Tuscaloosa, home of “fried Fridays” and game-day grub, might not be the first place you’d think to look for vegan or vegetarian food, but local restaurants are stepping up to the plate with plant-based products for their meatless clientele.

A frequented Mediterranean-style restaurant, Hooligans Restaurant, offers vegan and vegetarian meals with accommodating service. Jerrod Adams, general manager at Hooligans Restaurant, said as long as the kitchen has the ingredients, it will fulfill any customers’ request.  

“If I got it in the kitchen, we can hook it up for you,” Adams said.

Zachary Brown, a junior majoring in pre-med biology and a vegan, said Hooligans Restaurant is his favorite place to go out to eat. His go-to order is its falafel wrap.

“I ignored it for a long time because I thought that’s just like greasy meat and cheese, and there’s going to be nothing in there,” Brown said. “And then I went in there one day and talked to the guy and he’s like, ‘Yeah, [the falafel wrap] is fine,’ and there’s nothing you even have to modify on it.”

Another unassuming vegan and vegetarian hub is Taco Bell. With a few adjustments, many of its items are accessible to plant-based customers. Additionally, Taco Bell announced last Thursday that it will be testing a vegetarian menu this year.  

“I’ll get the seven-layer burrito, take off the sour cream and cheese and it’s really good,” said Mason Serna, a sophomore majoring in nutrition and a vegan of over a year.

Chuy’s, an eclectic Tex-Mex restaurant, caters to meatless modifications as well. Jason Hutchins, the kitchen manager, said Chuy’s takes precautions when preparing food for people with special requests, such as vegan dishes. Between making a dish that contains meat and making a vegan or vegetarian dish, the kitchen staff makes sure the stove and any kitchenware are cleaned.

“Anytime someone comes in and is wanting something that’s vegan or gluten-free or any kind of allergen, as long as they understand that it takes a little longer, because there is a clean up process that goes into that, because we are very serious about that,” Hutchins said. “We’re not just going to be like, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, we got you,’ and then make somebody sick.”

Though Chuy’s allows modifications to menu items, it is also aiming to create specific vegan and vegetarian meals that don’t need to be altered. Hutchins said if it “makes the cut,” a vegan dish may be included in Chuy’s next annual Green Chile Fest, a month-long event that raises excitement about new menu items.

Going even further to accommodate plant-based guests, Hutchins said Chuy’s corporate chefs are discussing potentially creating an entirely vegetarian menu. Although this may take some time to implement, Hutchins said it is “high on the radar.”  

Chuy’s consideration for vegan and vegetarian options is relatively new. Hutchins said five years ago, conversations about vegan and vegetarian options would not have taken place to such a degree.

“Now, we actually have portions of meetings set apart where we’re actually discussing that – how is that selling, are you guys getting requests for this or that,” Hutchins said.

Adams agrees that meatless options have become more popular since he started managing Hooligans Restaurant about five years ago.

“I’ve been managing here for five years now,” Adams said. “Toward the beginning, not [as many people requested vegan and vegetarian options]. It was more of an ‘extra meat’ kinda thing, but I think everybody’s kinda trying to eat a little healthier,” Adams said. “Health is becoming a lot more important to a lot of people.”

Not every restaurant can accommodate vegan and vegetarian guests, but Serna said when you know what you’re looking for, navigating menus gets easier.

“Tuscaloosa actually has a good bit of options. It’s not like everywhere is going to definitely have something, but most places do,” Serna said.