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epic feasting at souley vegan in oakland
26September 20th, 2010bay area, more restaurants (not LA)i’ve eaten at countless restaurants all over the country, and if you were to ask me to name my favorites, souley vegan would be near the top of that list.
the modest oakland eatery is miles ahead of most of the places we have here in los angeles, what with its home cooked animal-free menu, fried food sensibilities, friendly service, and spacious interior. we hit up the northern california soul food joint recently with laura of vegansaurus fame, and it was a meal to remember.
the menu at souley is on this huge chalkboard posted on the wall, and is a little intimidating at first glance. it’s hard to believe that so much vegan goodness exists under one roof.
click to enlarge
they’ve got everything from collard greens to southern fried tofu, and prices range from 6 bucks per dish to 8 bucks for 2 dishes, and increasingly better value right up to the “everything plate,” which includes almost every side dish available for $19. naturally, that’s what we ordered.
the everything plate is one huge platter stacked up with collard greens, cornbread, black eye peas, southern fried tofu, lentils, potato salad, bbq tofu, mac n cheese, and yams. to call it epic would be an understatement. you can see it pictured at the top of the post from one angle…and below is a shot of it from behind.
the everything plate: collard greens, cornbread, black eye peas, southern fried tofu, lentils, potato salad, bbq tofu, mac-n-cheese, and yams (YES, those are YAMS, you sicko!) $19
make no mistake—those orange things are yams, okay?! anyways, this plate was amazing. where do i start? the bbq tofu was well-seasoned and sweet, while the mac and cheese was mild but extra gooey and velvety. the lentils were earthy and tasted great all mixed up with the collard greens (which you can’t even see, because there was so much food on the plate). the potato salad was so damn creamy, i had a hard time believing it was vegan…and the cornbread was like a delicious oily sponge. for an extra $6, you can add fried okra along with beans and rice to your order, but we simply didn’t have room for that. next time!
southern fried tofu. $6
not knowing how much food would arrive, we also got a side of the southern fried tofu on its own. this proved to be a good decision though, because the this tofu was definitely one of the most delicious things on the table. all coated in batter and fried up in a fantastic blend of spices, the skin on this stuff was probably half an inch thick. i’m so glad they served it on a piece of lettuce, because that totally makes this meal healthy, right?
the crispy. $6. plus $2 per side.
laura was all about ordering the “crispy,” a fried tofu sandwich that she said is one of the best things she’s ever eaten in her life. it came with the same beautiful hunk of tofu we ordered along with condiments and toppings on a bread roll for 6 bucks. you can add sides to your sandwich for just $2 each…so i think next time i am gonna go with this option rather than the everything plate.
inside, souley vegan is nice and roomy with two separate seating areas to choose from. it was empty when we were there (at around 11am), but we were told to get there early because the place can get packed. with food this good, i don’t doubt it.
if you are ever in the bay area, souley vegan is a MUST VISIT. it’s just a short train ride from san francisco, and the restaurant is walkable from the station. deep fried vegan has never tasted so good!
souley vegan
Tags: oakland, soul food, tofu
301 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94607-3804
(510) 922-1615
24 responses to “epic feasting at souley vegan in oakland” 
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DAMN, I love Souley. SO glad you got to check it out, the Everything Plate is my jam.
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holy crap, why didn’t i check this blog this weekend? I was in oakland since friday morning! 🙁
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Souley is definitely my favorite restaurant in the bay area. My husband and I always split the everything plate and the tasty crispy- which has both crispy AND fried tofu.
I also want to mention that you can get there by ferry from the Embarcadero and it’s really lovely, and then it’s about a 3 block walk from the Oak side ferry station thingie. And you can drink on the Ferry. There’s also a beer bar next door and Souley will bring your food to you there if you’d like.
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Echoing Jen’s comment above, Beer Revolution is next door and it is an amazing place to grab a beer. They have an mostly local but exotic tap list, and a wall of cold boxes full of beer from around the world. They charge $1 for you to drink a bottle there, plus they pour it in appropriate glassware. That corner is a great beer/vegan combo!
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susielol September 20th, 2010 at 09:48
heeheehee The yams 🙂 Glad you addressed it in the post. First thing I noticed on the plate *blush*
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Gregory September 20th, 2010 at 13:20
Everyone commenting on how good that looks is probably fat. Don’t you miss Denny’s? Peace out.
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Oh man! I can’t even count the ways this post makes me miss Souley Vegan. My biggest regret from my six months of my Oakland residency is that I wasn’t able to eat at the restaurant until one of my last days living in the city. This just reminded me to put it on my “to eat at” list next time I visit the Bay.
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i didn’t make it over to souley when i was in san francisco, but i did pick up a fried tofu sandwich from rainbow for the plane ride home. it was amazing!! one of the best things i ate in sf.
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Omg, I might have to make a road trip specifically to visit this place. The yams were the first thing I noticed on the plate, too, haaaaaa…
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I LOVED Souley Vegan soooo much. The crispy sandwich was so good.
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Beatrice September 21st, 2010 at 11:48
My sister lives close by there. I’ll have to check it out next time I’m visiting. Thanks for the tip!
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I am so glad you reviewed souly. I love this place. It is very laid back, and the service is great. The food is amazing. The last time I was there, they even had a jazz trio. How awesome is that?
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oh my i’ve been wondering when you would post about this place. greatest restaurant in the world, and i’m so glad they’re not a secret anymore. the owner/chef deserves all the love, support and success she’s gotten and then some.
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MaryZaint September 23rd, 2010 at 12:06
That is SOOOO not a yam!!
I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that picture. 🙂
The rest of the food looks delicious. I wouldnt touch that yam though! Hahaha! -
MaryZaint September 23rd, 2010 at 12:11
Denny’s? Wow. Who would miss Denny’s?
Such low standards on food I guess. -
Michelle November 29th, 2010 at 13:29
The crispy is so yummy! My dad absolutely loved it! I went all out and had sides of mac -n cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy, too. Everything was delicious and the women behind the counter were so pleasantly helpful and inviting. Looks like I’m moving back to Oakland!
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[…] hope this plan takes off quick, because souley’s brunch is one of the best on earth.we’ve already raved about the lunch options at souley (EPIC), and their brunch menu was/is just as stellar. they offered a la carte options as well as a build […]
Melisser September 20th, 2010 at 06:50