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The Vegetable Hunter is a home to delicious vegan and vegetarian food right in downtown Harrisburg, in an unassuming little spot along Second Street. Whether you sit down at one of the wrought-iron tables outside, eat at one of the red-and-white-striped tables with their colorful mason jars of complimentary water inside, or order to go, the Vegetable Hunter has something for everyone.
“I bought the building [a residence] in 2005 and actually almost opened the café, but then decided it wasn’t the right time and rented the building out until 2014, when I decided to go for it,” says Kristin Messner-Baker. She was practicing law and raising her family but longed to share her passion for healthy plant-based food through her creativity.
Since then, The Vegetable Hunter has flourished in a new food culture climate focused on clean eating.
“I think it’s important to say that we don’t judge other people,” says Messner-Baker. “It’s a personal choice, and it’s great to find people that enjoy eating a plant-based diet, whether they do it 24 hours a day or just enjoy it occasionally. Our customers are vegan, vegetarian, carnivores, and omnivores. I would say that the majority of our customers are not strictly vegan or vegetarian but just come in because they really like our food.”
An atmosphere of comfort and acceptance radiates with alternative music and colorful chalkboard renderings of daily specials all contributing to the aesthetic of eclectic individuality.
The Vegetable Hunter prepares all of its food with fresh ingredients, most of which come from Pennsylvania, like their malts, hops, fruits, herbs, and vegetables. Messner-Baker spends time driving around to farmers’ markets and wholesale stores to get the best quality ingredients for her recipes.
Her desire to accommodate everyone and share her love of healthy vegan and vegetarian food with the world are two of the reasons the Vegetable Hunter offers an affordable menu of multicultural, completely plant-based, vegetarian and vegan options that are both delicious and filling.
The superfood protein bowl—complete with chickpeas, kale salad, raw beet salad, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and house-made hummus—will keep you full for hours. The trio of tacos and taco bowl—bursting with black beans, sriracha, and Korean tofu—will leave a fiesta of flavor and spices in your mouth. A warm bowl of chana masala (stewed chickpeas with Indian spices) or vegan mac and cheese offer comfort food for a rough day.
They also offer a variety of sandwiches, both in pitas and on grilled bread. The chickpea “crab” cake, walnut lentil burger, and black bean quinoa burger are packed with protein. And the Israeli pita sandwich is bursting with marinated Mediterranean flavor.
The Vegetable Hunter also bakes its own vegan doughnuts and cookies, which can be found next to the register.
The Vegetable Hunter is expanding and increasing in popularity as an award-winning vegan and vegetarian restaurant, and now as a boutique brewery. Customers can come for a selection of house-brewed beers and other alcoholic beverages, which change with the seasons. They also serve lovely lemonades, home-brewed kombucha, and scrumptious smoothies.
And more delicious recipes are on the way. The Vegetable Hunter has recently renovated its second floor to provide an upscale dinner atmosphere for which Messner-Baker has crafted a new menu, complete with vegan cocktails.
If you been hunting for a new dining experience or want to try a new way of life even for just one meal, look no further than The Vegetable Hunter.
The Vegetable Hunter
614 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg, PA | thevegetablehunter.com | 717-695-6229
