Aside of Heart

I haven’t verified if this is closed, but I loved going here for my smoothie & burrito fix. Not the coffee! They were a great spot for vegan/​vegetarian… We don’t have enough of them here! If they are no longer open!

This is a cute, little, space in RoRo. The staff were very friendly and eager to talk about their menu. I ordered a green juice, and it was delicious! A good balance of flavors, and the cayenne pepper was present, but not overpowering the drink. Upon my curiosity being piqued, I bought a vegan snickerdoodle (and I’m NOT a vegan girl), and that cookie was surprisingly like a traditional snickerdoodle! I would have been fooled had I not known! My only reservation in awarding three, and not more, stars is in the pace of the service. I wanted my juice drink to go, and although there was only one other table occupied in the restaurant, I waited nearly a full 20 minutes for my juice to be made and me to pay. So, moral of the story, as long as you don’t expect to be anywhere in a hurry, go here. You’ll likely enjoy the meal. Me… I liked what I got, but I was late for my appointment because of the wait.

I was here on tuesday ¹¹⁄₄ and had an amazing Jack fruit barbacoa tora, The ambiance was a bit odd being in a old house with a swamp clooler blasting at us.
With that said I would go back and tried to a few days later, however them seem to have been locked out due to not paying their rent.
I coudl write more just to tease you but I think I was one of the last to enjoy this vegan jewl.

If you want to eat healthy this is the place to be. It has a cool artsy enviornment and everything I tried was amazing. I had the «Rawcos“Tacos in the Raw
Almond meat, carrots, avocado and our zesty house-​made cheese sauce wrapped in purple cabbage shells, monkey lunch smoothie and the best cookie ever!
W.V
Miami, FL

I am a newbie vegan/​vegetarian (I’m not a vegan purist, I do have an egg or a bit of cottage cheese once in awhile but I’m 90% vegan) and was delighted to find a vegan restaurant very near my office.
I needed a lunch break by myself one day and sauntered over to relax and have a bite in the artsy area of downtown. Even though I’m a fellow artist, I was a bit concerned by the exterior but as the saying goes, «never judge a book by it’s cover.» Good thing I decided to explore.
The rawcos (tacos on a bed of red cabbage with nut «meat») were absolutely RIDICULOUS (I was actually Unilocaling out loud when I took the first bite) and when I found out I could order an entire coconut for my drink, I was smitten. I was able to sample the jackfruit «carnitas» which had me making noises like I was trying out for an Herbal Essence commercial. Good thing the dude sitting next to me was a regular and he just looked at me like, «I know, right?»
Such neat staff, one of the ladies (shoot, I’ve forgotten her name) took great care of me and shared stories with me. The inside is cute and you almost forget what the outside looks like when you are on cloud 9 from your delightful dish.
I’ll be back again and again and again with friends. I wonder if they’ll let us bring paintbrushes and a few buckets of paint with us to spruce the place up… ;)

