Lovin Spoonfuls Vegetarian Restaurant
$$ - average
American, Eclectic (Varied)
All vegan restaurant
Tucson's newest vegetarian restaurant is also the city's only all-vegan establishment. Lovin' Spoonfuls serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Check out their website for a look at their bounteous menu.
You can now order their food for delivery from BuyKind.
At the corner of Campbell and Blacklidge (north of Glenn, south of Ft. Lowell).
Added by Suzanne on Sep 17 05 (updated Dec 14 07)
Reviews
The first time I came here, shortly after it opened, I was incredibly unimpressed and didn't think I'd ever come back again. It turns out that my companion and I just ordered the wrong items -- a veggie burger and a turkey sandwich. I was served a Gardenburger and he was served a Tofurky sandwich. We both felt very cheated, as these were items we could have bought at the store and prepared ourselves at home. (NB: They have recently ditched the Gardenburger and come up with their own soy burger recipe, which is much better.)
However, reviews in the Weekly finally convinced me to give it a second chance, and I'm really glad I did. I've tried a variety of the soups, all of which were packed with flavor. All of the pasta dishes are great except they have a tendency not to drain the pasta adequately. The chicken Parmesan, which is occasionally a dinner special, is probably my favorite of the pastas.
My favorite meal to get here is classic comfort food -- the homemade adzuki burger is the best veggie burger in town. It pairs nicely with a chocolate shake, which is probably the best vegan shake I've ever had. Skip the french fries, though -- they aren't seasoned. I had to take them home, add my own seasonings, and throw them in the toaster oven for a while before they were to my liking.
Lastly, there is a good selection of vegan desserts. The cakes are good when fresh (though the frosting is overly sweet) and the cheesecake, danishes, and muffins are wonderful. However, the ice cream sundae isn't a very good value for your money, and the brownies are really hard.
My only major complaint is that the food isn't always as fresh as I'd like it to be. Plus I have a suspicion that the mashed potatoes are powdered.
Excellent all around. This and Guilin are just superb in Tucson. Too much to try!
My friend and I were hoping for a wider selection of organic, vegetable-based fare. If you are a fan of stick-to-your ribs, processed, comfort food, you can't go wrong here.
My faves are the deli sandwich and the adzuki burger (probably the best veggie burger in town). The atmosphere is clean, sophisticated yet not stuffy, and the service is very fast and friendly. It's a good place to go for lunch.. I've talked to others who think the dinner leaves something to be desired because they don't give enough vegetables, too much processed stuff. But definitely one of my two favorite restaurants. The only suggestion I would make is to maybe have the option of replacing the potato chips and side coleslaw with something like chips and salsa and/or a fresh little garden salad.
You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I recommend ordering the Daily Special.
This ENTIRELY-VEGAN restaurant makes it much easier for me to live in Tucson! I love being able to come to a restaurant where I can order ANYTHING on the menu! Their food feels so homemade (I mean that in a good way). I just adore their Golden Nuggets, Tempura Shrimp, Pasta Primavera, Stroganoff, and Bacon Cheeseburger. They have such incredible sauces and dips that I just cannot replicate at home. They have a lovely dessert case, and fantastic smoothies and milkshakes. Everything is vegan!! I only wish their prices were a little lower, so that I could eat there more often. That's not to say they're overpriced, because the wholesome organic ingredients they use are just more expensive than the slop used at other restaurants. Vegan heaven in the midst of the stinking desert. ;) Here's their menu: http://www.lovinspoonfuls.com/menu.html
I love this place and eat here about once a week.
I've gotta disagree with the review that mentions the fries not being good. I enjoy their fries. To me and my girlfriend they taste no different than other fries, reminds me of Eegee's fries and you can dip em in ranch and or ketchup when their served so nice and hot - yum! Maybe you got an undercooked batch or not enough salt or maybe I'm just a sucker for any fry.
I really like the sesame chick salad, Mediterranean plate, or just some nuggets, fries and coleslaw. The potato salad and slaw is awesome, just like mom used to make. Carrot cake and cookies I've tried, so good.
It will take me a long time to try everything because it so hard to stray from what I'm already addicted to!
This is a also great place to bring friend and hand them a vegetarian starter kit to take home or come alone and sip a shake while browsing issues of vegan magazines and publications in a really peaceful atmosphere.
