NoDa’s vegan cafe has dishes so good, the owner promises you won’t even miss the meat
On Wednesday afternoon, the knocks at the door to the locked restaurant were continuous. Each time, Oh My Soul vegan cafe co-owner Tallulah Duffin opened the door a crack, inviting hungry visitors to make a reservation for the restaurant’s opening day.
The passersby on North Davidson Street were not the only ones who have been curious about the new spot, whose original location is in South Africa. For months, the question on everyone’s minds: When will that new vegan spot open in NoDa?
And here it finally is: Oh My Soul officially opens to the public at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The restaurant has been highly anticipated for months, as people watched the transformation of one of NoDa’s original mill homes.
What was once the Red House Cafe, painted red and with a dark interior and a Jersey Italian flare, serving meatballs, pasta and ice cream was slowly becoming a light blue, airy and floral design of Oh My Soul, decorated with painted cows and leaves and paw prints.
Owners Richard and Tallulah Duffin moved to Charlotte from South Africa seven months ago to open Oh My Soul. Tallulah Duffin’s brother lives in Charlotte and introduced them to the area.
“NoDa is a perfect fit,” Duffin told CharlotteFive. “We like community-driven environments. It’s very eclectic and artsy. NoDa hasn’t had a vegan restaurant — we will fill that gap.”
What you’ll eat and drink
In case you were wondering, Oh My Soul is not a soul food restaurant. Its name comes from the fact that every animal has a soul, Duffin said.
Menu items include vegan ribs, chicken and fish. You can order waffles at breakfast and milkshakes.
For drinks, choose vegan cocktails or wine. There will be a focus on South African wines and wine tastings will also be offered.
There’s also a coffee bar with plant-based milk offered at no additional charge. If you’re stopping in for a morning pick-me-up, you may want to save room for vegan cheesecake, cupcakes and banana bread at the pastry counter.
The writing is on the wall — and floor
There’s a vegan celebrities wall, featuring Stevie Wonder, Bill Clinton, Olivia Wilde, Mike Tyson and more.
There’s a 20/20 wall with facts about veganism. “A study of 34,000 pigs on factory farms revealed that 65 percent of them had pneumonia,” one sentence states. “Annually, 250,000 sea turtles are accidentally captured, injured or killed by U.S. fishermen,” states another.
Another wall features tags that were once used to identify animals for slaughter. “Every number had a beautiful face,” is written across the wall along with images of pigs, cows and sheep. “It’s a resting place for the animals to know that they did matter,” Duffin said.
The floors are decorated with footprints of all kinds: paw prints, duck prints, claw prints.
Everyone is welcome
Think you can’t step foot in a place like this if you’re a meat eater? Not so. Everyone is welcome, Duffin said — including those who are health- and fitness-aware, people who are vegan for the animals, and even carnivores who may have questions or curiosity about veganism.
In fact, 90 percent of the staff members are vegan and are happy to answer the standard: “What do you do for cheese? How do you get your protein” questions, she said.
Even dogs are invited to join in on the back patio and order a vegan dish made especially for them.
“It’s a great way to create awareness. There are great cruelty-free options that taste just as good as any meat. We believe that kindness begins on your plate,” Duffin said.
How to get a reservation
For opening weekend, reservations are available for the following times:
Friday: 6 p.m., 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 6-10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Call the restaurant to book your reservation at (704) 891-4664.
Regular hours for the cafe are Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m-9 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday 9 a.m.-kitchen closes at 10 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Oh My Soul
3046 N. Davidson St.
(704) 891-4664
Instagram: @ohmysoulusa
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 5:30 AM.
