Vuture Food truck is drawing big crowds for its vegan sandwiches during popup events at these Wisconsin breweries
Call it plant based junk food or vegan comfort food.
You're not wrong to think of Vuture Food truck's crispy golden (meatless) fried "chik'n" sandwiches — ranging from mild to Nashville hot — with topping choices like pickles, coleslaw and three sauces (you betcha they have a nondairy ranch) as vegan gateway food. And don't be surprised if there's a long line.
Vuture Food, a California-based food truck that travels across America, will be slinging its brand of plant-forward food Thursday at Ahnapee Brewery in Suamico, Friday at Indeed Brewing in Milwaukee and Saturday at Delta Beer Lab in Madison to satiate vegans and vegetarians while tempting omnivores and carnivores.
"Surprisingly most of our guests are meat eaters," said Vuture Food crew chief who goes by the name Gomez.
Vuture (like vegan and future) ventured to Ahnapee Brewery for the first time last July.
"It couldn’t have been better," Gomez said. "It was a huge turnout that surpassed our expectations."
Ahnapee Brewery owner Nick Calaway also was surprised by the turnout.
"I didn’t think it would have that big of a pull in this area because there aren't a whole lot of vegans," Calaway said.
Vuture's substantial social media presence, nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram and more than 50,000 on Facebook, certainly helped, Calaway suspects, but so does substantial size and flavor of the sandwiches.
Calaway, a self-described nonvegan, said the sandwiches were "amazing" and filling.
Indeed Brewing taproom manager and events coordinator Grant Steskal describes the size of the sandwich as "not for the faint of heart."
Steskal, a longtime vegetarian, also praises the texture of Vuture's plant-based meat replacement.
Each chik'n filet provides a meaty chew under a coating of Vuture's seasoning blend and a crispy deep fried exterior. Vegan sauces like Buffalo, barbecue, thousand island (known as the Vuture sauce) and ranch kick up the flavor.
Vuture's menu offers four sandwiches and three sides:
Classic chik'n topped with pickles and ranch dressing.
Nashville hot topped with coleslaw. (Gomez rates the heat a 7 out of 10, but admits he likes spicy food, so keep that in mind.)
Barbecue topped with pickles, coleslaw and barbecue sauce.
Vuture special topped with the Vuture sauce.
Buffalo chicken fries.
Hamburger fries made with Beyond meat crumbles, pickles and Vuture sauce over a bed of french fries.
Seasoned french fries.
Gomez said they're making more coleslaw this year after seeing how readily Wisconsin customers enjoyed the slaw-topped options. (Generations of Wisconsinites used to a side of coleslaw with fried fish on Fridays may have something to do with that.)
Vuture started as a plant-based food truck in 2018 near Long Beach, California that delivered plant-focused comfort food to breweries and food festivals in Southern California. The project has grown into a nationwide mission.
The main goal of traveling across the country is to serve their food in places with limited vegan options, said Gomez. As a vegan, Gomez wants to provide a stop where vegans don't need to ask for modifications to menu orders.
It's also an opportunity to push vegan food beyond healthful expectations. It can be indulgent.
This will be Vuture's third popup event at Indeed Brewing and Steskal said they've averaged about 600 customers for each of the previous visits.
When lines get long, guests can knock back a beer at Ahnapee or Indeed while waiting.
As far as beer pairings go, Steskal recommends the Staccato Italian-style Pilsner (or a lighter beer) with the classic sandwich. But for the spicier sandwiches he said a pale ale, like their Cold IPA or Sun Kids, do a better job of tamping down the spicy heat. For the fries, he can't explain why, but he likes the pistachio cream ale.
Regardless of the food or beer choice, Steskal said hosting a plant-forward food truck with Vuture's national recognition creates excitement in Milwaukee's vegetarian and vegan community.
Where and when to find the Vuture Food truck
Ahnapee Brewery, 1824 Parkfield Court, Suamico, 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday.
Indeed Brewing, 530 South 2nd St., Milwaukee, 4 to 8 p.m., Friday.
Delta Beer Lab, 167 E. Badger Road, Madison, noon to 4 p.m., Saturday.
Contact Daniel Higgins dphiggin@gannett.com. Follow @HigginsEats on Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Vulture vegan food truck coming to Green Bay and Milwaukee breweries
