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Vegan Options at Coco’s
Coco’s is a unique cafe that has a beautiful bakery feel to it. This company started around 1948, and now they have more than 70 Coco’s Bakery and Restaurants along the western coast of the United States. They are mainly known for their great variety of entrée salads and fantastic breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. If you are a vegan and deciding to visit Coco’s, the obvious question to pop into your head is: What are the vegan options at Coco’s?
Coco’s might not be the best choice for vegans to have a satisfying meal. They don’t have a designated menu for vegans, and their options are also pretty limited when it comes to vegetarians. There are, however, a few evergreen vegan items that you can consider for a meal.
Read on to learn about the different vegan options at Coco’s.
Breakfast Menu
Scanning their breakfast menu, your face might drop as most options carry bacon and eggs. You might get disappointed and choose to sip on some Americano (which will be great) and head back home. But, if you look carefully, there are a few options that you can order to curb your breakfast hunger.
Bowl of Oatmeal
It might feel like a crime not to have oatmeal without milk, but you might like the option if you are vegan. Oatmeal made with water tastes a bit bland but has a similar nutritional value.
The menu at Coco’s does not offer a choice for water or vegan milk-based oatmeal, but you can enquire with your server for the same. One of the oatmeal dishes comes with fresh bananas. You can add the same to your meal to level up the flavor and nutrition.
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
Fruits are the most rewarding breakfast that one can have. They are light, filling, and packed with energy to keep you moving through the day. If you are vegan, you can ask for a fresh serving of seasonal fruits at Coco’s.
Hash Browns
Traditionally hash browns are made with vegan ingredients. But many cafes and restaurants amp up the texture and flavor by using eggs and other dairy products. Guessing if the hash browns are vegan or not can be tricky as there is no clear demarcation on Coco’s menu. You can enquire from the server about the ingredients used in the preparation. The same goes for their signature potato hash.
Toast and Jam
Many Americans are in such a rush that they prefer walking out with a crispy toast piece with jam at breakfast hour. You can enjoy the same taste at Coco’s as well. Their delicious jams will leave you wanting more.
You can pair this up with a serving of fresh seasonal fruits and have a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. This dish is also one of the simplest yet yummiest items on their menu.
Breakfast Burrito
The breakfast burrito at Coco’s is a creative take on breakfast. The burrito on the menu is not vegan, but you can get it customized per your dietary preference.
This delicious and healthy meal is served with a side of fresh fruits, sour cream, and roasted jalapenos. You can avoid the sour cream and enjoy the rest.
Lunch and Dinner Menu
The lunch and dinner menu at Coco’s is quite extensive and elaborate. There are many great vegetarian choices, which you can bring down to vegan by holding the diary items.
Crispy Onion Straws
The crispy onion straw appetizer at Coco’s is a fantastic dish to start your meal. It is made with onions sliced finely and fried to perfection. These crispy delights are then seasoned with delectable spices and served with a side of spicy chipotle sauce. You can enquire about whether the chipotle sauce is vegan or not. If not, then you can munch on this great dish with a side of tomato ketchup.
Fresh Salads
The salad menu at Coco’s is quite impressive. All the salads on the menu are highly fresh and made to order. They use superior-quality ingredients tossed in the most delicious sauces you can find.
However, the salad choices are not vegan, but you can ask the server to customize them. You can order the tuna salad without adding tuna and chopped hard-boiled egg. It comes with fresh avocado, tomatoes, onions, croutons, and fresh greens.
Another excellent salad option you can get custom-made as a vegan dish is a spicy shrimp and fresh avocado salad. You can ask the server to avoid the addition of the ancho-chili shrimp and cheddar cheese. Apart from that, this salad contains fresh avocado mixed with crispy lettuce and tortilla strips. The taste is locked with the addition of fresh pico de gallo and their special spicy chipotle sauce.
If the server does not confirm the chipotle ingredients, it is advisable to skip the sauce.
Soups
Though there are two vegetarian soup options on the menu, cream of broccoli and tomato bisque, vegans can only go for the latter. However, the chef can prepare tomato bisque with non-vegan fat like butter. But traditionally, it is cooked in olive oil. You can enquire from your server what ingredient is used in the preparation.
This soup is finished with the addition of heavy cream. You can ask the server to skip the heavy cream to keep the dish vegan.
Mushroom Veggie Burger
The mushroom veggie burger at Coco’s is a must-try for all the vegans visiting the cafe for a meal. This dish is one of their gourmet veggie burgers that comes with pickles, some fresh lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and, of course, sauteed mushrooms.
This entire meal is served with a side of fresh fruits. You can replace the fresh fruits with crispy French fries to make them a bit richer in carbohydrates. They also have the option of sweet potato fries, so you can still keep your meal healthy.
Pasta
Unfortunately, there is no single vegetarian pasta choice in the restaurant, let alone any vegan option. However, you can get their chicken piccata pasta customized to make it vegan. You can ask the server to hold the chicken in the pasta.
It comes with mushrooms and capers sauteed in a delicious lemon piccata sauce. The pasta choice is spaghetti which is made by tossing it in olive oil and herbs.
Other Vegan Items
Sides
You might not find many great vegan options at Coco’s, but you can still relish a few of their vegan sides. The French fries are the best choice for a vegan in a cafe that barely serves vegetarian dishes.
You can get regular French and sweet potato fries at Coco’s. Apart from that, you also choose the house salad on the side or just some fresh fruits. Make sure to notify the server of your vegan requirements before placing a side order.
Beverages
If nothing else, you can expect to get a sultry cup of aromatic coffee to enjoy being a bakery-style cafe. Apart from that, you can also enjoy some fresh juices alongside their breakfast menu.
Bakery Items
Being vegan, you might get disappointed with the desserts and bakery item menu at Coco’s. None of the options listed are vegan, so you are left with no choice.
Alternative Bakeries That Serve Vegan Food
Though Coco’s might not be a vegan’s first choice, we have curated a list of options that will satisfy them. Take a look:
- Vegan Treats, Bethlehem
- Pattycake Bakery, Columbus
- Bunner’s Bake Shop, Toronto
- Ms. Cupcake, London
To Sum It Up
After reading this detailed guide, one must be clear that Coco’s is not ideal for a vegan. The entire menu lacks options for vegetarians. Also, the vegans are bound to be left disappointed. But if you have friends and family members who are hell-bent on having a meal in this cafe, you can consider the choices I covered in this article.
It is always advised to check with the server about all the ingredients used in the preparation and preparation procedure. If you are uncomfortable with non-vegan spillovers on your food, you must enquire before placing the order.
Coco’s does not have a dedicated vegan menu. So, vegans must look for customizations if they want to dine at this place.
