Alright internet, I will admit my challenge to you: I ’m trying to be vegan for the summer. Most of my friends think I’m crazy, but I’m really interested in the benefits (and drawbacks) and want to try it for myself.

I’m rolling it out in phases. This includes trying to build a strong repertoire of vegan-friendly restaurants I can turn to in moments of culinary need.

Enter: Bandidas. Bandidas serves up delicious vegetarian and vegan fare in an airy, friendly room. Their regular Mexican menu is also a hit, but what I was really excited about was the brunch.

I’m a bit of a brunch fanatic, so when I found a place with a great vegan selection I was over the moon. A friend and I developed a craving just by looking at the menu, and decided to head immediately to the Drive to test it out.

The vegan scramble was amazing. Tofu and butternut squash served as a base, with beans and a cabbage salad on the side. It was a huge meal that left me full for hours. Needless to say I didn’t miss the eggs.

The vegan french toast was the reason we went, so of course we had to try that. Served with pineapple and maple syrup, it was also a hit. A vegan two-bite (more like four) brownie was the perfect dessert.

As if I needed more reason to return, I’ve just discovered they’ll replace eggs in any of their dishes with the tofu-butternut squash mix. Including the bennys. I have a feeling they’ll know me by name by the end of this experiment.

~Meghan Roberts