Green Restaurant, Phoenix

I had only one night in Phoenix to catch up with one of my oldest and dearest friends and based on reviews and the menu, I decided to go to Green Restaurant. Green is a 100% vegan restaurant that features new American-style comfort food. They also try to use organic ingredients when possible. But, it was really the chef's statement on the website that made me want to visit. It is owned by Damon Brasch, a vegan chef and restauranteur who is now living his dream by having opened this restaurant. He wanted to create a menu that would please any palate and that was influenced by many different cultures and cooking styles.  And it was so successful that there are now two locations as well as a separate vegan dessert place called "Nami."

My friend alerted me that it was a very casual place so I was prepared to dine super casual on this Friday night. When we arrived around 8 p.m., it was packed and there was just enough seating for our group so we snagged it right away. We took a look at the menu for a long time. As everything is vegan, it was very difficult for me to choose what I wanted. The menu features appetizers, bowls, salads, sammies & burgers, and sides so there was a lot to choose from.  I was also pleased to see that they served beer and wine as well. Once we made our selections, we ordered at the counter, then sat down and waited for our food.

I started with a locally brewed beer -- Four Peaks Peach Ale. Then, our appetizers started arriving. First, we had the green hummus made of garlic, poblano chilies, and chickpeas with fried pita. This one was a winner.

Next,we had the spicy buffalo wings, which were probably my favorite item from the whole night. They were tender with great spice and served with a delicious vegan cucumber ranch.

Our last appetizer was the samosas filled with curried potatoes, peas, carrots, and garlic served with a tamarind dipping sauce. These were okay, but nothing to write home about.

For my entree, I ordered the Clexico Burger. This was their homemade burger with organic garbanzo hummus, cheddar cheese, mayo, and spicy chipotle sauce. The burgers were a bit too meaty for me and not vegetably enough, if you know what I mean. And there were no veggies -- no lettuce or tomato so it was just a lot of fake meat with a nice chipotle sauce. I thought the burger was good, but definitely not what I should have ordered given the other healthy options.

I ended up wishing I had ordered the Singapore orange bowl that my friend had. Filled with fresh broccoli, zucchini, and faux meat, it was delicious.

Another girl got the Coconut Curry Bowl filled with broccoli, zucchini, and potatoes in a curry sauce.

My out-of-town friends tried their famous version of a Big Mac, the Big WAC! This was way too much burger for me. It was two patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame bun just the way I remembered. I have to admit that it was good, just too meaty and too much.

In the end, I was so glad I chose this place. Though I wish I had ordered the fresh bowls, I was still satisfied with everything I tried and some items were exceptionally good. All of our bowls and sandwiches were about $9 so pretty cheap. And I love that they offer beer, wine, and soft serve ice cream. This place is a win-win.

Green Restaurant
2022 N 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 258-1870