Best Vegan Orange Chicken
Veggie Village
How can you successfully convert orange chicken – the requisite of which is little more than pieces of poultry smothered in a tangy citrus glaze – into a delicious plant-based dish? It takes a village. Veggie Village chef-owner Shaw Wei Lee’s recipe replaces the bird with battered and fried soy protein, tosses it in a thick, house-made sauce and supplements it with thinly sliced carrots and fresh orange peels. 1255 E. Northern Ave., Phoenix, 602-944-1088, vegvillage888.com
Best Vegan Food Truck
Flavors Plant Based Cuisine
For vegan cuisine that spans the globe, roams the Valley and hits all the marks, keep an eye out for the Flavors food truck. Options include jackfruit tacos, Asian-inspired bowls, plant-based burgers and “chicken” sandwiches, and banana blossom fried “fish.” Follow Flavors on Instagram for weekly locations: @flavorsvegan, flavorsplantbased.com
Best Vegan Event
Vegan Social
Presented by Phoenix Vegan – the Instagram-famous folks behind Phoenix Vegan Restaurant Week – Vegan Social is a semi-regular open-air market that celebrates all things vegan in the Valley. Attendees can expect more than 50 vegan-friendly vendors slinging everything from hot sauce to hamburgers – powered by plants and empowered by the local community. The next Vegan Social is slated for Saturday, September 10, in Downtown Phoenix. vegansocial.co
Best Vegan Burrito
Testal Mexican Kitchen
The menu may be minimal, but the ingredients and flavors are mighty at Testal, where a handful of vegan burritos holds court in an otherwise meat-centric milieu. Testal’s quality-over-quantity ethos extends to every part of its offerings – from its pliant plant-based tortillas to the perfectly seasoned Impossible ground beef and potatoes that fill them. Simple yet satisfying. 1325 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-384-9993, testalphx.com
Best Vegan Nachos
Verdura
The menu at Verdura rotates seasonally, but a few things remain constant. For one, you can almost always expect a rockin’ playlist when you pay a visit, courtesy of music-loving co-owners Julia Chugerman and Chris Gruebele. Second, everything is 100 percent vegan and made in-house, including the mainstay nachos. Fresh tortilla chips are piled high with seitan “carne asada,” spicy dairy-free queso, pico de gallo, guacamole, chimichurri and black beans. Some things never change, and we’re grateful for that. 5555 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-283-5168, verduraphx.com
Best Vegan Chili
Whyld Ass
Few things are more comforting than a big bowl of chili, perhaps topped with a dollop of sour cream or sided with a slice of fluffy cornbread. Even more comforting for those who are plant-based or gluten-free, Valley vegan hub Whyld Ass makes a top-notch black bean and chipotle version sans meat or wheat. We’re convinced chef-owner Keith Wyatt could win any cook-off – and win over even the most militant meat-eaters. 4810 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-237-6724, whyldass.com
Best Veggie Flautas
Earth Plant Based Cuisine
Veganism incorporates “love for animals, love for the planet and love for yourself,” according to author Mischa Temaul. It should also include “love for flautas.” We recommend the ones from Earth, a plucky little plant-based spot in the heart of the Grand Avenue Arts District. Made in both potato and “chicken” iterations, Earth’s flautas are crispy on the outside with a creamy interior and topped with lettuce, radish, salsa, avocado crema and cotija “cheese” – love in its purest form. 1325 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 480-465-2110, earthplantbased.com
Best New Vegan Restaurant
Pachamama
As veterans of a pandemic, we’re pretty familiar with terms like “pivot” and “hybrid,” but probably not as intimate with these concepts as Kevin and Maria Lebron, who bravely brought their plant-based pop-up, Pachamama, to a stationary storefront at the end of 2020. Now, the husband-and-wife chef-owners dish out their creative, meat-free takes on Mexican classics at both their Uptown eatery and at events around the Valley. 4115 N. 19th Ave, Phoenix, 602-586-3991, pachamamaphx.com
