Barbecue Lunch at Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe In Chattanooga TN

I went to lunch at Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe in Chattanooga TN. This is my first visit to Cashew, and it probably will not be the last. This was a pretty good lunch. I ordered the Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich with a side of Chips and Cashew Cheese.

It's been decades since I've eaten a barbecue sandwich, so I didn't really know what to expect with this vegan barbecue. I do have vague memories of beef barbecue, but it seems like it was more like a Sloppy Joe with messy tomato sauce. I know each region has its own way of doing it, and of course being a vegan I have no idea what each region does with it. This was my brave adventure for the day.

This was very good. The jackfruit filling had a mild flavor with a little hint of sweet and tart, possibly pineapple. I like that it didn't taste like meat, because fake meat freaks me out. This was a little bit messy but only because it had a generous amount of filling. A crunchy toasted bun would be an improvement. The whole sandwich was very soft throughout with the coleslaw being the crunchiest part. The coleslaw really surprised me. I forgot how good coleslaw is (because coleslaw is almost never vegan). This coleslaw would be great just as a side item. It really worked well with the jackfruit. I would have liked a bit more flavor in the jackfruit sauce, but I would definitely order this again.

The shining star of this meal was that amazing cashew cheese! That cheese is as good as the vegan cheese at Rosetta's Kitchen in Asheville, although it doesn't have the exact same flavor. There's a seasoning in this that I just can't identify. It has a slight tang to it like traditional cheese and without the sweetness of other vegan cheeses. Now I know why they sell this stuff in tubs at the counter. I will add this to any future orders. Absolutely wonderful cashew cheese!

I also bought a chocolate coconut doughnut and took it up on the historic Walnut Street Bridge. I enjoyed the view with a silent stranger wrapped in a blanket and sitting beside a vintage Pepsi bottle filled with urine. The doughnuts are clearly vegan. These aren't as firm and solid as non-vegan doughnuts. This one held it's shape just fine, and the taste was excellent. It was sweet, but not too sweet.

I also bought a chocolate doughnut. I should have saved it for later, but the first one was so good. The sugar caught up with me on this second one. I can eat one, but two makes me hypoglycemic. The chocolate on this was was just a little bit messy, but the taste was just as good as the one with coconut.

This is what Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe looks like from the outside.

This restaurant is located on River St. near the historic Walnut Street Bridge on the north side of the Tennessee River. This appears to be a basement room of an old building that was abandoned or neglected for many years then fixed up in recent years. This side of town had a really rough history and it shows in the existing details with grime, old graffiti, and crumbling walls. This was a hard labor community that's now transitioning into an interesting, creative, historic place with weird people like me. I do prefer clean and modern, but this was about the food, and the food was great. When I return to Chattanooga, I will be back for more wonderful cashew cheese.


Click here for the Cashew Plant Based Vegan Cafe website