By Lucía Rivera, VRG Intern

There was not a single part of my meal at Native Foods (Point Loma) in San Diego, CA that was not extremely enjoyable! From my flavorful Peri Peri “Chicken” Sandwich, to my lightly spiced side of sweet potato fries, or the vegan blueberry muffin to top of the meal, I was all smiles.

Part of a nationwide chain, Native Foods is a vegan restaurant that offers a variety of dishes in different forms, inspired by different cultures. When I first walked into one of their San Diego locations, I was comforted by the positive messages painted on their walls. After taking my time to browse the menu, I ordered one of their year-round sandwiches.

The dish arrived quickly and was presented nicely, with the colors of sweet potato fries and green lettuce complementing each other nicely. The food had the right amount of flavor and spice, along with a pleasant texture combination provided by the soft bun and the sauce covered soy chicken. Native Foods often includes crispy potato chips in their sandwiches, soups, or tacos to add a unique textural element, although my meal from this visit did not include this feature.

After I happily devoured my food, I got a chance to speak with the manager of the restaurant. He described to us the high standards he keeps his kitchen in, stating he makes sure to only serve a dish he would feed to his own family. An insider tip was for us to try the Korean BBQ Sliders, which were his current favorite thing on the menu. Getting closer to the human side of the restaurant significantly added to my dinner experience at Native Foods that night.

Although everyone might not get this unexpected insight into Native Foods on their visit, they can easily sign up for the restaurant’s newsletter to receive information about sales and specials. For example, to spice things up, they have a monthly special order available to customers at every one of their locations. Another fun feature they have is a monthly Native Pals Day. On this day, Native Foods gives a portion of their proceeds to their “Native Pals,” which is currently the Farm Sanctuary, which in turn help prevent animal cruelty at multiple sanctuaries nation-wide.

Another feature I found engaging was Native Food’s free smartphone app. It begins meals off on an amazing note when it automatically grants any new customers five dollars off their purchase for downloading the app onto their phones! Furthermore, the app awards points for every purchase, motivating customers to come back until reaching another five dollar prize. At the end of my meal I had earned five dollars in points and was able to purchase a blueberry muffin for free, ending my meal with a fresh and sweet addition.

All in all, I know I will be returning to Native Foods, hopefully in the near future, partially because of their great food, but also for what they stand for. It always feels good to help oneself, the planet, and animals through food, especially when food is as delicious as the offerings of Native Foods.

For more information on Native Foods, see: https://www.nativefoods.com/our-menu/

To see information on other veg restaurants in the USA and Canada, see: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php