Veggie Grill released new summer dishes on its All American Vegan Menu earlier this month. And the company invited me to come try some of the new offerings. Of course, since I’m a huge fan of Veggie Grill and its newish owner Next Level Burger, I was thrilled to accept.
First thing to know: There’s a lot of new stuff on the menu. So you’ll probably need to visit several times to try everything. My husband and I got a ridiculous amount of food, and still didn’t try everything.
Our favorite Next Level/Veggie Grill general managing partner, Greg Maniulit, warmly welcomed us to the downtown Portland outlet on a Saturday afternoon. Greg is a kind individual, dedicated vegan and a wonderful ambassador for the company. “I’m glad to be doing something that matters,” he said of working for the vegan restaurant.
New protein plates
New dishes are sprinkled throughout the menu, from shareables to salads to mains. But one of the biggest additions is a line of new entrée plates that are available after three PM. Diners choose a protein, sauce and two sides. You can get pan-seared salmon, citrus herbed chik’n, Beyond Steak filet or organic crispy tofu.
The protein plates come elegantly plated for a fast casual restaurant. Greg described them as “the top tier of what we have to offer.”
We tried the chick’n with chimichurri sauce and the salmon filet. My husband and I both preferred the chick’n. The salmon was a little too authentically fishy for me. But if you’re a vegan who misses salmon, you should definitely try it.
We tried six out of the ten sides. My favorite was the buttery jalapeno corn, which has a smoky flavor. We also liked the creamy jalapeno slaw and the roasted carrots. The seasoned onion rings disappeared fast.
Some of the new sides started out as garnishes or parts of salads, Greg told me. People asked for more of the pickled cucumber salad at the edge of their plate, or a whole order of the garlic griddle broccoli in their salad. “We’re not afraid to take people’s feedback and use it as an actionable item,” he said.
Summer sundaes
We were careful to set aside lots of leftovers so we’d have room to share the new sundae. It’s made with organic strawberry ice cream that Cosmic Bliss created exclusively for Next Level. The coconut whipped cream and sprinkles on top make it a divine summer treat.
Other new Veggie Grill items
We ate a lot, but again, too much new stuff to try. Here are a few bullet points of other additions to the menu:
- New shareables such as Fresh Summer Rolls and Fried Cheese Bites
- New bowls, including the Buddha Brunch Bowl featuring Yo! Egg.
- New salads, sandwiches, burgers, burritos and tacos, including an even-tastier recipe for Veggie Grill’s beloved All Hale Kale salad
In the name of good vegan journalism, I should have tried a new shareable. I’m sure summer rolls and fried cheese bites are delicious. But I couldn’t resist the Buffalo style chik-n tenders with blue cheese. These are one of my favorite Veggie Grill/Next Level items, especially since I researched vegan wings on a trip to Buffalo last year. I’m glad to see old stand-bys even as the restaurant evolves and responds to customer demand.
