Five Cheap Vegan Meals That Are Actually Good

From shawarma bowl brunch to vegan bbq.

(Thomas Teal)
By Shannon Gormley

Enat Kitchen

300 N Killingsworth St., 503-285-4867, enat-kitchen.mxstorefront.com. 11:30 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday.

Though Enat isn't specifically vegan, the Ethiopian restaurant's family-style vegetarian platter ($29 serves three people, $39.99 serves five) is not only one of the city's best meatless meals, it's one of the best bangs for your buck regardless of dietary restrictions. The sampling of slow-stewed vegetables is served in overflowing portions on top of spongy injera, the potato dinch wot is rich with berbere, and the split pea kik wot is a comfort of all comforts.

Wolf and Bear

3925 N Mississippi Ave., 503-453-5044; 113 SE 28th Ave., 503-453-2872; eatwolfandbears.com. 11 am-9 pm daily.

At both locations, the veggie-focused cart serves up pita wraps that make up for a lack of street-food greasiness with heaps of hummus and tahini. The Olea ($9) is the cart's decadent crown jewel—chunks of tender eggplant, crisp mixed greens, roasted red pepper, salty olive tapenade, caramelized walnuts and silky hummus wrapped in a pillowy pita. To make it vegan, sub the labneh for hummus and forgo the Gorgonzola crumbles.

Aviv

1125 SE Division St., avivpdx.com, 503-206-6280. 11 am-10 pm Monday-Friday,
10 am-10 pm Saturday-Sunday. Brunch 10 am-3 pm Saturday-Sunday.

Aviv, one of the participating restaurants for Portland Dining Month.

Aviv is the vegan restaurant everyone in Portland agrees on. But while the intimate, quirky and candlelit spot is busiest at dinner, the brunch menu is cheaper, with the shawarma bowl ($10) being the cheapest. With fresh tomatoes, fatty tahini and shawarma soy curls towering on top of salty fries, it is ideal hangover food.

The Sudra

2333 NE Glisan St., 971-302-6002; 8777 N Lombard St., 971-386-5138; thesudra.com. 11 am-11 pm Sunday-Thursday, 11 am-midnight Friday-Saturday.

The world of vegan food is full of kale salads and tahini dressing, but they're rarely crave-worthy. The Sudra's peacock salad ($11) is an exception. Soy curls and roasted vegetables piled on raw kale might not sound that exciting, but the result is an uncommonly satisfying salad full of varied, harmonious textures and flavors.

Homegrown Smoker

8638 N Lombard St., 503-477-7274, homegrownsmoker.com. 11 am-9 pm
Wednesday-Saturday, 11 am-8 pm Sunday.

Not all of this vegan barbecue restaurant's faux-meat dishes are likely to convince skeptics, but the Macnocheeto burrito ($10) is undeniable. It's an utterly mammoth meal—chewy, smoked soy curls, sharp vegan mac-and-cheese and sweet baked beans stuffed into a giant tortilla. Wash it down with Homegrown's sweet, refreshing mint tea ($2), which pairs nicely with the rich, smoky food.

Where to eat cheap: Central Eastside | Northwest Portland | Outer Northeast | Inner Southeast | Inner Northeast | Lower Southeast | Downtown | North Portland | Southwest Portland | Portland Suburbs |  Deep Southeast

Food Cart of the Year | Four Truly Hidden Cheap Eats Gems | Five Places to Eat Cheap After Hours  | Five Cheap Vegan Meals That Are Actually Good

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