WaterCourse Foods

Almost everything here is vegan. If something has the potential to contain cheese, the servers have always confirmed with me if I was okay with it.  The atmosphere is colorful, energetic, hip, happy, bright with natural lighting, and dotted with great art. There's lovely sidewalk dining (weather permitting).  As for fellow diners, I've seen a lot of families with young kids, but also tons of people from all age ranges.  And the staff... hot, funky 20-somethings. -I'd probably consider dating most of them.

Other nice notes:

• Oogave soda (local, agave sweetened) available ON TAP!
• Mon - Thurs Blue Plate Breakfast Special  w/coffee for $5!
• Awesome baked goods case  (hello! Vegan cupcakes!!)
• Scrambled tofu and eggs are interchangable on the menu.
• Counter service for coffee & baked goods  (You don't have to sit down to get that cup of joe!)
• Alternative milks like soy, rice, and hemp available.
• Gluten Free and nut-containing items are flagged on the menu!
• Community bulletin board when you first walk in.

Sort of Cons:

• It's a popular place, so there'll probably be a wait to be seated.  -BUT, I've been offered coffee while I waited, which was really nice.
• Don't expect a quiet meal. This is a chatty, high energy kind of place.
• Your server will be busy. Polite and cheerful, but busy.  If you need something, don't hesitate to ask... but you might have to flag them down as they're whizzing by.

Personal experience:

Portions have varied, but I have always been satisfied.  In fact, I never feel that weird, queasy feeling of overeating when I leave WaterCourse. In fact, I usually feel energized. Continuing onward, you can get corn tortilla as your "bread" option, so you can make yummy (gluten-free) tacos out of just about everything.  The construct-your-own salad section has a seriously impressive selection of potential ingredients. Mix and match at your own risk, though. (Not everything tastes amazing when combined.)  The tempeh "chorizo" is quite tasty.   The jelly is some sort of heavenly raspberry mix. I've never had better jelly. Quinoa seems to always be a winning side dish. The deserts have been rockin'. -Let your server bring over the tray of the day's deserts. It's a work of art, even if you're not tasting every one. It's worth the look-see.  And lastly, the bottomless coffee has made my morning, time and time again.

I really love Watercourse foods. The best options, in my opinion, include the bicuits & gravy (with scrambled tofu), the french dip sandwich, and the bbq tofu. They often switch the greens option - it ranges from spinach to kale to chard. I hate kale. But otherwise, the food is almost always perfect, the service is usually great, and the location is so much better than the old one. Yay, watercourse!

...or at least, the best I can recall after being a vegetarian for over 20 years. They're rich mushroom gravy, with herbed and scrambled tofu, over hearty biscuits. Mmmm.... even with all those other great vegetarian things on the menu, it's hard for me to order anything else.

If you're a vegetarian, or just like healthy food options, you have to go check out Watercourse! I could eat there every day!