SeeingGreen ™

I was craving a Reuben sandwich the other day and being that I am a vegetarian, there are very few places to find these messy, but delicious creations when outside the home. Enter Veganopolis, a cafeteria-style eatery where no animal product rears its fluffy head on the menu. Yes, Veganopolis is entirely meat and animal product free - abiding to the true definition of vegan.

While I am not a vegan (I’ll admit it - I enjoy cheese), Veganopolis is one of the few places in Portland where this vegetarian can safely order anything on the menu without asking if the soup has a meat stock or if the veggie burrito can be made without chicken. As for the Reuben, I can gleefully say that Veganopolis put this craving out of my misery. With a healthy slice of corned seitan (look it up), soy cheese, sauerkraut and 1000 island dressing on the obligatory rye bread, this is one of the rare vegan reubens that could hold its own against the meaty reubens I remember eating with my grandmother at her corner deli in NYC.

On another visit, I had “The Mediterranean,” a deliciously blended non-dairy ricotta spread flavored with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted artichoke hearts and spinach stuffed into a ciabatta roll. If that doesn’t meet your lunch needs, you’ll also find at least ten other sandwiches, salads, and rotating specials to fill your belly. Save room for dessert too - there is this extremely decadent tasting chocolate brownie… but enough about that - I cannot return there until Tuesday and my mouth is watering already.

Veganopolis also serves breakfast. Monday through Friday its the regular tofu scramble and potatoes deal, but on Saturday, they roll out the gluten-free biscuits with a Vegan Breakfast Buffet featuring bread pudding, tofu scrambles, pancakes, veggie links, biscuits & gravy, roasted potatoes, and your not-so-run of the mill wheat-free baked goods.

The interior of Veganopolis is refreshingly modern and furnished with sustainable materials. The main dining room boasts light colored bamboo flooring and non-toxic paint. To really start SeeingGreen, check out the bathrooms to witness a new trend in porcelain fixtures - double flush toilets (let’s just say if you push one of the buttons it uses only a very small amount of water since less water is needed) and the earth-friendly linoleum floor. Finally, besides the delicious vegan food, the only reminder that you are in a restaurant with a mission are the small framed photos of live farm animals that, thanks to an eatery like Veganopolis, have a chance to live a long, healthy and hopefully happy life.

Veganopolis
412 SW Fourth Street
Portland, Oregon 97205

Hours:
Mon-Sat: 8am-6pm
p:(503) 226-3400