By Emma Lewis

As a recently turned vegetarian, I often find myself craving meat. Unfortunately, meat substitutes more often than not resemble cardboard in both taste and texture. So, as I found myself searching for a decent plant-based restaurant in Richmond, I came across Philly Vegan, located at 1126 Hull Street in Manchester.

The idea of a restaurant based fully on the idea of a vegan Philly Cheesesteak intrigued me, but I cannot say I was without uncertainty. I entered the experience very skeptical, and I was prepared to debunk the positive reviews.

I went with fellow student Eva Siminiceanu (‘24), who acted as my objective, meat-eating opinion. When we arrived, we waited five-ten minutes in line and then ordered. While waiting for our respective orders, it quickly became evident to the both of us that we should have ordered ahead of time for pickup. We were one of two pairs of people standing in the chairless lobby waiting for our food, while swarms of people came in and out to pick up their orders. But our food did arrive, and we headed to Siminiceanu’s car to eat. While waiting, we sat on the broad windowsill and admired the artwork on the walls. The artwork displayed includes a Ghanaian flag-inspired tapestry and several paintings for sale.

Philly Vegan offers, as the name suggests, an entirely plant-based menu. The ingredients themselves are not explicitly stated on the menu. The menu also boasts several flavors of Breezzy’s Lemonade and Lovee TeaHC. Wanting to experience multiple items the restaurant has to offer, I ordered the $13.99 Philly Vegan Sampler, which consisted of first their vegan Philly Cheesesteak egg roll (I am not oblivious to the irony of that phrase), which contains sautéed green peppers, onions, mushrooms, plant based-beef, Daiya-brand plant-based cheese, all fried in a wrap. The sampler also features a Philly Cheesesteak slider, which also has green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and plant-based ground beef on a toasted bun, smothered in their, as described on the website, “authentic cheesy awesome sauce.” Lastly, the sampler has Philly Cheesesteak fries, which has all the same ingredients as the slider, except instead of a bun the ingredients go on straight cut fries, along with their “Philly Vegan Blazian seasoning.” I also ordered the $6.00 vanilla Oreo Delight milkshake, which consists of dairy-free ice cream and golden Oreos. 

Siminiceanu ordered the $9.49 lentil cheeseburger and a $5.99 lemonade. The lentil cheeseburger patty consists of lentils, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, and spices. It is fried with the vegan cheese, and served on a burger bun with toppings such as their “Philly Sauce,” lettuce, tomato, and red onion. She got the lemonade in the flavor “Oh So Strawberry.”

My favorite part of my meal was the egg roll. The crispy shell complimented the vegan meat quite well, and it was easy to eat. The fries and slider were both pretty messy, but that may be the nature of those meals in general. Siminiceanu and I both agreed that the cheese was shockingly cheesy, and that the meat was shockingly meaty. I did think that the Philly cheesesteak in the fries and slider was a bit overpowered by the vegetables. If I were to order it again, I would order it without mushrooms in particular, as that flavor overpowered the meat. 

Perhaps it was the particular flavor I ordered, but I thought the milkshake itself was just okay. It could have been thicker and more flavorful. However, I think if I did not already know, I would not have guessed that it was dairy-free.

Siminiceanu praised their lentil burger, calling it “the best veggie burger I’ve had in my life.” She also said that the vegetables were very fresh and that the cheese tasted “scarily real.” She also enjoyed the lemonade, which she described as “perfectly flavored” and “refreshing.” 

So, does it pass as a real beef Philly cheesesteak? Probably not. But I don’t think that should be the expectation going into it. There are plenty of delicious vegan options, so long as that is what you are looking for. Considering the meal had neither steak nor cheese, I think it was a great alternative for people with those dietary restrictions, or even someone craving something fresher or lighter. 

All photos by Emma Lewis.