While some off-campus favorites offer great plant-based options, others fall a little short. Here are my takes on a few of them. Hopefully they save you a trip… or inspire you to make one!

Cabana

My attempt to order something vegan at Cabana was very eventful. Since none of their entrees seemed easy to veganize, I asked for a make-your-own pizza without cheese. I told them I had a dairy allergy (a fun tip you can tell your waiter at almost any restaurant and have them take your dietary concern seriously) and after a while, my waiter came back to tell me the pizza sauce was made with parmesan. My waiter asked if I wanted a kale salad with no cheese and no dressing instead of pizza, to which I kindly replied, “No.” At this point, I was now looking at ordering a pizza without cheese and without sauce, or in other words a disc of bread. I had them add tomato slices, spinach, artichokes and mushrooms to try and mask the bareness of my bread disc, which ended up being reasonably delicious. That being said, I’d urge any vegans to go elsewhere, or be very ready to get creative when ordering at Cabana.

Nama

Rumor has it that if you tell your waiter you’re vegan, the chef will make you a custom roll with whatever you’d like inside it. According to the Yelp review I just read, you can order an off-the-menu Vegan Vixen Roll with avocado, roasted beets, asparagus, pickled carrots and roasted sweet potato. Last time I went, I ordered my old standby: three avocado and cucumber rolls. They’re very boring, but at least I know what’s in them. Nama has a whole section of their menu dedicated to “vegetarian” rolls, most of which contain some bits of egg or cream cheese. Maybe next time I go, I’ll have the gumption to ask my waiter to make me a vegan roll with all sorts of good stuff in it.

Chipotle

When you’re starving and everything on campus seems to be closed or deserted, an enormous sofritas burrito with guac, fajita veggies and all three salsas always sounds good. While not on the card, Chipotle is such a comfortable, happy home for me as a vegan. It’s something I can whip out of my back pocket when all of my non-vegan friends are trying to figure out where to eat on a Saturday. They rarely argue when Chipotle is suggested. Both the white and brown rice, black and pinto beans, salsas, corn, veggies, tofu sofritas and guac are all vegan. You will be stuffed and it’ll only set you back about $9.

Love, Peace & Pho

I’ve been to this place at least three times, and every single time, I say out loud, “We need to come here more often.” For $12, you get the largest bowl of Pho you’ve ever seen in your life. The “Vegetarian Pho” on the menu isn’t marked as vegan, but I’ve asked two different waiters and both were confident that it’s completely animal-product-free. It comes loaded with an enormous bundle of rice noodles, various forms of plant-based “meats” and glorious chunks of browned tofu, all floating in a vegetable broth that smells of lemongrass and the divine. You’re also given a heaping plate of fresh basil still on the stem, bean sprouts and jalapeno slices to add in at your own leisure. You will never feel more content, warm and happy than you will after one of these bowls. Allegedly, they make for excellent hangover cures, too.

Provence

My ideal Saturday is spent almost entirely at Provence. I usually roll in around 11 a.m. wearing some type of fitted sweatpant and occupy one of their tables for at least three hours. Some of their incredible vegan fair includes their new local kombucha called BOOCH, ratatouille veggies, chickpea and kale salads they keep chilled in big bowls in the window, tubs of fresh red pepper hummus, big loaves of bread you can ask to have sliced and their new flax bread veggie sandwiches which can be toasted to order. My go-to coffee choices are usually pretty simple: americano, cappuccino with soy or almond milk or a Nitro cold brew. Maybe on my next trip I’ll get a little crazy and add a shot of hazelnut syrup or something wild.