After some much missed time away from the vegan crawl, we wanted to return to the Communiqué with a real headbanger worth drooling over.

It didn’t take us long to figure out the best place to get a mix of both fantastic vegan food and a healthy dose of heavy metal is Onion Maiden in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood.

Onion Maiden is a must-visit for vegans and punk rockers alike due to its all-vegan menu and dark, alternative atmosphere.

This was not our first visit, but we were determined to try some new options.

Seating is limited and the restaurant space is more on the smaller end, but
the waiting staff didn’t disappoint. Our waiter couldn’t have been more patient with us.

While the menu is vegan, the names of the items are a bit ambiguous. Every option is named after a punk rock pun or song.

After some consideration, Jesse decided to start with a tofu appetizer. Juliette went with the Kale ‘Em All salad. We each decided to get a Trooper Dawg, a vegan hot dog topped with lentil chili and nacho cashew cheese.

We also shared a plate of the Emperor Palpatots, tots or tortilla chips topped with lentil chili, nacho cashew cheese, salsa and pickled jalapeno. To finish, we got the Pecan Play with Madness, a sugar-crusted bar topped with caramelized pecans.

Trooper Dawg, a vegan hot dog topped with lentil chili and nacho cashew cheese. Photo by Juliette and Jesse. 
Emperor Palpatots, tots or tortilla chips topped with lentil chili, nacho cashew cheese, salsa and pickled jalapeno. Photo by Jesse and Juliette.

Our food was served in such a timely manner and at a perfect temperature. We both agreed the nacho cashew cheese we had was the closest thing we tasted to actual nacho cheese since going vegan. We recommend getting anything topped with Onion Maiden’s chili and cheese sauces.

The food is so comforting and fulfilling that we think a lot of people would be surprised to find it’s vegan.

In terms of pricing, Onion Maiden is one of the more affordable vegan hot spots we’ve visited. With the variety of items we ordered, our total came to $31. The restaurant is cash only with an ATM on site.

If this vegan crawl was a competition, Onion Maiden would be at the top of our list of recommendations.

Onion Maiden is located at 639 E. Warrington Ave.

For more information, visit onionmaiden.com or email [email protected].

Stay tuned for more exciting vegan hot spots throughout the spring semester with the Communiqué’s vegan crawl.