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brass tacks sandwiches: housemade vegan goodness in portland
7July 6th, 2011more restaurants (not LA), portlandwe just got back from a long weekend in portland, and naturally we made an effort to eat as much awesome vegan food as possible. we only had 4 days, so i knew we couldn’t get to everything…but i think we did a pretty respectable job. shortly after we arrived in pdx, we ran into janessa from epicurious vegan, and she implored us to check out the city’s newest vegan-friendly sandwich shop: brass tacks.
photo credit: the brass tacks facebook page
located in northeast portland, brass tacks is owned by 3 lovely ladies who strive to create an environment where omnivores, vegans, and gluten-free folks all feel comfortable. although the restaurant does offer real meat, over half of the sandwich menu is vegan and all condiments, salads, and soups are completely animal-free. what makes brass tacks extremely special though, is that the vegan meats and sauces are all made in house from scratch—inventive stuff like agave smoked “ham”, cashew-based gouda, and white bean meatballs. there are four vegan sandwiches to choose from, as well as a “build your own” option where you can go crazy piling on the faux meats and vegetables.
salame: french roll, spicy sundried tomato "salami", tomato jam, aioli, yellow mustard, pepperoncinis, lettuce, tomato, red onion. served with chips! $7.99
my husband and i split the vegan “salame!”, a sandwich packed with spicy seitan, tomato jam, aioli, yellow mustard, pepperoncinis, lettuce, tomato and red onion. fantastic! everything about this sandwich was top notch—the french roll from local bakery fleur de lis was fresh and crunchy, the tomato jam was tangy and flavorful, and all the vegetables were cool and crisp. though the best component, by far, was the homemade salami.
seitan salami made from scratch
thinly sliced and perfectly seasoned, it was so reminiscent of real deli meat, and better than any store-bought brand.
all sandwiches at brass tacks are $7.99 and come with a side of thinly sliced potato chips. i also added a serving of pickles to my order for an extra 75¢…
pickles. 75¢
so spicy and delicious!
after just one visit, i’m super impressed with brass tacks. the food is excellent, the vegan options are plentiful, and the girls who own the place are extra nice and friendly. i can’t wait to go back and try out the whole menu—white bean meatballs, vegan potato salad, “cream” of mushroom soup….ah, portland! always too much food and too little time!
brass tacks sandwiches
3535 N Vancouver Ave
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 309-4412
10am-7pm everyday but tuesday
check them out on facebook!PS: check out the full brass tacks menu here, courtesy of get sconed!
Tags: pdx, portland, sandwiches, seitan
7 responses to “brass tacks sandwiches: housemade vegan goodness in portland” 
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Very appetizing!! I don’t know anyone in Portland but I feel like I’m going to have to visit just for the food alone one of these days. I don’t like flying at all and normally avoid it at all costs, but I might have to make an exception for this super vegan-friendly city haha:p
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Da Data Monkey July 6th, 2011 at 12:58
Yummy! Try making you own salami. It’s really easy.
I base mine on these recipes.
http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/vegan-chorizo-sausages.html
http://www.chimpanzeeteaparty.com/2011/02/vegan-chorizo.html
http://www.phamfatale.com/id_165/title_Homemade-Vegetarian-Soy-Chorizo/
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/vegan-chorizo-sausages/
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i wish i lived near this place just so i could say “let’s get down to brass tacks” anytime i wanted to go.
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Gregalor July 6th, 2011 at 19:52
So cheap. That’s always an awakening when traveling out of LA. I forget so fast.
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Oh YUM! We’ll be in Portland in August for http://vidavegancon.com/… we’ll have to put this place on “The LIST” 🙂
Gauri Radha गौरी राधा July 6th, 2011 at 10:30