Pac Man salad at Counter Culture vegan restaurant in Austin, Texas

Pac Man salad at Counter Culture vegan restaurant in Austin, Texas

It was time to leave the vegetarian and vegan eats in Amarillo, but I had a day to stop in Austin, Texas to try out the grub there. Check out my review of Counter Culture's vegan comfort food with more pictures after the break.

I found out about Counter Culture as seen on the Vegan Roadie YouTube channel.

Southern Baked Seitan

The Vegan Roadie suggested the Southern Baked Seitan and that's what I ordered. Counter Culture makes their own seitan, then marinates it and smothers it in gravy. It's delicious. It tastes exactly like turkey meatloaf (which my wife bakes at home) so don't hesitate to bring your meat-eating friends here to enjoy the vegan food.

Pac Man salad and potato salad at Counter Culture vegan restaurant in Austin, Texas

Two side dishes are included, and I picked the Pac Man salad which was as delicious as it was cute. The creamy garlic dressing on the kale was fantastic, too. I would buy a bottle of it alone if they sold it. The gluten-free potato salad was also good, and they kept the skins on the taters (which I really like). Overall, this is a great value because the two side dishes are included, and everything was fresh and delicious. I was stuffed when I left.

Despite being full from dinner, I managed to make room for dessert. The Vegan Roadie suggested a slice of the avocado key lime pie. The friendly waiter at Counter Culture told me this is a raw dessert, which I'm not sure I would have guessed since it has the texture of a cheesecake. The avocado base smooths out the tartness of the lime, and I prefer this to a standard key lime pie -- it's that good!

Counter Culture's menu reminds me a lot of the excellent vegetarian grub at Cornbread Cafe in Eugene, Oregon. It has the same friendly, funky vibe, too. It's got patio seating, and street parking is not a problem. Half-price appetizers at happy hour, too!

Check out the rest of Counter Culture's menu and their Facebook page.

Read more about Counter Culture vegan restaurant in the HappyCow Cookbook with recipes from vegan restaurants around the world -- it's an excellent book with delicious vegan recipes.

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