burger was served with an oat bun that was lightly toasted. Vegan cheese that melted perfectly, and a beyond patty that had great char. My son was literally taking bites of both halves with each hand. Needless to say it was good.

My love chose the Po Boy and I have to say this is truly one of the stars on the menu. She also chose jackfruit as her protein. I literally hit the roof when I tasted it because the fried jackfruit truly did not taste like jackfruit at all. This dish shows the depth of Jyoti's range when it comes to transforming ingredients. Plus I give extra props for portion size because they definitely give you an entree sized amount. Great dish!

Lastly, we took a vote as to what dessert we were going to try and we decided on the Lemon Coconut Cake. When I say all three of us were fighting for the last bite I MEAN IT! This cake was so moist and so delicious I contemplated ordering a second on just to eat myself. I was so good we demanded to speak to the chef. To our surprise not only did the chef come out, but it was the owner herself! Of course she didn't give up her secrets but we did have a great dialogue on plant based needs and the challenges that come with having a vegan restaurant with such a complex menu. We truly enjoyed the place and if you are ever in the area this is a MUST VISIT.

Me with the owner

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Unless otherwise stated, all photos belong to LaBecca Thomas and Shala Pridgen.