*deep sigh* I would love to give this place 5 stars, but they simply don’t deserve it yet. It truly is hit or miss here. When it hits, it’s out of the ballpark and across the oceans good! But when it misses, it’s eye-​rolling, oh-no-they-didn’t bad.
1^st visit:
I ordered the Fuerza Locale street tacos, made with jackfruit. It was my first experience with jackfruit, and it was very delicious. Very flavorfully and filling. I ordered a side of beans and rice. This is were things went… sour. I’d seen another reviewer mention a bad smell coming from their burrito, and I encountered that same disturbing odor coming from either the beans or the rice. I had mixed them together, so the culprit was lost on me, but it was one of the two! I ended up throwing them away because I just could not get pass that… scent.
The desserts looked yummy, so I got a slice of cookies n’ cream cake, plus a chocolate chip cookie. The cake looked so moist! Such deceit, as it wasn’t. It was ok, it was just dry. That cookie though! Mmm mmm mmm! It was perfectly crisp and chewy. I wanted to return for a dozen more!
They have 2 open-​backed dessert cases, one on each side of the register area, and a closed, refrigerated case. I saw flies flying around the open dessert case, which sent OCD Tiggy into inner fits (I think I hid it well). I requested my slice of cake from the refrigerated case.
2^nd visit:
I decided to play it safe with the California Club (sans tomato, which me no likey). This may be a simple sandwich, but it was very tasty, and I loved that it was served with tortilla chips; the perfect accompaniment. The avocado on the sandwich, however, was old, and made my sammie bitter tasting. I removed it and enjoyed the rest of my lunch; no biggie.
I ordered 2 of the aforementioned, yumilicious chocolate chip cookies. Oh, the Pontiac-​built excitement as I prepared to re-​indulge in the delight. Then… *sigh* Rocks. They were so hard, I thought I’d break a tooth trying to bite into them. (dramatic over-​exaggeration, but they WERE very hard; ijs)! I was so angry. Why? It was @ 11am, so if they’d been made that morning, they shouldn’t have been that hard. My guess is that they were leftovers from another day. Major disappointment.
3^rd visit:
I had been eyeing that Chickpea Chick’un Salad Sammie for a while, but was very hesitant, and afraid I wouldn’t like it. I decided to go all Braveheart and go for it. I am so glad that I did. It was delicious! The seasonings, the flavor, the texture… All muy delicioso! My sammie was cut in ½ and I could only eat one half; I saved the rest for later. I’m not sure what type of bread it was, but it was a just a tad harder when I ate it later. Didn’t stop my gobble though!
I finally got to try the «frown-​erasing» brownies, as they call them. Well, they certainly live up to their name. So rich, chocolatey, and moist… They had me twirling around, arms wide open, singing, «the hills are aliiiiive with the sound of muuusiiiic.» (in my head, of course. Otherwise, that’d be weird. Right??)
So, see? HIT or missssss.
The workers are always extremely nice and helpful. As others have said, it’s a small house, turned art house/​vegan restaurant. I love the funky graffiti covering the outside walls. Talented artists have really given it a go. Street parking: some free, some metered.
I will keep giving them more chances, because as I said, when they hit, it’s double platinum. Worth a try.

I find myself in Phoenix for the second time in a month. Being vegan while on the road can be difficult, but Phoenix continues to prove that they have a vibrant vegan and art community.
Aside of heart continues with that tradition. It’s everything that you would find in your home-​town café: art, humble roots, and steadfast dedication to their craft with friendly service. The food is fresh and comes from the heart. From the jackfruit torta to the pumpkin curry, you can’t go wrong. I strongly recommend taking a stop in on your next adventure, and while you’re there, make sure tell Amanda that she rocks.

I LOVE these guys. Great food and healthy too! Pretty downscale décor, but the food, drinks, and desserts are great.
Nadaa

I was anxious to try this place out. I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit taken back by the looks of the place but I kept an open mind. The woman working there was very friendly and helpful with the menu and ordering. I chose the jackfruit torta. It was great! I also ordered a date smoothie and cookie. Both were EXCELLENT! I’ll be back. :)

As regular vegan foodie, I was very excited to try Aside of Heart. The place itself is cute, with nice décor and atmosphere. I got the brownie and the jackfruit carnitas burrito. The brownie was honestly very disappointing — dry, crumbly, not at all what you think of for a brownie. While I get that some foods are hard to make vegan, brownies don’t fall in that category and I regret paying that much for something OK. The burrito was a bit better, but just as a personal preference not something I’d get again.
My biggest issue with Aside of Heart actually goes beyond the food experience though. As a vegan place, I’d expect greater concern for animals but there is a betta on display in a fish bowl. Fish bowls are known to be incredibly cruel living spaces for fish and to be vegan and demonstrate that as acceptable is incredibly hypocritical. Bettas, despite misinformation, need a sizable tank that includes a filter and heater (betta need filtration of their waste, like any other fish, and they typically live in warmer water and its virtually impossible to consistently regulate water temp in a bowl). While I would like to write this off as accidental ignorance, I’d like to think vegan people would understand the importance of researching an animal before taking one in to care for.
Overall, unhappy with this place and would not recommend.

