Restaurant: Loving Hut

Brace yourselves: Cincinnati has an all-vegan restaurant. Formerly known as Loving Cafe, now Loving Hut, this small, fast casual style restaurant serves an all-vegan menu from soups, salads, and sandwiches to raw creations, smoothies, and a kid’s menu. It’s been a favorite since I first went, more than a year ago.

The Loving Hut on Montgomery Road in Pleasant Ridge

There are Loving Hut restaurants in locations throughout the world, and their menus vary. I’m happy to see that through this recent rebranding, the Cincinnati location the menu has remained and the bright chartreuse walls have been toned down. The walls are newly wheat colored and adorned with photographs of famous vegetarians and facts about veganism. Another positive change I’ve noticed is that they no longer use disposable plates; they do still have the trash station divided into recycling, composting, and trash, with helpful labels about what can be put in each bin.

Along the front counter, with the new Loving Hut logo above the doorway to the back dining room. An unknown child enjoys the kid’s menu after Saturday karate class.

For all the soup I eat at home, I still enjoy eating soup out. At Loving Hut, it’s a pleasure to know that even the creamy potato soup is safe. Not only that, it’s delicious. Besides pho, which is on the regular menu, the soups change and are listed on the blackboard specials. Several times when I’ve been, I’ve enjoyed the pumpkin chili. This chili is slightly sweet and just hot enough, and it’s full of garbanzo beans. Another favorite is the avocado spring roll, which is served with almond sauce.

Alex’s favorite sandwich is called the American Panini, which is tofurkey, mustard, pickles, vegan cheese, and slaw, pressed and grilled panini style. On our most recent visit, we got the portabella panini, which is similar but with a portabella and roasted red pepper spread. This sandwich is overflowing with goodness.

I’ve never tried the raw pizza or any of their raw dishes, so we got the Raw Reuben. The dehydrated bread brought the rye flavor you’d expect in a Reuben, and there were plenty of marinated vegetables to top it.

I’ve liked everything I’ve gotten at Loving Hut/Cafe. Many of their items are faux meats – those get the attention, but it’s less than a third of the menu. They have great barbecued chickn wraps and one time I had a chickn salad sandwich that was a delicious daily special. My biggest problem is deciding whether to get something I have had and enjoyed, or whether to try something new. Pretty good problem to have, huh?