EVERETT, Wash. — If you think vegan food is all sprouts and grain bowls, The Bayside Café in Everett would like to blow your mind.
It’s a self-described dive diner specializing in vegan "junk food.”
"You're just going back to that childhood comfort, Sunday afternoon out with the family and you just pick a restaurant, you know? And so we can be that,” said Jasper Mosbacher, who owns the restaurant with partner Ryan Housner. "It's just that comfort diner."
She runs the front of the house and Housner manages the kitchen, slinging the kind of orders you'd expect to see in any casual café – from chili burgers to chicken sliders.
The only difference?
Everything served at The Bayside Café is plant-based.
"I feel like a lot of people, when they hear 'vegan' they think salads and healthy,” Housner said. “We kind of wanted to show that you can eat junk food, you can eat fast food. But do it vegan, do it ethically, do it better for the world."
The Bayside Café partners with local sanctuaries and animal organizations. But plenty of their customers aren't vegan - they just love the food.
Top-sellers include spicy options, like a Ghost Chicken Sandwich and Scorpion Burger.
"When we first started, I had no idea of the demand,” Housner said.
Their first restaurant was several blocks away in a small space, and lines were often out the door. Within two years of opening, they moved into a much bigger building on Broadway - a longtime fixture in Everett.
"It was the China Doll for probably 65 years, so coming in to see the old historic building and seeing the dragons still on the wall and just be in here and be able to give it life again, we fell in love with it as soon as we walked in,” Mosbacher said. “It's really cool, it's a cool old building."
In addition to the main dining room, there’s a side party room and a spacious lounge serving drinks in the back.
Mosbacher and Housner hope diners are happily surprised by what they experience and consider the ethical choice of going vegan.
The Bayside Café is located at 3001 Broadway in Everett and is open daily.
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