If you are a fan of mock meat and dairy dishes, you will love this restaurant. It has some excellent imitations: try the breaded shrimp and chicken fingers for example. If you like more organic, fresh vegetable-based, less-processed meals, however, this may not be suitable.
I love this place! I can eat every single thing on the menu! When I gave up dairy I gave up ranch dressing, but at Lovin' Spooonfuls the ranch is vegan and delicious, as is the rest of the menu.
My Dad (not a vegetarian or a vegan) and I went to Lovin' Spoonfuls.. we both give it a 7. I had the Tuna Melt (made with Tuno-delicious!!) and thought it was heavenly! Instead of sourdough bread, I had it on whole-wheat bread... I don't know if ordering a different type of bread affected it, but the bottom of the bread was a little too greasy for my liking. Other than that, it was absolutely wonderful. Dad had the chili and liked that it was spicy, but he said the cornbread didn't taste 'real' enough, and I have to agree. It tasted great (like 'real' cornbread) at first, but it left me with too nutty of an aftertaste. The fries were the worst about it though: no seasoning! They seemed to us like they were just the type of fries one can buy in a bag and heat up for oneself.
I will go back to Lovin' Spoonfuls to try other things on their menu, but as for now, I do not recommend the french fries! The atmosphere is wonderful, service is a breeze, and food arrives quickly and piping hot. Great restaurant!
The best vegan restaurant ever! I eat there almost on a weekly basis. I love the portabella griller and Route 66, but have also tried the sesame chicken salad, french toast, waffles, pancakes,dolmas Deluxe BLT, Lasagna, Mediterranean plate,stuffed pasta, cream puffs, french fries, and spiced tea...I have yet to be disappointed- the staff is friendly and makes the whole experience wonderful! I hope she takes her restaurant across the US. All the vegans and animals out there think she and this restaurant are worthy of nothing but praise!!
I've had appetizers, all three meals, and desserts at Lovin' Spoonfuls, and I honestly believe the best vegan food in Tucson is made there. That said, I did want to mention that I haven't tried any of the mock meat meals.
Anyway, I think they've really outdone themselves with their breakfast offerings. Their spinach tofu scramble is awesome. Next time I go I want to make sure to try their breakfast smoothies. I just wish there was a sister restaurant in Sierra Vista.
I love this restaurant! Everything was perfect, the service, ambiance, and especially the food. I had the Route 66 Bacon Cheeseburger (all vegan) and this is by far the best veggie burger I ever had! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.
As a vegan there are very few things I miss about my old diet. One of them is the ability to go out to a certain type of restaurant. A restaurant where the breakfast menu includes pancakes and the lunch menu juicy burgers. A restaurant that's tastefully decorated, where the waitstaff looks and acts professional. A nice, middle of the road place where the restaurant foods of my childhood meet my updated ethical sensibilities. A place to take my pretty redheaded wife for a special Sunday breakfast.
Lovin' Spoonfuls is that restaurant.
I ate here twice over the course of two days on a trip to Tucson. The first thing I noticed was the decor--beautiful tile work, handsome paneling, and richly toned wooden tables. The waitstaff is courteous and professional, and tasteful piano music fills the air. You could imagine taking Mom here on Mother's Day. You order at the counter, and the breakfast menu spans an entire page. I had a breakfast burrito the first day, and the fabulous french toast the second day. The food was hearty, filling, and very traditional American. I also had a bite of my companion's huge burger. It was delicious, and it was topped with the best veggie bacon I've ever tasted. I also tasted one of their fresh-blended smoothies, a milkshake, and one of their "cheese" danishes. Everything was wonderful, and deeply satisfying.
The best part though, is that everything in the restaurant is one hundred percent vegan.
If I lived in Tucson, I know I'd be here once a week at least. Highly recommended.
We dined here recently and found the review from the Daily Star to be very accurate. My lasagna was rich and covered in a very nice tomato sauce. My partner's ravioli was equally good, stuffed with tofu filling and sauced with a creamy and rich white sauce. The owner, Peggy, has the most infectious laugh in Tucson. We wish her well.
I LOVE this place! I was so excited when it opened! The homemade adzuki burger is so yummy it's hard for me to order anything else. I also enjoy the club sandwich. My only complaint is that all the take-out comes in Styrofoam, which is why I try to stay away from taking out.