I couldn’t believe this place was a restaurant when I pulled up, it is an old house covered in graffiti that is overgrown with weeds. When I walked in I noticed a stray cat laying under a chair (I love cats but it is probably against some health code regulation to have them in the dining area.)
I wasn’t sure whether to sit down to, wait to be seated, or order at their counter so I just took a seat. There were two other people in the restaurant being helped by a waiter and I expected once he got their order and gave it to the cooks he would return to take my order but I sat there for 15 minutes just looking around.
I didn’t eat their food, I just walked out and went somewhere else. So maybe they don’t deserve this rating but this place was dirty and unwelcoming.

While out on a day date with my boyfriend, I had a smoothie craving. I’m on a low-​carb, no added sugar, stupid bikini diet at the moment, so I was looking for something on the healthier side of things.
Y’all, this was the best smoothie of my life. I got the Cherry Almond Bark and drank it in about five minutes flat. I love that their drinks there are mostly made with almond milk. My boyfriend got the Lemonade Stand and I thought it was very nice that the lady behind the counter asked if he wanted sparkling or flat water and if he wanted his drink sweetened or not. The smoothies weren’t super icy, but still delicious.
Like most places on Roosevelt, they had art for sale throughout the space. I thought it was a little lacking in ambiance, but would definitely come back again!

Bomb food. Great customer service. I ordered the «Rawcos» (raw tacos) made with red cabbage shells, walnut meat, cashew cheese, carrot and avocado. My sister ordered the California club sandwich! And a tropical smoothie. Everything was great! Such a small little place, but so glad I went!

There are many reasons Roosevelt Row has such an astounding reputation and this place is definitely one of them. Aside of Heart is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, but they also serve juices and smoothies.
The food is incredible. Not only is it good for your health but also your taste buds. The most important thing I think they really have down is the service. Everyone is extremely helpful and friendly. I actually felt like they cared about my food and what I wanted in my order.
I ordered pumpkin curry and the woman taking my order came back to my table to double check how spicy I wanted it. She actually made sure before it was too late and the food was prepared! She was super genuine and made me (a first timer) feel right at home. The girls working even put in effort to ask my name as I was paying after my meal.
I will definitely come back for the food, service and prices.

Amazing vegan food! The owner is sooooo nice and the food is incredible! You need to try the pumpkin coconut curry soup! Amazing! They also have acoustic shows and open mic nights on Wed at 8pm, theatre Thursdays at 7pm… So much culture and amazing energy! Love the vibe!

I absolutely love this place! It is a small house in the middle of the Roosevelt art district downtown PHX — Roosevelt Row. Very homie and for the lover of arts.
Since my guy and I are vegan, my sister bought us groupons for Christmas (after she found that the entire menu is vegan!) so we went all out. We had plenty of time on the beautiful NYE 2013 afternoon to enjoy the sun and perfect temperature in the EZ AZ!
We walked in and were treated by a really sweet smile from the only person in the home. It was really like we walked into her personal kitchen! We sat down (at one of the few tables inside the house) to look at the menu. We finally made our decisions after a couple other families ordered before us. As I mentioned, she was the only one working at the time. And like I also said earlier, we had PLENTY of time to take for ourselves today so we were in no rush! Our order took quite a while to come out, but I can not tell you how long only because I was not worried about time. We were loving the glorious day, reading and observing the neighborhood. (Outside there are about 5 tables to sit and enjoy your meal).
Our experience at Aside of Heart was more like a 4 course lunch! It was great! The sweet woman brought out our smoothies first. I ordered the Deep Purple (dark cherries, cocao powder, thai tea, and almond milk) and my lovey dovey ordered the PichuCherry (pichuberries, cherries, coconut water). Both completely satisfying. More time went by and the woman’s partner arrived. He brought out the miso soups promptly. This guy was so polite and friendly. The miso soup was very simple but a better miso than I have had at some Japanese restaurants. Ya know how some misos you encounter can be super salty? Nope not this one. Brothy with some greens. You can add organic sprouted tofu if desired. And then some more time went by when he brought out the jackfruit taco plates! Oh my! Freaking perfecto! Again, the ingredients were few but blend perfectly together. Tender jackfruit with cabbage salad and a spicy sauce layered on little tortillas. When we were finished we walked inside to pay and of course, to order desserts! Chocolate brownie and little heart shaped, gooey, nutty, date/​fig bites. My favorite way to end a date filled with yummy food and love!
The entire meal was so simple yet filling without making you feel bloated and heavy.
Aside of Heart is an affordable, local, hip, small restaurant full of positive energy, live music, open mics, art exhibits/​gallery, and love! It’s also open late in the heart of Roosevelt Row! Perfect place to relax and enjoy some amazing, HEALTHY food made from the heart.
I do not believe that orders take as long as they did for us in most occasions. But if it is normal, people that are impatient or are on a tight schedule should be prepared to just take a moment to relax and breathe! I promise your food will always be a bit tastier with time :)
Thank you Amanda and Nathaniel! Keep up the fantastic work!

