With three successful Vancouver locations, MeeT is finally serving up its signature vegan comfort food in Victoria.
Photo by Kristen de Jager.
MeeT has garnered endless amounts of acclaim ever since its first location opened on the mainland in 2014. There was no shortage of hype when it was first announced last year that Vancouver Island’s first MeeT restaurant was opening on Blanshard Street. After a soft-launch with limited hours and dates that lasted a few weeks, MeeT is now officially open and is Victoria’s newest destination for vegetarians, vegans, and curious meat-eaters alike.
For anyone who is vegan, it might almost be overwhelming to open up a menu where everything is plant-based. Gone are the days of asking the waiter what you can or can’t eat. MeeT’s menu is focused on comfort food like poutine, mac and cheese, and burgers. There are also plenty of bowls and salads to choose from to keep anyone happy. If you’re looking to have a good time, there is an expansive selection of cocktails, wines, and local draft beers.
Photo by Kristen de Jager.
As a lifelong vegetarian, I can safely say that I know my way around meat alternatives. There is a great selection of burgers to choose from at MeeT, whether you want fake chicken, Beyond Meat, or a more traditional black bean burger. I ended up ordering The Mighty Mac, which is a burger topped with MeeT’s mac and cheese, jalapenos, and crispy onions. And yes, it lived up to its description. While I’m not completely certain, the “house” patty tasted suspiciously like a Field Roast burger. I’m not complaining though, Field Roast has some of the tastiest vegan products on the market.
Everything else I tried also tasted great. There were plenty of fries, and the side salad was a perfect supportive player. The vegan calamari appetizer was the highlight of the meal though, and could easily convince even the most skeptical of meat-eaters. One of the people I was dining with had the waiter amazed with his order of buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese with butter chicken on top. It was almost as delicious as it was indulgent, and a true testament to what vegan alternatives can achieve.
While the food isn’t outrageously priced, going out for appetizers, a main, and drinks will certainly set you back a fair bit. But then again, going out to eat almost anywhere nowadays can be pretty hard on the wallet.
MeeT’s location is unfortunately not as great as its flavours. The restaurant took over the building that housed the recently closed Boston Pizza on the corner of Hillside and Blanshard. While the actual building itself is nice and spacious, the location is quite awkward. It’s too far away from pretty much anywhere to walk. A central location somewhere downtown would have made MeeT a go-to spot for a night out.
The atmosphere within MeeT feels welcoming, although it’s obvious that they are still figuring everything out. The décor can only really be described as retro-futuristic, with vintage style booths illuminated by science fiction-esque light fixtures. The interior is very clean and minimal, perhaps a little too much so. Hopefully as time goes on, more decoration will be brought in to make the space feel less barren.
During my time at MeeT, all the waitstaff were friendly and welcoming. They also all seemed to fit the hipster-ish aesthetic that the entire restaurant has going on.
With Virtuous Pie having opened its Victoria location and now MeeT, it’s a great era for bespoke vegan food. I look forward to having MeeT as a reliable restaurant option, and hope that it only continues to improve.
