As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, did you vow to eat:
a) vegan
b) gluten-free
c) healthfully
d) all of the above?

If so, we’ve got great news: Rabbits Cafe is ready to make your clean-eating resolutions easier than ever. As Portland Monthly reported last November, the new health food joint is the latest by Sanjay Chandrasekaran, owner of Indian microbar the Sudra and stalwart downtown food cart Sonny Bowl. The latter has closed for good, but fear not: Its replacement awaits five fast blocks away—with seating and shelter, to boot.

Tucked inside the lobby of the iconic U.S. Bancorp Tower, Rabbits has quickly become a favorite of Big Pink regulars, with lines frequently spilling into the hallway. The counter-service café is a hybrid of Chandrasekaran’s two previous eateries, sporting Sonny Bowl’s macro menu and the Sudra’s hip floral wallpaper. If you’re looking to linger over a long lunch, this isn’t your place—the 21-seat lunch spot serves all dishes to-go to cater to the harried lunch-hour crowd.

Inside the tiny restaurant, patrons peruse a list of saucy vegan bowls brimming with chickpea masala and meaty barbecue soy curls. (“What’s a soy curl?” is a frequent refrain at the register.) Sonny Bowl regulars will spot a slew of new dishes—think whole-wheat wraps filled with chickpea salad or white bean hummus—as well as spins on old favorites, like that trusty tahini kale salad topped with chickpeas, quinoa, and smoky tempeh. 

Feeling peckish? The words “Mini-Sonny” will get you black beans, brown basmati rice, tahini, kale, carrot-jicama slaw, curried walnut crumbles, and nacho-ranch sauce—all for a measly four bucks. Those who prefer a liquid lunch can power up on reasonably priced smoothies, from the fruity Kale-Mango and Ginger-Berry to the hefty Power Smoothie, made with blueberries, oats, avocado, and peanut butter.

Chandrasekaran promises a breakfast menu in future months, and if it’s anything like the Sudra’s brunch menu (RIP!), we’ll be first in line. In the meantime, whether you’re crushing that Veganuary challenge, looking for a healthful meal, or just want to know wth a soy curl is, Rabbits has lunch covered.

Rabbits Café
111 SW 5^th Ave
Mon­–Fri, 11am–3pm