The Soulful Vegan of Akron is a plant-based paradise in Merriman Valley | Local Flavor
“With food this good, I could easily become a vegan.”
Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear my wife say.
Susie and I are carnivores, and happily so, but we went with open minds to dinner at the Soulful Vegan at 1720 Merriman Road in Akron.
The little restaurant is tucked in a small plaza across from Cedarwood Valley Office Park in the Merriman Valley. We’ve passed it dozens of times in the past couple of years without even knowing it was there.
Frey Canty opened the cafe in 2022. It began as a sideline for Body Rock, the cycling studio that she had operated since 2016, but now the Soulful Vegan is the sole business.
No dairy or animal products
Canty re-creates the flavor, texture and look of classic meat dishes, and she does so without any dairy or animal products. The majority of the food is made up of mushrooms, pea proteins, soy, vegetables and fruits.
She describes the restaurant as a “plant-based paradise.”
The dining area, a small room with about 10 tables, is decorated in greens and pinks with plastic vegetation and artificial flowers. Strings of lights hang from the ceiling, and wood paneling complements the wood floors. A silver chain cordons off the public from the kitchen downstairs.
“It’s pretty in here,” Susie said. “I like the flower wall. It’s very organic looking.”
As we took our seats, 1980s R&B music played in the background and television programs glowed softly from flat screens. We were in the mood to eat.
What’s on the menu at the Soulful Vegan?
I really had difficulty deciding what to order. I must’ve changed my mind three or four times.
The dinner menu offers vegan variations on ribs, filet mignon, jumbo shrimp, chicken, salmon and stir fries. As an example of the wizardry involved, the “shrimp” is made from konjac, a root vegetable from Asia.
The restaurant’s premium sandwiches include plant-based burgers, fish, chicken and a Philly cheesesteak. There are burritos, wings, chili cheese dogs, loaded fries and loaded potatoes. The children’s menu has chicken tenders, a cheeseburger, hot dog and loaded fries.
Soulful sides include mac and cheese, collard greens and cabbage, steamed broccoli, red beans and rice, dirty rice, coleslaw, French fries, truffle fries and onion rings.
Weekly specials feature everything from a vegan tuna melt to a vegan roast beef dinner to vegan scallops on angel hair pasta. Customers can check for updates on the restaurant's Facebook page.
On Saturdays, there’s a brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with offerings such as pancakes, French toast, grits, avocado toast, egg and mushroom toast, breakfast burritos and vegan English muffins. Bagels can be ordered with cream cheese; egg and cheese; steak, egg and cheese; and bacon, fried egg, tomato and avocado.
Beefless burrito is big
After nearly 10 minutes of studying the menu, I ordered the Big Beefless Burrito ($14) made with plant-based ground meat, rice, homemade black beans, vegan sour cream, pico de gallo, homemade guacamole and a plant-based Mexican four-cheese blend rolled up in a warm flour tortilla.
The giant burrito, wrapped in foil, was so large that I cut it in half to make it more manageable to eat. I briefly admired the tantalizing ingredients stuffed inside before taking the first bite. Whoa.
Soft, creamy, fresh and spicy, the bold flavors swirled around my palate, bringing new discoveries with every munch.
How can that not be beef? How can that not be cheese?
That’s one great burrito.
I also had a small side of red beans and rice ($6), which was very tasty. If I had thought about it longer, I probably should have ordered a different side, maybe collard greens, because the burrito already contained beans and rice, but I enjoyed it all the same.
A Big Mac for vegans
Susie ordered the Big McVegan ($12), one of the restaurant’s most popular burgers — a faithful re-creation of a McDonald’s Big Mac with two plant-based patties, special sauce, lettuce, vegan cheese, pickles and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.
“This is delicious!” she exclaimed after taking one bite.
The burger was gigantic, juicy and joyfully messy. When my wife asked if I wanted a sample, I didn’t hesitate. Yes, it was amazing. We marveled at how much the patties tasted like beef.
“You really can’t tell,” Susie said.
She also ordered a side of onion rings ($6), which arrived in a stack on a metal tower with cups of barbecue sauce and zesty sauce. The crispy rings were delightful on their own, but the savory sauces enhanced the flavor.
My wife even zest-ified her Big McVegan.
“I think it adds something,” she said.
For beverages, we enjoyed freshly squeezed lemonade and tamarind juice ($2 each), a welcome change from the soft drinks served at other restaurants.
We’ll be back
We were contentedly full as we prepared to leave. Another customer, visiting from out of state, gushed: “Everything was phenomenal.”
No argument here.
Our only regret was that the menu didn’t have dessert. We bet that would have been good, too.
“I’m sad for it to be over,” Susie said.
With tax, our total bill came to $44.94, not including tip.
We can see ourselves adding the Soulful Vegan into our regular rotation of places to dine in Akron. This restaurant proves that you don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy vegan food.
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com
Details
Place: The Soulful Vegan
Address: 1720 Merriman Road, Akron
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Services: Dine in or take out
More info: https://thesoulfulvegans.com/ and 330-338-1949
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The Soulful Vegan in Akron will have meat eaters fooled
