Conversations Cafe & Bistro - Beamsville

4995 King Street
289-566-9365

Conversations is a casual, comfortable space that has steadily grown in its offerings since it arrived in Beamsville. There are a variety of seating arrangements available including sunny tables in the front window, cozy armchairs surrounding the fireplace, big booths for larger groups, and small tables tucked into nooks. In nicer weather, there is a covered patio area beside the back entrance.

When I asked specifically about vegan options, the response was enthusiastic:  "if you ever want to order a personalized salad ahead of time (with / without certain items) we are happy to accommodate that–if you call, we could make it for you ahead of time and have it ready for you when you arrive."

They offer almond milk that can be used in any of the tea or coffee beverages listed. For breakfast, they have a vegan fruit cup. For lunch or dinner, they have an assortment of salads available that are anything but your regular greens and a cherry tomato, including:

- The Classic Chef Salad
- The Spinach & Walnut Salad
- Greek Salad (without feta)
- Asian Chicken Salad (without chicken)
- Roasted beet salad (without feta)
- Arugula salad (without feta)
- Quinoa Salad (seasonal)

They were unable to guarantee that all of the salad dressings were vegan, but suggested, "if you wanted to bring your own confirmed-vegan dressing in, we would just need to know your name ahead of time so that we can record the "outside food's" entry into the restaurant, due to health & safety regulations."

They do seem eager to accommodate as best they can. Further, they said, "Always let our staff know your dietary needs; we will be happy to do our best to make salads without cross contamination, and also will know not include any cheese or chicken
."

Here is their full menu.

The bathrooms are clean and spacious.

There is a parking lot at the back entrance with additional street parking on King Street and a city lot 100 metres up North Lane.

Hours:
Monday to Saturday - 7am to 10pm
Sunday - 8am to 6pm

How to Connect:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Phone: 289-566-9365

Pizza Pizza - Beamsville

4322 Ontario Street
905-687-1111

Well, Pizza Pizza is not going to be the most glamorous restaurant covered here, but it is vegan-friendly. We ordered a large pizza and I held my breath, wondering if the non-dairy cheese was going to be any good.

We did the multi-grain crust with Italian homestyle tomato sauce. My half of the pizza was green olives, mushrooms, grilled zucchini and the vegan cheese. A cool aside, when I asked the person taking my order if there was some way to denote which side of the pizza had my cheese on it, he suggested getting an additional topping on my side (which he did not charge me for), to ensure that there would be no confusion. (I didn't need to worry about differentiating the cheese in the end,...the vegan cheese looked nothing like the melty mozzarella.)

Other vegan options included:

Garden salad - Balsamic or Zesty Italian dressing
Greek salad, hold the feta, Balsamic or Zesty Italian dressing
Crunchy dill pickles
Potato Wedges
Onion Rings
Fries

Sauces:
Chipotle, Italian Marinara Dipping, Hot, Frank's Red Hot, BBQ, Italian Homestyle Pizza, Bruschetta, Sweet Chili Thai

Breads:
Tortillas, Whole Grain Dough, Classic Dough

I want to mention that looking at the menu, I can't figure out where they use the tortillas. Also, the cheese. I know you're waiting to hear about the cheese. The brand is Violife. I didn't love it; it had that faint chemical taste that I also find with Daiya products. It melted okay and tasted better when hot, but I would be tempted to try it without the cheese next time.

For me, this would be an 'in-a-pinch' restaurant option, and I would probably stick to the sides above instead of ordering the pizza next time. Having said that, if you enjoy the Daiya cheeses, you will probably enjoy this Violife cheese as well.

Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 11am - 10pm
Thursday: 11am - 12am
Friday and Saturday: 11am - 1am

How To Connect:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Root 8 - Beamsville

5041 King Street
Beamsville, ON

905-563-1155

I was super excited to hear about an all vegan restaurant coming to Beamsville and Root 8 did not disappoint. The restaurant has a real cafe feel to it with its turquoise distressed wood decor.

The menu consisted of salads, wraps, bowls, chili, panini, and little dishes of mac and cheese, and tofu nuggets.  There is also a smoothie and juice menu, along with daily specials that included a hummus tray, french onion soup, and a burger with all the fixin's on the day that I went.

I ordered the panini with sweet peppers, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, spicy mayo, and mozza cheese (cashew cheese). I also enjoyed a chocolate, almond butter 'muffin' for dessert. Loved them both. I ordered take-out so I cannot speak to the wait-staff's attentiveness, but I was thoroughly charmed by the person who took my order. She was informative about the menu items and friendly without being intrusive while I waited.

Panini with sweet peppers, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, spicy mayo, and cashew mozza cheese.

Chocolate, almond butter 'muffins'

Plus, in keeping with their environmentally friendly philosophy - I received this lovely take-out bag and will, in future, receive $1 off my meal if I bring it in. Great idea.

$1 off my next meal if I remember to bring it in

Parking is free in this mall.

Hours:
Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 11am - 6om
Thursday, Friday: 11am - 7pm
Sunday, Monday: Closed

Hours will be extended in the summer.

How To Connect:
Facebook
905-563-1155