Downtown's Kitchen at the Round Corner

Recently, I heard from a few different sources about a new place that was advertising its BBQ vs. vegan menu.  The restaurant is called Downtown's Kitchen, and it's located inside the Round Corner, a bar at the corner of 24th and S.  I had to laugh when I looked at their website, which says:  "Going out with friends can sometimes be a problem if you are vegan, or vegetarian, where do you go with your carnivore eating friends?"  Which, of course, is the whole reason I started this blog!

So I had to check it out, and I'm so glad I did!  There really are two different sets of menu selections:  one for vegans and vegetarians, and one for carnivores that includes the non-vegetarian barbecue selections.  I decided to live dangerously, and I ordered the Vegan Boca Bacon Cheese Burger Combo, complete with vegan cheese, veggie bacon, and fries.  It was delicious!  I guess I've never tried veggie bacon before, but if I'd known that it was going to taste so much like the real thing, I'd certainly have tried it before now.

I also ordered two vegan lumpia, a kind of spring roll filled with chopped up vegetables.  They were fresh and crisp and very tasty.

Other vegan options at Downtown's Kitchen include potato tacos (hold the sour cream and ask for vegan cheese); grilled cheese sandwich if ordered with vegan cheese; tofu rice bowl; tofu sandwich; falafel sandwich; veggie chef salad; and various fried appetizers (I'll definitely try the fried tofu stix the next time I'm there!).  Since the next question is bound to be whether they cook their vegan fried foods in the same oil that they've used to cook the meat, I'll quote directly from their website:  "We use organic tofu and cook no meat in our deep fryer, and have special veggie pans for dedicated vegan/vegetarian meals.   We promise to cook every meal with love and attention!"  What more could I ask?

Downtown's Kitchen is located at 2333 S Street.  Their phone number is 916-455-4100, and their website address is http://downtownskitchenbbqvsvegan.com/.  They're open seven days a week during bar hours, which is about 11:00 a.m. until around 1:00 a.m.  Since Downtown's Kitchen operates from inside a bar, no one under the age of 21 is allowed on the premises, so families with children will want to order their food to go.  Curbside pick-up is available.