BROCKTON — As plant-based eating becomes more popular across the country amid concerns for animal rights, health benefits and a desire to cut back on carbon emissions, you might be wondering where you can get some veggie delights in the Brockton area.
While plant-based options can be slim south of Boston, restaurants in the Brockton area which have chosen to offer animal-free foods have worked hard to create dishes that both vegans and meat-eaters will enjoy.
Brockton
Cabo Vegan — Brockton-based vegan caterer Cabo Vegan will soon be opening a physical location at 9 Franklin St. in Brockton. Their new location will be located where the old Colonial Spa bar used to be.
More: Brockton business Cabo Vegan catering to meat-free lifestyle
The Cape Verdean small business is owned by Tome Andrade and his wife Valery Teixeira. The couple previously told The Enterprise that they first went vegan because Andrade was experiencing health issues and wanted a healthier lifestyle, and because Teixeira wanted to stop eating meat altogether.
According to the husband and wife partners, lots of Cape Verdean food is almost vegan to begin with. They launched their business in June of last year after a Facebook post on their page with a vegan lobster and tuna roll went viral.
Cabo Vegan is known for its traditional-Cape-Verdean-turned-vegan dishes like chuna snack rolls, pastels, katxupa and djagacida de fogo.
Easton
The Farmer’s Daughter — The Farmer’s Daughter has always had vegan options — even before it was trendy, owner Chandra Gouldrup said.
“I was raised vegetarian. So it’s not a fad for me,” she said. “A big part of my menu development was to incorporate things that I felt were lacking in terms of options.”
For a vegetarian and on-again, off-again vegan family, Gouldrup said, dining out was a challenge — especially before the last decade when plant-based options have become more widespread.
“Unless you went to a vegan- or vegetarian-based restaurant, there really weren’t any options,” she said. “So you ended up ordering off of the sides on the menu.”
So when Gouldrup opened her first location in Easton in 2013, she made a point to create some plant-based dishes that were fully composed and delicious on their own — like any of her other dishes.
The Farmer’s Daughter offers house-made veggie burgers and sausages, plant-based tacos and French toast, an eggless omelet and avocado toast. All of it is made with local produce, Gouldrup said, and is enjoyed by both vegans and meat-eaters.
“At the end of the day, you just want to serve good food,” she said.
Bridgewater
Restoration Coffee — With locations in Bridgewater, East Bridgewater and Whitman, Restoration Coffee is a great place to grab a quick plant-based bite in the Brockton area.
More: Restoration Coffee is open and brewing in Bridgewater, 3rd location in under three years
More: Restoration Coffee returns to Whitman after first location in barbershop closed
Matt Wood, owner of the local coffee shop chain, said he’s had plant-based options since he first opened in Whitman three years ago.
“Myself and a lot of my family are gluten-free and dairy-free,” he said. “… So when we first opened, I wanted it to be a place where my family can actually go and eat and be safe because of food intolerances.”
All of Restoration Coffee’s syrups are vegan, Wood said, and their signatures lattes are all vegan as a default because they are made with oat milk — which he said has been a hit ingredient as of late.
The coffee shop also has popular vegan bagels, such as their garden bagel with vegan chive cream cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and greens, and their sunrise bagel with vegan cream cheese and pesto, greens and tomato.
Wood said his family is used to having to order meals without some ingredients, which often makes the dish not as good. He said he thinks vegans and non-vegans alike appreciate having options that are meant to be plant-based.
“They’re actual good sandwiches, not a deconstructed meal,” he said.
Summer Street Cafe — Karlyn Bourne, owner of Summer Street Cafe, said when she first opened in January 2020, she didn’t have any vegan options. But just a couple months after opening, people started requesting them, so she added some to her menu.
Summer Street Cafe has a tofu scramble — which is comparable to scrambled eggs, buffalo tempeh — which she said is her most popular vegan option, vegan waffles and french toast, spring rolls, a chickpea “tuna” sandwich and a falafel burger.
Additionally, all her syrups are vegan, so her coffees can be made vegan as well.
“People that are vegan or vegetarian, they’re just happy that they have a place that they can go. Even though it’s a limited option, they can have something they have something to choose from,” she said.
Raynham
Sweet and Earthy — Melody West, co-owner of Sweet and Earthy, said the local chain has always had vegan options because when they opened their first location in Raynham in 2019, she was eating a plant-based diet for medical reasons.
So when West opened her first location, she said she was having a hard time finding vegan food, so she decided to get creative.
“I wanted something that it doesn’t matter what you are, you’ll still just enjoy it. It’s just good for you in every single sense,” she said.
So West went about creating plant-based smoothies like her caramel apple pie with agave, almond milk, apple, almond butter, cinnamon, caramel, dates, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.
Most of her smoothies are vegan, from chocolate-espresso flavored ones to green monster and tropical-flavored ones. All of her juices are vegan as well.
Sweet and Earthy also offers plant-based toast such as an avocado toast with avocado, chia seeds, shallots and spinach, and a hummus toast with cucumber, red onion, tomato, oil and vinegar.
West’s most popular vegan item, she said, is her protein acai bowl with acai, agave, almond milk, banana, blueberry, peanut butter, strawberry, vanilla protein and vanilla.
“It’s simple food. It’s just the flavor combination, I think, is what makes it really stand out,” West said.
Because of this, West said, she thinks her plant-based food is popular with vegans and non-vegans alike. They’re not looking to eat plant-based food, just something yummy.
“My mission is to make sure people know that you can have so much more than what you expected, and it will taste better than you’ve imagined,” she said.
Farm2Cup Juicery — Farm2Cup Juicery Owner Erin Washington said her business has been plant-based since she opened in September 2017.
While she has meat and cheese available for people who want to add it to items on her menu, she said everything on the menu is either vegan or can be made vegan.
“The reason I opened is because you really couldn’t find anything like that around, and I struggled myself being vegan at the time just trying to find healthy alternatives,” she said.
Washington said her plant-based beach babe juice, with apple, cucumber, pineapple, blueberries and lemon, as well as her dirty espresso smoothie with banana, peanut butter, espresso powder and almond milk are some of her most popular drinks.
But people also love her plant-based smoothie bowls, sandwiches and soups, including a vegan cheeseburger soup and a vegan caprese panini.
Everything she makes is with local produce she gets at farmer’s markets.
“I think people gravitate to us cause it’s healthy. They probably feel better when they eat our stuff,” she said. “Everything’s made fresh, made to order. I think people like knowing what is going into their drink.”
West Bridgewater
Lawadessa Middle Eastern Restaurant — One of the few restaurants in the area with plant-based options that is also open for dinner, Lawadessa offers Middle Eastern staples made vegan.
At the Lebanese-focused restaurant, plant-based eaters can find traditional hummus, moussaka, fattoush and many types of falafel wraps, salads and burgers.
Stoughton
Ruk Mae Thai Food — Ruk Mae Thai Food boasts low sodium, health-conscious Thai food, much of which is or can be made gluten-free and vegan. There you will find Thai and East Asian staples such as hot and sour soup, Thai curries and pad thai.