A plant-based diet is the way of the future and Rabbit Food is Austin’s new grocery store of the future.
Story by Sarah Hollis
Illustration by Annette Hui
As an adult, there are fewer and fewer experiences that stir within us a feeling of childlike glee, like picking out a new toy from Target or going to town at a candy store. However, walking into Rabbit Food Grocery as a plant-based consumer will make vegetarians and vegans everywhere feel like they’re ten again. The world is now their vegan oyster.
Adhering to a plant-based diet can be challenging in America’s culture of fast food, steak, burgers and fried chicken. After a while, one becomes accustomed to skipping entire sections of the grocery store and hunting for tiny green V’s or leave on menus. Rabbit Food is the oasis veggie-loving locals have been craving. Customers are able to enjoy anything in the store, an experience often taken for granted by those without dietary restrictions.
Rabbit Food carries products that are traditionally thought to be impossible for vegan eating. Going on a hike and craving trail snacks? Rabbit Food carries an array of brands and flavors of vegan jerky, from teriyaki to smokey barbecue, as well as tasty energy bars. Wanting to make a shrimp po-boy after a NoLa trip? Rabbit Food carries frozen vegan shrimp. Looking for vegan food for your furry friends? Rabbit Food has you covered with a section devoted entirely to vegan pet food.
In addition to their unique lifestyle products and meat substitutes, Rabbit Food carries items one may be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. They have a robust cheese section, from Tofutti’s infamous cream cheese spread to VioLife’s wide array of styles of cheese, to a collection of artisanal vegan cheese for the charcuterie-lover, like Herbivorous Butcher’s vegan brie.
The grocery store also carries a wide selection of candy, from peanut and almond butter cups to peach rings, something often overlooked in the average grocery store. If you’re looking for a quick bite, grab some delicious Happy Vegan Baker mac and cheese or faux tuna fish sandwiches and a bag of nacho flavored bean chips. Stock up on your Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares and grab a cute patch or pin to share your veganism with the world.
Oh, and don’t pass up a homemade vegan Twinkie or a local favorite, Celeste’s Best chocolate chip cookies at the counter. You will not be disappointed!
Rabbit Food Grocery has been a figure in Austin for a while, operating out of an online shop and various booths for the past six years. While this is not Rabbit Food’s first brick and mortar, it is their largest space to date, only a short drive from campus, making the store more accessible now than ever to UT Austin students.
Located in Tarrytown at 2425 Exposition Blvd. Ste. A, Rabbit Food Grocery is now open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
