Strong Hearts Cafe - Syracuse, NY (100% Vegan!)

On our weekend trip to New York State, we stopped for dinner at a 100% Vegan restaurant that I was very excited to try - Strong Hearts Cafe in Syracuse, NY. I'd read about Strong Hearts on their website and was delighted to see a ton of delicious vegan choices on their menu. In fact, it was difficult narrowing it down. I only wish that Strong Hearts existed in my town so I could eat there all the time.

The philosophy behind Strong Hearts is to serve "affordable and delicious animal, earth and health friendly food". Sounds good to me! They have some wonderful policies at the restaurant, such as protecting the environment by not using plastics, styrofoam containers, and composting waste.  They also sell 100% fair-trade and organic coffee and tea. Furthermore, their ingredients are locally grown and are purchased at local farmer's markets. And of course, there is no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no artificial sweetners, no high-fructose corn syrup; simply put, only the best food is here!

So, here's what we ended up ordering! Paul and I both ended up deciding to eat the same thing! Great minds think alike. We got the Chipotle Potato Salad as a side dish, which was spicy, smokey, and super creamy.

As our main meal, we both got the BBQ Tempeh Sandwich. Believe it or not, this was both of our first times having a BBQ Tempeh Sandwich and it was amazing! It was so saucy and delicious. The thick slices of tempeh were very satisfying after a long day of driving, shopping, and playing (at the National Museum of Play in Rochester, no less!). The toppings complimented the tempeh and the barbeque sauce wonderfully - I will never say no to caramelized onions! It also came topped with spinach, tomatoes, and vegan cheese. And the bread was toasted just right!

My apologies that the pictures are a little bit blurry - it was nighttime and the lighting wasn't the best! If dinner weren't so satisfying (I was so full after eating!), I would have tried one of their milkshakes - they had so many different kinds and they all sounded so yummy. They also had some baked goods that I would have had for dessert with a coffee. I'll have to save that for next time! I have no idea when we'll be through Syracuse next, but we will definitely make a point of stopping at Strong Hearts!