Vegan Hampton Roads

Machismo Burrito Bar was around serving up its football-sized burritos before Moe’s, Chipotle, Qdoba and the other chains even considered hitting the Hampton Roads scene, and the restaurant still boasts a dedicated following thanks to its delicious food and vegan options.

Machismo's newest location in Downtown Norfolk.

The menu at Machismo is pretty simple - it’s organized into burritos, of course, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads. Once you decide what you want, you’ll need to figure out the fillings and toppings, from bright yellow saffron rice to perfectly cooked black beans to a hot, green salsa, just to name a few. Like a Subway for burritos, you follow your food along letting the friendly folks at Machismo know what you want and how much before they attempt to wrap it up in a neat football of foil. You even get your choice of tortillas, from wheat, to spinach and chipotle. Or you can get the burrito in a bowl, sans tortilla.

Machismo, with its Norfolk location placed within walking distance of PETA headquarters, was one of the first in the region to catch on that vegans will dine where they have options. Machismo offers Boca crumbles as a meat alternative in its dishes, as well as grated soy cheese and vegan sour cream. You can also get an all-vegetable burrito if you’re not a fan of faux meat. You can dine in and have your go at their selection of hot sauces or take your meal to-go.

My favorite order goes something like this: Boca burrito on a sun-dried tomato tortilla, saffron rice, black beans, guacamole, vegan sour cream, raw onions, corn, pico de gallo and a little of the hot, green salsa. Then I eat it, taking breaks to sprinkle Cholula hot sauce. It’s delicious and incredibly filling. If you hit Machismo on your lunch break, you’re guaranteed an afternoon of little productivity. When I worked in downtown Norfolk, I spent my post-Machismo afternoons slumped in my chair goofing around on the Internet until 5 p.m. It’s rough, but oh so worth it.

The burritos at Machismo aren't for the little eaters.

And if you work in downtown Norfolk you’re in luck because Machismo has two locations now - it’s original spot on West York Street near the Norfolk YMCA and its newest and much larger spot at the corner of College Avenue and Boush Street (in a space that used to be home to the Downtown Provision Co.). For Virginia Beach folks, Machismo has a location at 525 North Birdneck Road.

Machismo's newest location in Downtown Norfolk.

Hampton Roads is home to quite a few burrito bar options these days, each with its own high notes, but for a consistently satisfying meal with lots of fresh options make sure you check out Machismo and support a restaurant that has supported vegans for longer than most.

Hours vary depending on the location, so check their Web site

Remember, you can follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Hampton Roads vegan dining news and conversation @veganHR. For local vegan food porn, check out our flickr stream.