Vegans who have a hankering for greasy comfort food can finally rejoice.
Lil’ Lotus opened just over a year ago in a small shop in the heart of Sugar House and markets themselves as a totally plant-based comfort food restaurant. With only one person at the front and one running the kitchen, this place may not look like much, but it is well worth stopping by.
A Google search led me to this restaurant, and I decided it looked like it was worth covering. As a vegetarian, I am always looking for places that specialize in vegetarian or vegan food. More vegan places are beginning to pop up, but Lil’ Lotus stands out in a few ways.
The all plant-based menu is small, but creativity certainly went into the dishes that they do have.
My eyes went directly to the “Chili and not-yo cheese fries.” I ordered my food and sat down at one of the few tables they have. The sitting area was well lit and fairly clean, which is always a deciding factor when it comes to restaurants.
The food was ready quickly considering only one person was working in the kitchen.
When the employee set down my order, I was stunned by how beautiful the presentation was.
Bright colored sauces were blended perfectly on top of a heavy stack of french fries. We always eat with our eyes first, so Lil’ Lotus definitely gets high scores on presentation.
I haven’t had chili with real meat in, give or take, five years, but when I took that first bite it was such a familiar flavor and consistency.
The plant-based meat alternative used in this dish was cooked to perfect texture and flavor along with the vegan cheese and sour cream. I honestly believe that people wouldn’t be able to differentiate this from chili made with real meat.
The thing that really makes Lil’ Lotus stand out, besides the delicious food, is that it’s relatively cheap for being all plant-based. I left the store for less than 12 dollars and felt content about the amount of food I had gotten for that price.
I would recommend this place to all vegans and vegetarians who want to eat a heavy meal that is not typically plant-based.
Lil’ Lotus is about two and a half miles from the South City Campus at 2223 S. Highland Drive.
