Wow, this place came out of nowhere! Well, not really. They’ve had a location at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for seven years or so, but they recently opened a Ghent location and added a large number of vegan items to their menu.
Nearly every item on their menu can be made vegan – even their famous fish tacos – for an additional 20 percent. After numerous visits in the last month (I think I’m addicted), the fish tacos have to be my favorite. And to tell you the truth, when I considered a vegan fish taco, I wasn’t too excited. I was picturing scary, rubbery, faux fish.
Vegan fish taco from Pelon's.
This version pleasantly surprised me. One vegan fish taco at Pelon’s ($2.75) is just enough for a light snack, or you can get three for $7.50. The tacos are traditional, with fried tofu cubes on a warm corn tortilla topped with raw green cabbage, fresh salsa and a spicy Baja cream sauce. The tacos are served with lime wedges to give them an even fresher taste, if you so choose.
Vegan fish taco from Pelon's - the money shot!
The bulk of the Pelon’s menu is dedicated to its Baja burritos. I was impressed with the selection – these aren’t the typical burritos. Sure there’s black beans, delicious guacamole, salsa, etc., but there’s also mixed greens, zucchini, squash, pineapple habanero sauce, just to name a few of the fixins.
This isn’t a make-your-own burrito bar like Machismo, Chipotle or Moe’s – the burritos are specific – but the friendly staff is more than happy to make substitutions.
My favorite burrito so far is the Grass Hut ($7.25), a vegetarian burrito chocked full of some of my favorite sautéed veggies, including bell peppers, green onions, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, shredded cabbage (cooked!), rice, black beans, fresh salsa and guacamole. The burrito normally comes with cheddar and jack cheeses, but you only need to “make it vegan” and Pelon’s will sub them with vegan cheese. I’m not really a fan of vegan cheese (it is the edible, culinary precipice we’ve yet to reach, in my opinion), so I ask to make it vegan and sub the cheese with vegan sour cream.
The veg options don’t end there. For nearly every meat on the menu, there is a vegan substitution – vegan steak, vegan chicken, and tofu.
For the sake of research, I tested the Hang Ten ($7.25) and made it vegan, which included faux grilled chicken, rice, black beans, cheese (which I subbed with vegan sour cream), cilantro, onions, guacamole and a mild verde sauce. I wasn’t as excited about this one as I was the Grass Hut, but I’m also not a big faux meat consumer. The chicken was tasty, but had a very strong charbroiled flavor that overpowered the burrito. I may try a vegan meat burrito again, but make it The Curl, a fish burrito subbing tofu.
The guacamole at Pelon’s is some of the greatest, in my opinion. This tasty avocado dip is so damn simple, yet there are so many terrible versions out there. You can order it regular or chunky. I recommend chunky for the huge avocado bits. The guacamole ranges in price from $1.95 for a 3-ounce cup to $9.50 for a pint.
Pelon’s runs a special on Tuesdays where ordering a regular drink gets you a free brownie. And yes, bless their little hearts, they carry vegan brownies. I thought for sure they were going to be stingy, telling me vegan brownies aren’t included in the special, but they are! They’re cakey vegan brownies, and I’m a fudgy brownie person, but they can be a great treat when the timing is right.
Pelon’s is a casual joint with a very bright, Baja/surf décor. Two television screens in the restaurant were even playing End of Summer 2 on a recent afternoon. Despite the over-the-top, surf waxy decorations, it’s a great atmosphere. There are plenty of drink options, including beer, wine and margaritas. You order at the counter and your food is brought to you.
If you’re a hot sauce fan, Pelon’s has a wide assortment of homemade and bottled sauces to top your eats. My favorite is the peri peri pepper sauce.
The Pelon’s menu also features quesadillas, nachos, tortilla soup and salads, all of which can be made vegan upon request. Just look for the little flower next to a menu item and it can be made vegan.
Please note that all items “made vegan” will cost you an extra 20 percent at Pelon’s, but all the prices listed in this review are the prices of the regular items.
The details:
Pelon’s Baja Grill
738 W. 22nd St, Suite 15
Norfolk, VA 23417
Phone (757) 961-4673
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Dine-in or take-out
Accepts cash, Visa and Mastercard
Okay, I know where the kids are I are going for dinner tomorrow! The ‘Grass Hut’ sounds like it will be perfect for the kids to share too, awesome.
thanks for this review. it certainly helped me out.
i became a Vegan three years ago and i can say that my health have been very very good. meat and dairy substitutes like soy also works well for the body.
I visited the VA Beach location and they do not carry any of the vegan faux meats. While they can make items vegan by deleting animal products the quality of food and freshness of ingredients was below par compared with the Norfolk location.
Hi Matthew!
Thanks for letting us know. It’s unfortunate they don’t carry the faux meats in VB. Do they have tofu? They sub tofu for fish in the tacos and burritos when you ask to make them vegan.
Not sure but if I had to guess I would say no. At this point I have tried all of the menu items and Pelon’s is by far my favorite restaurant in the area. The nacho platter is amazing. The hang ten and chi-chi are soooo good. The woman who runs the place is very nice too. My girlfriend asked her what they use for faux meat and we found it they use Lightlife chik’n strips and beef-strips. Im not sure what grocer carries these but they would be with other perishables. We have ordered them by the case and made our own Pelon’s on those Sundays when you can’t get your fix and they are very tasty. A big thanks to the people at Pelons and Vegan Foodie for telling me about the place.