For many restaurant-goers, ordering vegan food is often accompanied by skepticism about how it will compare in flavor to its meat alternatives. Whether it’s a plant-based take on a classic American favorite or a vegetable-forward creation, vegan cuisine is often criticized for falling short on taste — though that claim can be misleading.
As a vegetarian of nearly eight years, I still find myself hesitant to try many vegan substitutes, especially when it comes to basic items like cheese or eggs. After discovering Botanical Fare during a visit to the Downtown Mall this spring, my hesitations were defied — it boasts a fully vegan menu that offers a wide range of flavorful and satisfying options.
Since opening in March 2022, Botanical Fare has been driven by founder Ryan Becklund’s vision for plant-based, organic cooking. Her approach shapes a menu that emphasizes creativity over imitation, making it stand out from the typical “vegan substitute” style.
Botanical Fare is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They have a sister location in Crozet called Bar Botanical, which is open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner. While the two share a plant-based focus, their menus differ — Bar Botanical focuses on pizzas, appetizers and cocktails, while Botanical Fare features more entrees along with a café menu.
Tucked at the end of the mall, the storefront can be easy to miss. My friends and I decided to try their take-out for dinner, although they have plenty of dine-in seating and outdoor patio space for warmer weather. They also offer both pickup and delivery, making it an easy option when you’re looking for something quick.
The storefront itself is small, but once inside, the space opens up to much more than expected. Even during our quick pickup, we saw people dining while working, as well as groups sharing plates and drinks. The space feels versatile, easily suited for both casual meals and longer stays. The space offers a variety of seating including high tops, low tables and bar style seating looking out on the mall.
Everything on Botanical Fare’s menu is 100 percent free from meat, dairy and peanuts. Additionally, they offer a variety of gluten-free dishes as well and emphasize their willingness to accommodate any allergies. I was super excited to find a menu that was completely fair game for a vegetarian. Both of my friends are avid meat-eaters, but the items on Botanical’s menu intrigued them enough to try it with me.
They add their own flavors and twists to most of their menu items, with combinations I would have never imagined. From their Miso Mac and Cheese to the Wonton Nachos, the menu leans into bold, unexpected combinations. If you are looking to try a few different dishes, Botanical allows you to mix and match with their combination deal, with a choice of any half sandwich, bowl of soup, house salad or their mac and ‘cheese,’ which is made from cashews instead of milk.
We each ended up choosing different menu items. I opted for one of their more traditional choices and got the Kale Caesar with their ‘chicken tenders’ totaling to $22. One of my friends ordered the Crunchy Cauliflower Bowl for $16, while the other chose the Crispy Chix sandwich, which was $14. For a college student’s budget, you definitely need to be selective with what you choose.
Botanical operates pretty quickly — our takeout orders were ready about 15 minutes after we placed them. When we picked up our food we were immediately impressed by the presentation — even for takeout, each dish was colorful and thoughtfully arranged. They also use compostable packaging, which was a nice touch and still kept the food fresh until we got home.
The Kale Caesar is made with a lemon caesar dressing, chickpea croutons, cucumbers, pickled onions and a cashew parmesan. I chose to get the entree salad, but Botanical also has the option to order their salads as a side for about half the price. You can add the plant-based nuggets to either portion of salad, but I felt as though the entree salad and nuggets was a perfect portion for a hearty dinner.
I was extremely surprised at the amount of flavor packed into this salad. The parmesan and dressing provided the perfect kick, carrying a strong lemon and garlic flavor. The chickpea croutons were my favorite part of the salad, as they were heavily seasoned and gave the salad a nice crunch.
The salad alone would have made a delicious meal, but if you’re looking for some extra protein, the chicken tenders were a great addition. These were some of the best plant-based tenders I have ever had. They were not too dry and the ‘meat’ to breading ratio was on point. The nuggets themselves were not very crispy, with a softer, more tender texture. I had my friends try the tenders to see if my eight years as a vegetarian were leading me astray, but they were also shocked that fake chicken could taste this good.
The Crispy Chix sandwich included a fried oyster mushroom patty topped with purple cabbage, herb mayo and chili maple sauces on sourdough. The sandwich comes with a choice of their side salad or potato chips. We chose the side salad which had kale, carrots, cabbage and a lemon dressing. While I myself am not a mushroom fan, both of my friends thought the patty was hearty and delicious, and the sauces helped ensure that the sandwich did not fall dry. While the side salad didn’t compare to the caesar, it was a refreshing compliment to the sandwich.
The true star of the show was without a doubt the Crunchy Cauliflower Bowl. The bowl included a base of sticky rice topped with ginger garlic cauliflower nuggets, white beans, mango, purple cabbage and a tamari ranch sauce. I would have never expected these ingredients to pair so well together, but the flavor combination was unmatched. The ginger garlic sauce on the cauliflower had a tanginess to it that complimented the tamari ranch and fresh veggies perfectly. My only complaint was the amount of nuggets in the bowl. Considering the dish centered around the sticky cauliflower, the amount they gave felt a little sparse.
These three dishes gave us a great sense of the range on the menu, from lighter salads to more filling bowls and sandwiches. There were still plenty of other options I would have loved to try, including shareables like their Gochu Street Corn and Umami Potatoes, as well as different bowl and salad combinations.
Because Botanical Fare focuses on fresh ingredients, part of their menu rotates to highlight what is currently in season. We all agreed that we would definitely be back, especially as they roll out new menu items in the summer — including the Sun Dried Tomato Tofu Sandwich and the Pasta Primavera.
If you have any curiosity to test out vegan food, Botanical Fare may just be the place. Next time you are at the Downtown Mall, take a stop in for a simple vegan treat, or stay and enjoy a fresh and hearty meal. You might not even miss the meat.
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