Vegan Eats: Strictly Vegetarian

We've discussed Four Seasons (we love it), we've lamented the loss of Veggie Castle, and now it's time to turn our attention to Strictly Vegetarian, which is also on Church Avenue, across from Four Seasons and a few doors down from the littered, abandoned Veggie Castle lot.

You really can't go wrong with any of the vegetables. The collard greens are always excellent. Pumpkin is great too. But no one goes to Strictly Veg strictly for the veggies. The protein options are good and similar to the mock meat options at other Ital restaurants, but they occasionally leave something to be desired. The tofu with veggies is boring (as many tofu dishes are without the right sauce) and the curry beef chunks are a little too dry. The chickpeas are great though, and have a consistency like black eyed peas. Don't miss the lo mein because it's delicious. The rice and beans and macaroni sides are great options as well. The servers fit a lot of food into the small container, which costs $6 and is slightly larger than Four Seasons' small container. And be sure to get one of the homemade juices, which are in styrofoam cups in the refrigerator behind the counter. We recommend the tamarind. Super sweet with a gingery aftertaste.

As far as the customer service goes, we've had some mixed experiences at Strictly Veg. Sometimes the people behind the counter look at us like we're the offspring of Donald Trump, eyeing real estate in the area. But the time before last the guy behind the counter was enthusiastic and friendly, asking me midway through my meal how I liked everything.

One cool thing: the small space and counter-top style serving arrangement produce lots of local flavor as all sorts of characters pop in and out. Some hawk reggae CDs, some talk religion (this weekend we overheard, "I'm just here to serve Jah"), and a few even buy food.

And if you don't like Strictly Vegetarian, all you have to do is cross the street and try again.


Strictly Vegetarian || 2268 Church Ave || (718) 284-2543‎