Eating raw doesn’t have to mean lack of flavor or creativity — quite the contrary when eating at Bartertown Diner.
When we arrived at the new restaurant located at 6 Jefferson Street, there were a few people at the bar — one of the guests had overheard us trying to decide what we were going to eat. She finally came over to the table to tell us just how good the Garbage Plate was — So good that she had to share.
It was Raw Wednesday, and the four items on the menu for the day were raw and gluten-free! We had 5 people at the table so we deiced to order one of everything and we all tried every dish.
The Coconut-Curry Thai “Noodle” Salad ($9.95) really didn’t have noodles in it, but had veggies shaped as noodles. The veggies were fresh and crunchy. I enjoyed the crunch — it was almost like going to your garden and picking fresh vegetables for the day. I felt the curry could have been a little stronger in flavor, but understand why that wasn’t the case, as it might have covered up the vegetable flavors too much.
Raw Garbage Plate ($11) seemed to be the favorite at our table. The sweet and spicy veggies had a little “kick” to it. The “meat” was actually pecans ground up to give the appearance of ground beef, which added substance to the dish. Topped with a Raspberry dressing, the flavors blended very well.
Nacho “Cheese” Cabbage and Broccoli Collard Wrapped Bites ($9.50) was a close second favorite — very mild in flavor, but with a soft consistency.
Collard Greens Salad ($7.50) was just a very hearty salad, with a fair amount of garlic flavor. I’ve never been a big fan of collard greens, but cashew butter and seasonings made the salad very flavorful.
It appeared everything was made to order other then the outstanding Raw Pecan Bars — chewy, gooey “turtle” like pecan bars. After eating so healthy these tasted like a sin, but made with good-for-you sweeteners and almond flour for the crust and pecans, what’s not to love?!?
For lunch at 1:00, the restaurant was anything but busy. Service was prompt and friendly. Bartertown only offers water and coffee for drinks, in addition to only accepting cash. I can understand not offering standard soft drinks for this type of dining experience, but thought iced tea would make a great option.
Bartertown is a vegetarian eatery and is worker owned, hence the good and prompt service. Everyone has a stake in it, making for a very interesting concept. The only thing I did not like was how dark the restaurant was. Additionally, it seemed like there was no air conditioning, as it was quite warm.
We all left feeling full and satisfied without that bloated feeling you get from eating fried food. You can eat healthy here and not have to give it much thought.
