Rellie G.
Yelp
In an effort to try more vegan eats I was more than pleasantly surprised when my sister found and recommended this place.
It's not in the best area and the parking is tight, but considering that many are still scared of the Rona and staying home, I didn't have to worry about it being crowded or getting boxed in.
The artwork isn't anything that will make you "ooh & ahh" in amazement, but it adds a certain level of quirky charm to this place that reminds me of my younger days as a freshman in college. You can tell that whoever was behind the decoration was just expressing themselves, unconcerned with how it was going to be perceived or judged, and that is to be admired. They definitely have that young, rebellious counter-culture spirit going on, punctuated by their inclusion of gender neutral bathrooms if you're into that sort of thing.
The menu was way larger and more creative than I was expecting. I had the banh mih sandwich, and I don't know what an authentic banh mih tastes like but if this is any indication then I'll definitely be trying it at the next Vietnamese restaurant I visit. At first bite I felt that it needed more sauce, but the more sandwich I ate, the less I felt. The baguette was so wonderfully soft, which was welcomed since the tofu was so crunchy. Honestly if they had put more sauce it would've more than likely compromised the integrity of the sandwich; the pickled vegetables weren't soggy at all and they added the perfect amount of freshness to the sandwich, as the bread, as much as I loved it, was very thick and could've easily over powered the dressings.
I added a side of tofu strips, which I expected to be panko crusted and pan fried, instead turning out to be just deep fried tofu. Don't get me wrong though, they were still pretty tasty (as you can see, I was so busy eating them I almost forgot to snap a picture). I again initially felt that it needed more sauce, but by the time I finished it my ego had been humbled into believing that the chefs at "The Bark" know what they're doing. Just enough sauce (it's a teriyaki style sauce, pretty safe but yummy choice) to give it flavor and maintain the texture of the strips. Also had some regular fries, and while they were cold by the time I got around to eating them, I could tell they're delicious when fresh from the fryer.
I tried some of my sister's kale side, I'm not a fan of kale so I didn't like it but if you do then I'm sure you'll enjoy that. I also had their banana nut bread pudding; I'm glad I tried it but I wouldn't order it again. Because banana bread isn't true bread, this bread pudding didn't have the firmer texture I'm accustomed to in a bread pudding. The flavor was very yummy perfectly seasoned, but the texture was just too soft for my liking.
So in conclusion, if you're looking to get into vegan/vegetarian eating or even just want a cheap eat that tastes like the chef's actually care what they're feeding you, give "The Bark" a visit. The food is good enough to feed your dog and anyone else you care about.