Tucked in an artsy, eclectic neighborhood in midtown Memphis, Tennessee, Imagine Vegan Café serves up real food for real people. This homey eatery fits seamlessly amongst the yoga studios, vinyl record stores, vintage fashion outfitters, quirky coffee shops, hip bistros and used bookstores. A family owned and operated vegan café specializing in southern comfort food, owners Adam and Kristie Jeffrey opened Imagine in 2011, with the goal of creating a place where compassionate, environmentally conscious, like-minded vegans could enjoy a meal, snack or dessert without worrying or feeling like weirdos.

Imagine’s menu, focusing on vegan comfort foods, offers dishes that were tasty enough to satisfy my vegan family of four, plus one omnivore (a visiting friend). Selections include vegan appetizers such as potato skins, buffalo wings and chili cheese fries; a wide variety of sandwiches; and veganized entrées like beef tips & rice, chicken & waffles and eggplant parmesan. The menu also features a few soups, salads and smoothies. Breakfast is served on weekends, and no menu in Memphis would be complete without BBQ. Imagine offers a vegan chopped BBQ sandwich topped with slaw. After some deliberation, I ordered the Big Smack. It’s Imagine’s version of a Big Mac, which includes two non-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a dairy-free bun. My wife enjoyed a big plate of Tony’s BBQ Nachos, and our children devoured hot dogs with sides of mac n’ cheese. And while I can’t express my friend’s opinion of the Chicken Sandwich, the speed at which he cleaned his plate speaks for itself. We took a double chocolate and a salted caramel cupcake for the drive home, but between the five of us, neither cupcake lasted long.

white walls serve as a canvas for fun, hand-drawn images of all the animals you aren’t eating - cows, chickens and pigs. The wooden tables and benches lining the walls seems a perfect fit for a town like Memphis. The storefront window seals are littered with various animal rights organizations’ pamphlets and brochures. A few books and magazines are sprinkled in as well. If you browse as intensively as I did, you might even find the 20-year-old vegetarian magazine featuring Candice Bergen’s favorite recipe.

Above a refrigerated drink and dessert case hangs a stop sign with the phrase, “STOP eating animals” across it. A pile of various toys are scattered in the opposite corner. The Jeffrey’s are extremely proud of the family-friendly environment they have cultivated at Imagine. Our two-year-old and four-year-old took full advantage of the opportunity to play while my wife and I relished the chance to relax and enjoy ourselves, free from the restraints of the typical restaurant etiquette.

After six years, Imagine remains a popular stop for vegan travelers and locals alike. This café is an ideal place to bring the family for lunch - especially the kids. You’ll be greeted with smiling faces, good service, familiar dishes, reasonable prices and your little ones might even make a new friend. Take a look for yourself at their menu, hours and story at www.imaginevegancafe.com.