What should we know about The Saucy Cow?
2022 saw The Saucy Cow move into more permanent pastures, after three years at Eatyard in The Bernard Shaw. Down the cobbled Crane Lane in Temple Bar - you know the one that has the permanent Merry Christmas signage - you’ll find this vegan junk food mecca. With the closure of so many great vegan spots lately, we were relieved to see its bright orange doors still open when we showed up for an impromptu weekend bite.
Inside is pretty funky - industrial vibes with a Robyn Carey mural on the wall and a DJ booth to one side. Who said vegans didn’t like to party?! However we made the rookie mistake of arriving 45 minutes before closing time, which they weren’t overly enamoured with, and informed us that the toilets would be shutting soon.
The service is very casual. It was unclear if it was table service or not, so we just went to the counter every time we needed something.
What should we have?
If we see a Buckfast BBQ burger on a menu, we’re going to order it. Known in the plant-based community as one of the best burgers in the city, the smashed beyond-meat patty topped with baby gem, onion rings, crispy jalapeños, and vegan gouda, was a smoky delight. You will not need to be vegan to enjoy this beaut of a burger.
Their chick* burger - The Space Cowboy, made with a seitan patty - slightly missed the mark however, with the spicy BBQ sauce being overly sweet. Next time we would ditch the BBQ sauce and let the chipotle mayo do the talking.
We couldn't resist the McDaddy loaded fries - a deconstructed Big Mac on waffle fries, vegano style. The burger sauce was on point, and the zingy pickles throughout made this one a great choice.
The mushroom popcorn chick bites were winking at us, but other vegan junk food enthusiasts beat us to it. They told us that these tend to sell out - another reason to go earlier. Instead we went for the salt and chilli hash browns and the salt and chilli tofu. Both were €9, and considering you get six pieces of tofu and four pieces of hash brown, the tofu is the straight up steal.
The winner of the meal however was the hash browns. If you ever felt like being punched in the face with flavour via some crispy potato, this is the place to go. The seasoning was a perfect balance of spicy and salty, with a hint of sweetness. Spice bag who? The smothering of sriracha mayo complimented it perfectly, and it wouldn’t be a Saucy Cow dish without lashings of sauce.
What is there to drink?
There’s an interesting selection of Karma soft drinks and kombuchas, as well as craft beer. Sadly there's no wine, but staff had no problem with us bringing our own bottle in and giving us glasses.
Why should I go?
If you’re feeling the need for fast food, with no animals harmed in the process, The Saucy Cow is your man. With a fully plant-based menu, vegans can relax with no worries about what to order, and their non-vegan friends should leave satisfied too. Just learn from our mistakes and go before 8pm.
The Saucy Cow
19 Crane Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 R891
