The 100% plant-based and gluten-free restaurant, “Goodbeet”, is located in Haddon Township. Opened in 2015, this 100% plant-based and gluten-free place has preservative and filler-free food that has been visited by people all over the county and is very popular with people who have dietary restrictions. The building is considered a restaurant, a market, and even a little ice cream shop!
The two of us stumbled upon Goodbeet when we were trying to find a safe place to eat for both of us. One of us being allergic to gluten, and the other allergic to dairy, finding Goodbeet was like finding a holy grail.
For this article, we chose to try one pre-made meal, two made-to-order meals, one baked dessert, and the ice cream bar.
California Chickpea Salad: For our pre-made meal, the food found in their refrigerators, we chose the California Chickpea Salad. This is a great option for when you are in a rush because it is a grab-and-go. The salad consists of chickpeas, celery, red onions, red grapes, pecans, vegan mayo, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and an assortment of spices. We found this to be very refreshing, and incredibly filling; our only critique was its acidity, there was a tang in the salad that was very apparent in certain bites.
Mexican Pizza: For our first made-to-order item, we chose the Mexican Pizza. We happened to be there on the first day it was on the menu, it was a brand-new Taco Tuesday menu item. The pizza is made with a crispy tortilla on the bottom, then a layer of their fake meat, made up of black beans, walnuts, and portobello mushrooms, along with melted dairy-free cheese. As non-vegans, we were very impressed with this “meat” and were both pleased with the flavor. However, the taste of the dairy-free cheese was quite pungent and could be found overpowering in some bites. The first tortilla is sandwiched together with another crispy tortilla, topped with salsa, sour cream, red onion, tomatoes, and lettuce. This pizza was a reasonable personal-sized meal, not quite large enough to share. Of all the dishes we tried at Goodbeet, the Mexican Pizza was our favorite.
Barbeque Jackfruit Quesadilla: We were both very questionable of the second made-to-order dish we received. How exactly could you successfully pull off a vegan and gluten-free quesadilla that still performs well? But, to our surprise, the quesadilla was quite delicious. Served with a loose cream sauce, there was a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and acidity making each bite a delicious combination of flavors. The jackfruit “meat” inside of the tortillas was cooked to a very tender, almost pulled pork consistency that matched very well with the melted cheese. The serving size of this dish was quite large and would be a great sized meal or shareable item. Our only critique was a lack of crunch in the tortilla, but since it was gluten-free we are unaware if there is a difference in texture causing it to cook differently.
Soft Bake Sugar Cookie: As someone who is gluten-free, Audrey had thoroughly missed the soft baked sugar cookies you get from the supermarket. “Every time I am at an event where everyone supplies the food, those cookies are always there, haunting me.” When I saw a gluten-free version in Goodbeet, I knew I had to try it. The sugar cookie had a light tan, almost white, base with green frosting, topped with Halloween-themed sprinkles on top. The base of the cookie was slightly dry and crumbly but could melt in your mouth. The frosting is creamy and resembles the store-bought cookie perfectly. “As someone who is gluten-free, this is the best replacement for this cookie I have found.”
Pumpkin and Chai Soft-Serve Ice Cream: Finally, we tried samples of the pumpkin soft serve and the chai soft serve. Being 100% dairy-free, the consistency was a perfect replica of the usual dairy-filled soft serve. The pumpkin ice cream had a strong and pleasant flavor and tasted similar to a typical pumpkin pie filling. The chai packed a punch! There was a very strong flavor of the spice, but it was spectacular. Both soft serves had fantastic flavor and texture, definitely one of our favorite items that we received at GoodBeet.
