Source: Menu – Plant Based Heat
In the south there are two words which typically wouldn’t be used in the same sentence, vegan and Black Folks. The south is home to fried catfish, chicken wings, pork chops and fried chicken. While there’s an abundance of culinary options in Memphis, the idea that there is a Black-owned vegan option straddling the line of Orange Mound and the College area, still is a bit mind-blowing.
We took a visit to Plant Based Heat and passed it several times in the process. If you blink, you miss it. The restaurant is a storefront about a block from a busy train track and doesn’t have parking in front of the building. I had to walk in the street to take this picture of the facade.
Our family crew has been making a conscious effort to eat better. At home we very rarely eat any meat. When we visit restaurants, we do eat meat, but even then, our meals are always paired with great veggies or fruit options. I had heard of PBH on social media, and we decided to visit.
What We Ordered
Not a lot of pics here since we weren’t feeling adventurous. We all grabbed the Oyster Mushroom with Fries Baskets – $18.00. Eighteen bucks places PBH in the mid-tier of fast casual dining experiences. Fast food is typically 9-12 dollars per person. At 18 bucks, and we added three of their cakes, the ticket price increases quickly. We paid right under 90 dollars for the three of us.
This was slightly jarring especially since the restaurant isn’t really designed to dine in. The price for three is comparable to a sit-down experience at Belly Acres. As good as the food is, we haven’t returned. We aren’t really vegans so that isn’t an impetus for us to choose PBH, but if we were, it would easily be the go to spot.
The Oyster Mushrooms and Fries taste damn near like chicken. I was expecting everything to be extra spicy since the name Heat is in the restaurant’s title, but it wasn’t. The amount of food in the small box was more than enough and since we stay about a 20–30-minute drive away, tossing the meals into the air fryer to get that in-store crispiness back was easy.
Would I recommend it? Definitely, especially if you are attempting to transition into a vegan lifestyle and want to eat out. It’s a task to track down your own Oyster Mushrooms, clean, batter and fry them yourself. PBH gives you a wealth of options and the food is on point. On a scale of 5, it’s definitely a 4 out of 5.