Visitors to downtown Madison have yet another vegan option following the recent opening of JustVeggiez on State Street.
Most of the items on the menu use plant-based versions of the meat they’re replacing. For example, the Veggiez lasagna rolls ($14.99) use Beyond Crumblers, which were an excellent substitute for ground beef. The lasagna, which came in two pan-shaped pieces (not rolls as indicated in the name), was similar in taste to the real thing, except for the addition of crunchy vegetables. I feel they should have been sauteed to soften them up to match the expected texture of lasagna.
I love reuben sandwiches, so I had to try the plant-based version ($14.99), though I held out the onions and peppers, which don’t belong on that sandwich. I hate to say how difficult it was to eat that sandwich, mostly because the marinated vegan corned beef had way too strong of a clover flavor. Bite after bite was just clover.
The plant-based BBQ sandwich ($10.99) was better. It’s made of seitan (made of gluten) with a heavy dose of mesquite BBQ sauce plus coleslaw on top, so that’s mostly what you’re tasting (plus, seitan has a neutral flavor).
My favorite item was the plant-based shrimp po boy sandwich ($14.99), which was beautifully crafted. The vegan shrimp has the same taste and texture as fish cakes typically found in pho or ramen. But, it’s perfectly deep-fried and has a delicious remoulade sauce on top. I also liked the crunch from the cabbage mix.
Many of the dishes come with a side. The roasted potatoes were heavily charred but still fine to eat. Meanwhile, the mac & cheese had the right texture but tasted like squash. I liked the quinoa, which appeared to be tossed in vinaigrette and came with fresh cucumbers, red peppers, carrots and onions.
One item I didn’t get to try was pizza, which the restaurant warns can take 40 min. I do believe it, as one of my orders (no pizza) took more than an hour.
JustVeggiez is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Tags: downtown, vegetarian
