Hangar Bar at Whole Foods Market in Tustin, CA

Hangar Bar's vegan Cauliflower Nachos and Beast Burger with fries!

Whole Foods Market at The District in Tustin, California just got a major overhaul that included the additions of a brand new Mendocino Farms and Hangar Bar inside the store! This is the Whole Foods I frequent the most, so I am ecstatic to have two new restaurants inside the store that offer lots of vegan options! Now I can grab a bite before shopping, because we all know shopping hungry at Whole Foods just leads to trouble.

I've already had Mendocino Farms, so I decided to try some of the vegan options at Hangar Bar, which of course also has a full bar serving lots of beer on tap as well as specialty drinks. Since I'm not much of a drinker, I went straight for the food! I was surprised at how many vegan options they did offer, each of which was clearly marked with a green circle with the world "vegan" inside it (just be careful since the vegetarian options are also marked with a green circle - the only difference is that they say "veg").

The Hangar Bar menu - I've marked all the vegan options in red.

The offer vegan options of toasts, small plates, salad, entree plates, sushi, and even a vegan dessert! Their "Toasts" section included two vegan options - the Smashed California Avocado (sweety drops, pistachio and Easter egg radish; $7) and the Forest Shroom (almond ricotta, sauteed baby kale, roasted garlic and Fresno chile; $7). I had a sample of the Smashed California Avocado, and was really astounded at just how delicious it was! Next time I would order this as an appetizer.

Their vegan small plate options include Charred Green Chile Guac and Cabo Chips ($6), Seasonal Vegetables ($4), Jackfruit "Crab" Cakes with pineapple sambal, spicy aioli and Kenter Canyon greens ($7), and Cauliflower Nachos with fried cauliflower with chiles, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime, avocado lime crema ($7). Out of all these I decided to go for the Cauliflower Nachos, and they were out-of-this-world delicious! Loved the avocado lime crema and the fried cauliflower was nice and crispy!

Cauliflower Nachos!

The vegan salad option was Baby Lettuces and Herbed Avocado with Kentor Canyon herbs, radish, pistachio crumble, citrus and extra virgin olive oil ($9). They also had three vegan sushi rolls - the Firecracker roll (avocado, cucumber, mango topped with marinated napa cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot, garlic jalapeno vegan mayo, vegan black rice; $5), Orchid roll (cucumber, marinated carrots, napa cabbage, bell peppers topped with avocado, pomegranate beet sauce, vegan black rice; $5), and the Chili Mango roll (avocado, cucumber, jalapeno, topped with mango slices, chopped cilantro, spicy salt, garlic jalapeno vegan mayo, vegan black rice; $5). 

Finally, their entree plates featured two vegan options, the Porcini Cutlet and Farro Risotto (panko breaded porcini mushroom cap over creamy farro risotto served with sauteed baby bok choy; $12) and the Beast Burger with the Beyond Meat plant protein burger, organic burger bun, butter lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, Field Roast vegan cheese, sriracha aioli, french fries ($12). I was really craving a burger, so I ordered the Beast! I've eaten it many times at home (check out my review!), but was curious how Hangar Bar would prepare it. It was really well-prepared and I liked the Field Roast Chao and sriracha aioli they dressed it with, plus the fries were perfectly crispy. 

Beyond Meat's Beast Burger with Field Roast's Chao Cheese

Besides the food, the space is really roomy! There is a full bar and lots of seating at tables and booths. The space feels light and airy, with big windows that overlook the hustle and bustle of the parking lot. I also like that the restaurants have their own entrance so you don't have to go all the way around from the Whole Foods' main entrance. The service there was quick and friendly, and I really can't wait to go back!

I am really pleased with the vegan options at Hangar Bar I've tried so far and I look forward to trying their other options. They are open 11AM to 9PM for lunch and dinner every day. I'm excited I'll be able to grab a bite there before shopping on a regular basis now!