Lunch, Anyone? Veggie Galaxy

The Melt, featuring mildly spicy tofu and veggie salad with whole-grain mustard, pickled carrots, onions, and cheddar cheese, is a healthy spin on a classic diner staple. Photos by Esther Ro (COM’15)

We first stumbled upon Veggie Galaxy last semester, when the popular vegan- and vegetarian-friendly diner partnered with BU’s Dining Services for its Visiting Chef series at Marciano Commons. The fresh, tasty, meatless lunches (a Reuben sandwich was made with grilled shaved corned-beef seitan; the stuffed French Toast with vanilla vegan cream cheese) made a big impression. Eager for another taste, we recently made our way to the Central Square, Cambridge, diner.

With its vinyl-covered booths and stainless steel accents, Veggie Galaxy has the look of a classic diner. The interior’s color palette—neon greens, slick silvers, and midnight blues—is reminiscent of Space Jam, no doubt a nod to the restaurant’s cosmic moniker. As the hostess seated us, she asked if we’d like gluten-free menus. It was the first of many indications that the place caters to customers’ dietary restrictions.

Veggie Galaxy offers a classic diner lunch menu, but with a twist. Think a BLT made with house-made tempeh bacon or burgers made with chipotle black beans or mushroom chickpeas. There are several sandwiches and salads, along with a handful of starters and soups. Nearly every ingredient is house-made, from buns and salad dressings to vegan cheese and even ketchup, underscoring the restaurant’s commitment to serving fresh, wholesome food.

We started with the Melt ($9.95), a mildly spicy tofu and vegetable salad stuffed between two slices of perfectly grilled sourdough bread and served with a side of lightly dressed field greens. The crumbled tofu’s mild flavor didn’t distract from the grilled vegetables, which combined with pickled carrot, onion, melted cheddar cheese, and a smear of hot whole-grain mustard made for a hearty and flavorful sandwich.

The dish is characteristic of the diner’s good-for-you approach to comfort food. Other popular sandwiches: the Club ($10.95), grilled tempeh bacon, smoked tofu, balsamic roasted tomato, lettuce, onion, basil pesto, and roasted garlic mayo, and the BBQ ($10.75), pulled barbecued jackfruit, grilled red onions, pickles, horseradish mayo, and extra napkins.

That said, Veggie Galaxy doesn’t shy away from guilty pleasures. The Cheesy Fries ($4.75) we indulged in were smothered in melted cheddar—a giant plate of divine saltiness and starch.

Diners ordering a chipotle black bean or mushroom chickpea burger are encouraged to “think outside the box” and create their own masterpiece ($10.25, $.75 for each additional item after three) by choosing from more than 30 toppings, such as basil pesto, corn and apple salsa, minced cucumber, and goat cheese. We opted instead for one of the signature burgers: the Kendall Square ($10.95). Peppery baby arugula pleasantly offset the sweet roasted red pepper puree and cool, creamy garlic mayo dressing on the black bean patty. And the accompanying thick, sweet onion rings made the burger especially good. We even forgot that our meal was meatless, a testament to Veggie Galaxy’s inventive use of ingredients and its mission to make food that isn’t just for vegetarians, but instead “food for everyone.“

Veggie Galaxy, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; phone: 617-497-1513. The kitchen closes each weekday from 3 to 5 p.m. for dinner prep, but the bakery remains open. Veggie Galaxy accepts cash and all major credit cards. Take an MBTA Red Line train from Park Street to Central Square or a 47 bus heading towards Central Square from Commonwealth Avenue at University Road five stops to Brookline Street at Green Street.

This is part of a regular series featuring Boston lunch spots of interest to the BU community. If you have any suggestions for places we should feature, leave them in the Comment section below. Check out our list of lunchtime tips on Foursquare.

Paula Sokolska can be reached at ps5642@bu.edu.

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