The Search For Vegan Fast Food

Not all vegetarians and vegans only want to eat vegetables and grains. Sometimes, we just really just want some junk food.
Luckily, New York City has some locations to satisfy these urges.

The "chicken" fajitas at Loving Hut are made with spicy chili pasilla sauce. Andrea Vocos

 

Loving Hut
(348 7th Ave. between 29th and 30th Streets)
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon-Sat.
Loving Hut, in Midtown and serves an only vegan menu. The atmosphere is a bit stilted; there’s no music playing in the background and the chairs are fairly small.
The food, however, makes up for the environment, especially with plates such as the $9 protein quesadilla. It is essentially chicken fajitas smothered in cheese and wrapped in a tortilla. The marinated soy is meant to taste like chicken, and it’s seasoned with spicy chili pasilla sauce. The daiya, or soy-free vegan cheese, has the sweetness of mozzarella. The dulcet daiya balances the boldness of the sauce. 

Curly’s Vegetarian Lunch
(328 E. 14 St. between First and Second Avenues)
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
The East Village’s Curly’s is a small and casual vegetarian restaurant, although all meals can be made vegan. Patrons can admire the medium-lit, crayon-drawing adorned walls in the restaurant while listening to the house playlist that includes The Magnetic Fields and Prince.
Their $8.25 sloppy joe sandwich is a juicy and messy vegan adaptation of the American classic.The meal consists of soy ground beef, onions and peppers with a sweet and tangy sauce. The plate includes a side of mildly seasoned curly fries. The remains of the sandwich filling can be eaten as a delicious dip with the fries.
For dessert, order a slice of their $5.50 vegan key lime cheesecake, which is soy and tofu based. The slice tastes like vanilla ice cream with a mild amount of lime, in contrast to the classic dessert’s usual strong tanginess

Foodswings
(295 Grand Street, Brooklyn, between Roebling and Havemeyer Streets)
Hours vary daily; check  Foodswings.net  for details
This entirely vegan Brooklyn hot spot is a popular late-night snack stop. Foodswings is covered with cult movie and band posters, and punk music can usually be heard blaring through the speakers. The fluorescent lights and folding chairs create a very casual environment.
Although mostly known for their milkshakes and “Midnite Munchies,” Foodswings’ Buffalo-style soy wings should receive praise. The soy “chicken” is fried and smothered in a fiery and tangy sauce, accompanied by their house bleu cheese.
Drumsticks cost $2 each, making it easier (and cheaper) to indulge and pig out. Each wing also contains a wooden stick inside, resembling the bone in a regular chicken drumstick.