ShopEatSleep

Chili Cheese Fries at The Veggie Grill

Just when you thought you had The Veggie Grill figured out – it’s tasty, but no, the meat isn’t real – The Veggie Grill surprises you. There’s a secret menu!

As with many secret menu items, these dishes are variations of items already on the menu. The one we tried were the chili cheese fries, which uses the restaurant’s signature sweet potato Sweetheart Fries topped with the Bean Me Up chili, vegan cheese and sour cream, and garnished with chopped tomatoes and parsley. This is a huge dish, so be prepared to either share it or to bring at least half of it home. The chili cheese fries are tasty but heavy. Who knew vegan food could be so substantial?

There are also a couple other secret menu items. The buffalo wings are a variation of the barbecue-flavored Chill Out Wings, which are made with the Grill’s seasoned and marinated Chillin’ Chickin’ soy protein, and the El Dorado Burger, which is the cheeseburger topped with jalapenos, caramelized onions and ketchup (the cheeseburger El Dorado-style is actually a footnote on the menu, so it’s technically not a secret).

If none of these float your boat, there’s always the old standby All Hail Kale salad or the delectable Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ sandwich, which we like better as a wrap.

All Hail Kale salad

Santa Fe Crispy Chickin' wrap

If you take the time to examine the faux meat, you’ll notice it’s a bit spongy. But if you don’t pay too much attention — and when it’s adorned with so much goodness, you don’t really need to — it’s every bit as satisfying as real meat.

Another satisfying item: the carrot cake, which is a pleasant surprise because it actually tastes really good! We haven’t been big fans of vegan desserts in the past, but The Veggie Grill’s carrot cake, as well as the walnut chocolate chip cookie, were executed nicely, leaving little to be desired.

Carrot cake

And the drinks aren’t to be missed, either. The peach black tea, pomegranate green tea and strawberry lemonade are all top choices.

Note: Portions of this post were originally posted on LAist. This meal was hosted.