This is a nice hole-​in-​the-​wall vegan spot that is open later than most restaurants in the area.
Absolutely love the tacos with quinoa and black beans, as well as their nachos! + their Thai tea with hazelnut is amazing!
Their staff is super welcoming. It kinda scared me at first because people aren’t usually that nice, but these folks are pretty cool.

It’s a small place with unique downtown charm typical of Roosevelt Row. Don’t judge this book by its cover. ;) Aside is a vegan restaurant which offers raw and gluten free options as well. They have a diverse menu and offer daily specials. As they source seasonally and locally many items may be limited and/​or their exact menu may not be available. But that shouldn’t keep you from trying this place.
I would not recommend the place if you are hyper picky/​critical or if you have avoided other establishments in the area because they look ‘sketchy’. *tsk* *tsk* An open mind and adventurous spirit really do improve the quality of life. You’ve missed out on so many cool things as a result.
The staff is friendly and accommodating. I like to go in and ask for their recommendations. They always introduce me to something new.
When you go, you HAVE to try their Thai Tea (with your choice of «milk»…my fave hazelnut). [If you like Thai tea in general.] Many of it’s base ingredients are locally sourced. I’m hooked and often stop in just for a large tea as I begin my downtown adventures through some of the local galleries and businesses.
Live…try something new…

It’s like having a midnight snack at a friend’s house, if your friend’s house was a sleepless commune. Spots to grab a bite after the bars close continue to come and go on this road, but Aside of Heart has all the requisites to set up shop on this road.
[x]Paintings
[x]Indie playlist
[x]Vegan/gluten-free options
[x]Total hip (ster | pie) vibe
Okay, AoH, you’ve passed the «totally belongs on Roosevelt» test. But can you serve a quality product? Apparently so, even though you might just improvise everything. The hours are unclear, even though they’re «usually open until 3am». Fine, make it up as you go along. You may be out of ingredients for tons of stuff, but you’ll think of something, like pineapple dateorade. It’s delicious, so just take my money through your square app and make whatever you want. This is not a place for the picky.
I could have ended my review there, but I’ve gotta tell you about the backyard! They’re rebuilding a stage, and there’s tons of painting. Maybe I’ll catch some live sets next time I check it out. A very eccentric employee named ‘Angel’ was tirelessly brushing away in the middle of the night. Whether it’s serving up healthy food late into the night, or adding some color to this dreary desert landscape, it looks like this place just made downtown a little bit cooler.

Spent the evening looking for some late night coffee and was about to give up when I decided to cross the street. And boy am I glad I did.
This little vegan restaurant was the answer to my quest. Located in what appears to be an old house converted into a restaurant/​coffee shop in downtown Phoenix, this place has a bit of a beat nick ambiance. A fun throwback to my college days on The Hill in Boulder Colorado. Once inside my desire for coffee quickly left me as I found out this place offered a home grown Thai iced tea. Opting for the almond milk was a great choice. The tea was an explosion of ecstasy for my taste buds. Great flavor without too much sweetness.