When I first moved back to Oregon nearly three years ago, and settled in the Alberta neighborhood, my husband and I stumbled upon this cool bar called the Bye and Bye. In addition to a good selection of beer, wine, and creative cocktails, we liked it for three reasons: 1) It was cheap; 2) It offered a large indoor space, plus a front and back patio, which meant lots of tables so there was actually a place to sit; and 3) It dished up alarmingly delicious vegan comfort food that worked for both me, a fancies-herself-a-foodie vegetarian, and my husband, the kind of guy who likes to eat tongue burritos and tripe.

Since then, I’ve convinced other meat-heads to join me there, and every single one of them has left satisfied, if perhaps a bit surprised. What makes this food work for so many is that it’s expertly seasoned, hearty without being heavy, and these guys understand that even vegetarians like to eat protein.