Going vegan......old style?!

alec_eiffel

ThemeOne wrote: »

What are people's experiences of trying to eat vegan at mainstream chain restaurants?

There's lots of optimistic advice online about how much the chains have improved, and even when nothing vegan is specified all you have to do is ask for this without that, and so forth, and you'll end up with a marvellous vegan feast.

My own limited experiences have always been much less successful, almost invariably ending up with something that isn't vegan, simply because staff don't know what's vegan and what's not.

My general impression is you have to make quite a fuss about your order to ensure getting something vegan, which I don't enjoy doing.

I tend to email, or more likely tweet the company ahead of time, tweets tend to get a really quick response. If we go to a chain we tend to go to the same ones we know are on the ball like Pizza Express, Zizzi, Las Iguanas, Handmade Burger Co.

I've never had to make a fuss, but I have changed my mind about going to a particular place if they didn't seem enthusiastic or knowledgeable when I contacted them beforehand.

DottyBearP

ThemeOne wrote: »

What are people's experiences of trying to eat vegan at mainstream chain restaurants?

There's lots of optimistic advice online about how much the chains have improved, and even when nothing vegan is specified all you have to do is ask for this without that, and so forth, and you'll end up with a marvellous vegan feast.

My own limited experiences have always been much less successful, almost invariably ending up with something that isn't vegan, simply because staff don't know what's vegan and what's not.

My general impression is you have to make quite a fuss about your order to ensure getting something vegan, which I don't enjoy doing.

I always call or email ahead and I've never had anywhere unwilling/unable to cater for me, from small independent restaurants and cafe's to larger chains restaurants.

VfM4meplse

alec_eiffel wrote: »

If we go to a chain we tend to go to the same ones we know are on the ball like Pizza Express, Zizzi, Las Iguanas, Handmade Burger Co.

You have far more tolerance than I, I'd never set foot in the place on principle. There is so much choice about, its up there with a vegan walking into the Aberdeen Steak House!

I generally don't enjoy eating out in part because decent vegan / vegetarian food is a rarity outside of Indian and Chinese restaurants.

Justamum

This burger place does all their burgers in a vegan version. I've never been though so don't know what it's like. I heard about it on a tv programme which had Johnny Vegas on and she was on it too and mentioned that they had a burger named after him (it could have been the rare occasion I saw five minutes of Saturday Kitchen or Sunday Brunch or something)

ThemeOne

VfM4meplse wrote: »

You have far more tolerance than I, I'd never set foot in the place on principle. There is so much choice about, its up there with a vegan walking into the Aberdeen Steak House!

I generally don't enjoy eating out in part because decent vegan / vegetarian food is a rarity outside of Indian and Chinese restaurants.

I tend to agree, and even in Indian / Chinese places I find often the staff don't really seem to get the idea of vegan food.

Omnivorous eating places I have, however, felt comfortable in are Loungers, which has a separate vegan menu, and Cherry Reds in Birmingham which makes a feature of being vegan friendly.

Somewhere else that looks good at first glance is Toby Carvery. Yes they have some specifically vegan mains, and even a vegan dessert, but on further investigation it seems the vegetables from the carvery area may or may not be cooked in butter (at the whim of the chef) and of course there's no vegan cream / custard to go with the dessert, and I've read it can be a bit dry on its own. So a good effort in offering vegan items, but not quite getting the detail right.

alec_eiffel

VfM4meplse wrote: »

You have far more tolerance than I, I'd never set foot in the place on principle. There is so much choice about, its up there with a vegan walking into the Aberdeen Steak House!

I generally don't enjoy eating out in part because decent vegan / vegetarian food is a rarity outside of Indian and Chinese restaurants.

Maybe I do, but very few of my friends are vegan so if I want to see them then sometimes I visit somewhere I wouldn't go to otherwise, at the very least the burger place have bothered to work with the Vegan Society to get some items certified. I shop at supermarkets that sell meat, fish and other stuff I wouldn't spend my money on too.

VfM4meplse

alec_eiffel wrote: »

Maybe I do, but very few of my friends are vegan so if I want to see them then sometimes I visit somewhere I wouldn't go to otherwise, at the very least the burger place have bothered to work with the Vegan Society to get some items certified. I shop at supermarkets that sell meat, fish and other stuff I wouldn't spend my money on too.

Fair enough, I agree shopping is unavoidable but the smell of cooked meat makes me sick, to have it lingering on my clothes, hair etc...uugh!

One of the worst aspects of summer for me is barbeques, specifically neighbour's barbeques when you have hung clean laundry out and gone off for the day, expecting clothes to be dry and fresh when you return. It drives me mad to have to wash them again but it has to be done.

elsiepac

ThemeOne wrote: »

What are people's experiences of trying to eat vegan at mainstream chain restaurants?

There's lots of optimistic advice online about how much the chains have improved, and even when nothing vegan is specified all you have to do is ask for this without that, and so forth, and you'll end up with a marvellous vegan feast.

My own limited experiences have always been much less successful, almost invariably ending up with something that isn't vegan, simply because staff don't know what's vegan and what's not.

My general impression is you have to make quite a fuss about your order to ensure getting something vegan, which I don't enjoy doing.

Pretty much going to echo what the others have said, I'm always on the lookout for vegan chain options as I don't really know anyone in "real life" who is vegan so I on'y get to go to vegetarian/vegan places if I go alone!

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend Las Iguanas, I love their moqueca!
Pizza express are very good too.
McDs fries are vegan, as are their veggie burgers if you ask for no mayo (pretty boring as just a dry burger in a bun with a straggle of iceberg, but if you're stuck, you'll be glad of it!!)
I've had dishes adapted for me in Bella Italia before, and they now also do aveggie spaghetti - you know, the veggies are made into spaghetti, and it comes with tomato sauce which was quitenice.
BK fries are vegan, and again if you get the bean burger with no mayo or cheese it was fine last time I checked
Loungers are a fantastic chain, I'm lucky enough to live in Bristol where they started and have loads of them to choose from!
How has no one mentioned Wagamama or Yo Sushi!! My fave is Waga's - the yasai itame is vegan as it comes, and MANY other dishes can be made vegan - they even have an online sheet that tell you which ones and what needs replacing, plusthe servers have a great big folder they can reference when you are in there.
Yo Sushi has a couple of sushi bits which are vegan, and things like their yasai gyoza and yasai yaki soba are too.
Apparently gourmet Burger Kitchen have a vegan burger
Giraffe have a couple of vegan options that look nice

Can't think of more for now, but there's tons out there! HTH elsie xx

VfM4meplse

I quite like Wagamamas, but the coffee is rank (far too strong).

VfM4meplse

Getting back on the vegan wagon. Much as I love cheese, cream and yoghurt I can cut it out. Its milk, calcium, iron and Vit D thats the problem for me - bearing in mind that I eat one small meal a day and don't want to have to resort to a multivit / mineral supplement.

All help gratefully received.