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Hot Rods 50’s Diner is a fascinating place. With a retro 50’s vibe, neon, a jukebox, and an arcade, you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. Outdoor seating is available, too.
I was thrilled to discover that Hot Rods’ 50’s diner has a vegan menu. Like their traditional menu, it is packed with options, including desserts. What a treat! I enjoy a menu that requires making decisions.
Of course, I wanted to know more about what led owner Ashley Schwartz to expand their offerings.
What inspired you to create a Hot Rods vegan menu?
Ashley: My husband and I started eating predominantly plant-based a little over a year ago, and that’s when we realized how hard it is to find places to eat out. It was frustrating, so we made the decision to create an entire vegan menu at all of our restaurants, and Hot Rods was the one we started with.
It took some time because it required redoing our kitchen. We had to make sure it was set up with separate cooking areas to avoid cross-contamination. This was particularly important to us because eating plant-based isn’t always a choice; for some people it’s due to allergies. We have personal experience with this so ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests is our top priority, and not to mention those that are vegan need to feel confident that we are upholding the standards expected with veganism within the vegan menu.
Why is it important to you to serve the vegan community?
Ashley: We are also hopeful that this will help educate non-vegan or plant-based guests that there is so much more to plant-based eating than a house salad, as well as encouraging other local restaurants to follow in our footsteps.
Once we started doing the vegan menu and promoting it on social networking, I noticed a few other restaurants doing the same thing. That’s really great for us. I can’t wait to have more options myself.
What can encourage restaurant owners to follow in your footsteps?
Ashley: One thing I learned when I started eating plant-based is that it’s very confusing to people. For example, a lot of people think mayonnaise is dairy, they don’t realize it’s the egg in it that makes it not vegan. They somehow associate gluten with being vegan… And just basically get confused over the issue. Restaurant owners who feel confused may find it intimidating, so I think the more education we can put out there, the better. Hopefully, when they look at restaurants like mine and Bluetick, and eventually Aubrey’s, they will start asking their food purveyors questions. Even the people that we buy our food from don’t understand. A lot of my food had to be sourced through online businesses. Once they saw we were buying food from other places, they started learning a little more, but again education is the key. It’s also very helpful that the grocery stores are starting to carry more vegan items! I think in time this will be normal.
What is your favorite item on the Hot Rods menu?
Ashley: Currently, my favorite item is the grilled cheese because that was one of the things I missed when I eliminated dairy. We have a vegan mac and cheese that will be added to the menu soon, and that’s my second favorite (I obviously love comfort foods). We look forward to growing the menu as we receive feedback from our guests and are thrilled to be able to provide another option to the vegan community.
Terri: I love the Incogmeato (Morningstar Farms Brand)
burger and tater tots. Also, the red velvet vegan shake. Hot Rods offers a vegan banana split, which I’m always too full to order, but I bet it is wonderful.
Other Restaurants
Ashley and her husband Ray also own Foothills Milling Company and provide a vegan menu there, too. Foothills Milling Company is extravagant, occasion dining, and the offerings there are unique to that eating style. This is my families’ go-to place for birthdays and anniversaries. So delicious.
Thank you, Ashley, for providing excellent vegan options for our community!
