I got the Gardener’s Wrap with a side of slaw. The wrap has soy protein, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. The soy protein wasn’t remarkable or offensive. Like many soy products, it’s a flavor chameleon. Which is why I think it would be better suited to stronger flavors like barbecue sauce. I also would have liked more mayo on my slaw.

Pho at Loving Hut in Arlington, TX. Photo by mollyjade. Licensed under creative commons

My mom got the pho. She really liked it, though was surprised that the zucchini was noodle-shaped and raw. That was exactly what I expected. I think zucchini noodles are pretty common in vegan circles, but haven’t yet gone mainstream. She was happy to find “normal” food on the menu. (More on this later.)

My father got the Baguette Charm, which seemed like a take on a Philly cheesesteak. Again, this was made with soy protein, and it could have used some stronger flavors. But props to my dad for being adventurous. That’s potato salad on the side, and it was everyone’s favorite part of the meal. Definitely get the potato salad if you come. I believe “wonderful” was thrown around a lot.

My husband got the Sloppy Jenny, which is a veggie dog with chili, onions, relish, cole slaw, mustard, and homemade mayo. Matt really enjoyed it and will probably get again next time.

In general, my mother really liked the restaurant. She said the food on the menu looked more normal than the food at Spiral Diner, her only other experience with a vegan restaurant. The thing is, I don’t think that’s true. The menus are pretty similar in their use of things like soy, seitan, and vegan cheese. Both menus have familiar dishes like pasta marinara and beans and rice.

I think either my mother has had several years to get used to me and my vegan food since our last visit to Spiral Diner, or, more likely, the crowd and atmosphere at Loving Hut was less intimidating. You’re fairly likely to run into someone with tattoos, piercings, and/or unnaturally colored hair at Spiral Diner. And while someone in my generation wouldn’t blink at any of those, I think for my parents those are still signifiers of counterculture. The crowd at Loving Hut wasn’t any different than the crowd at a Starbucks. A bit young, but otherwise unremarkable. 

Another difference, and a really positive one, is that Loving Hut prints photos of all their menu items. This is really great for people who have never eaten seitan or other vegan specialty foods, and I think this probably helped my mother’s comfort level as well.

So overall, the food was pretty good, but not exceptional. I’m still very pleased to be able to find so many vegan choices in Arlington. And I’m looking forward to going back to check out their desserts and baked goods.