Veggie Grill is a fast food vegan restaurant chain with 28 dining places in California, Oregon, and Washington with a new location coming soon in Chicago.  The popular chain was founded in 2007.  It serves up burgers, sandwiches, and salads that are all vegan.  Most of the selections have fewer calories than traditional fast-food. Veggie Grill is popular for taking familiar foods, like buffalo wings, Caesar salads, and burgers but uses plant-based ingredients instead of animal-based.

The chain's CEO, Steve Heeley strives to make vegan food not only palatable but "craveable."  Heeley explains, 

"There are certain perceptions around the word 'vegan.' It means you have to deny yourself or eat brown foods,"

This is certainly not the case at Veggie Grill.  Heeley expects the company to double in size by 2020.

I found it interesting that even though the food was all plant based, it still had names like "Crispy Chicken" and "Crab Meat".  The menu choices are wide and vary from season to burgers, sandwiches, bowls, entree salads, tacos, veggies, comfort favorites, desserts, drinks, kids, and more.

After reading dozens of reviews and watching several videos of people eating at Veggie Grill while describing what everything tastes like, my mouth was watering.  I wanted to immediately drive to the first Veggie Grill and find out for myself if it is as good as people say it is.  Unfortunately, it's not in my state - (yet)! Hopefully soon.  I can tell you that the vast majority are talking about what it called a Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich.  It came as no surprise to me after, hearing what people were saying about Veggie Grill to find that the Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich is marked as their "best seller" on the online menu.  So let's look at what exactly is in this vegan "chicken" sandwich.

Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich

The menu describes the Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich this way, "Fried Chickin', lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, spicy mayo, wheat roll. | Blackened (non-fried) upon request."

So this got my curiosity going as the menu doesn't really come right out and state what the "chickin"is. I clicked the detailed nutritional information for the Sante Fe Chicken and again couldn't find out what was really in it.  I did find out that the sandwich breaks down as 530 calories with 230 from fat.  The protein content is 28 grams.

I picked one comment out of a large multitude of people that described their experience at Veggie Grill.  The customer said,

"Exquisite as always. Veggie Grill is an absolute staple, and my all time favorite restaurant. Friendliest staff ever, and always adorable decor. If you ever take a piece of advice in your whole life, take this one: get the Santa Fe chicken sandwich. The "chicken" patty is perfectly juicy, thick, and wonderfully fried. Not greasy whatsoever, but still deliciously juicy. Pair it with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, (and if you're extra hungry, a buffalo ranch wrap) and you've got yourself the best meal imaginable. Seriously, you will dream about this meal. If you've never been to veggie grill you need to hurry up and try it, you're missing out big time!"

Sonoran Bowl

Another popular menu item is the Sonoran Bowl.  The menu describes it this way, "Organic quinoa + seasoned black beans, fire-roasted carrots, avocado, salsa, jalapenos, roasted red pepper sauce | Optional: tortilla strips"

People have described it in many ways, mostly positive.  One person described it this way,

"My last visit, I had the Sonoran bowl and honestly - it was one of the best bowls I've had in a while! It's a simple mix of corn salsa, Brussels sprouts, avocado, tortilla strips, and beans (I held the beans). It was delicious!"

Nice Place for Vegans and Meat Lovers To Eat Together

If you are a vegan, you won't want to go out and eat meat.  However, if you eat meat, you may be ok with going out with a friend for family member to eat meatless once in awhile.  Veggie Grill has received good reviews as a place that vegans and non-vegans can eat together.  One person described the experience this way,

"As a sister of a vegetarian, it is often difficult to find places that we can both enjoy. Veggie Grill is a fantastic place for both of our taste preferences. Everything we got was absolutely delicious and I see myself frequently coming back. Environment is very friendly and clean. Overall, this place is a great choice for all vegetarians, vegans, and meat lovers."

The meal prices at Veggie Grill vary from $10 to $15 so it is considered an economical choice for eating out or taking out if you are eating alone or have a family of 2 or 3. However, if you have a large family, the prices per meal can add up quickly.  It is fast food, but it is also higher priced that McDonalds.

From what I have read, the service is fast and friendly at Veggie Grill.  Of course, this is going to depend on who serves you but overall, I was not finding many negative reviews. The vast majority of customer service reviews left for Veggie Grill were positive.

Veggie Grill is a place I hope to visit one day.  For now, I watched many videos and read reviews while studying the menu.  Some of the choices were very healthy, but beware that just because something is vegan doesn't make it all healthy.  Many of the menu choices were high in fat.  I wish they would put on the online menu exactly what "chickin," is but all we know is that it is plant based.  From reading the reviews, I can tell you that this is a popular restaurant chain in California, Oregon, and Washington.  There are plans for one to open in Chicago soon. I would recommend trying out Veggie Grill if you have one in your area, or plan on visiting an area with a Veggie Grill. I hope my review has helped you discover a new healthy restaurant to try!

For more reviews and information, check out our list of the Top 10 Healthiest Restaurant Chains of 2018.