The past decade has witnessed the term “gastropub” morph into a synonym for “pretentious ultra-spendy bar,” but Fox & Goose Pub rebelliously breaks off from the bourgeois trend. Their brunch is a bona fide Sacramento institution with diners barely forming a gawped mouth upon the news of a wretched 45 minute to hour wait; this is the hellish price one swallows for premium, unique British pub food with an (admittedly heavy-handed) American twist.
It’s practically the only place in town to procure a decent vegan brunch outside Sugar Plum Vegan (review to come). Plus, any menu graced by tempeh strips has my undivided culinary attention.
The Create-Your-Own Tofu scramble has all the potential of a well-stocked grocery store as long as the picker can form some chef-worthy gastronomic combo from the dizzying list of ingredient choices. My highlighted nosh: broccoli (ambrosial & salubrious), sun-dried tomatoes (expensive for a reason), avocado (vegan duh), and tempeh strips (a protein rarity whilst dining out). The scramble, mediocre compared to my PPK recipe homemade, was cursed by a chef prone to skimping on the spice shaking. However, the ingredients gracefully danced together on the tongue, with the avocado adding some much-desired flavor and the smoky strips stealing my tempeh-loving heart.
The English country potatoes, while compensating for all the spice my scramble lacked, suffered from 3rd-degree mush. The fruit cup swimming with farm-fresh berries, cantaloupe, and watermelon is a decidedly better side.
I’m often nonplussed by restaurant bread, but Fox & Goose’s walnut wheat sourdough is a bakery-inspired treat: nutty and hearty with that time-honored sourdough tang. That toast is begging to be schmeared full knife by the soft pulpy delight of the house raspberry jam (not pictured). This nectarous spread does America proud; still, no comparisons to French confitures because that’s jumping outside of its international weight class.
The fresh-squeezed OJ is thick and Vitamin-C-licious, showcasing this gastropub’s dedication to the simple brunch sundries that together combine to form feasting greatness.
Fox & Goose’s breakfast menu (PDF available on their site) has major vegan potential: a Vegetarian Black Bean Chili create-your-own scramble; a Curry & green onion scramble served with Branston pickle; and an intriguing Harvest Grains cereal with soy milk option. Personally, I have my vegan radar set on the latter.
1001 R Street
Sacramento, CA
Beautiful photos and the brunch (especially that walnut bread!) looks delicious. I’d never expect a British gastropub to offer vegan items, so it’s rad to hear that some establishments are open to it.
Just found your blog through MoFo and I have to say that I’m so loving your blog name. Eager to read more of your posts.
That scramble looks fabulous! Salubrious and ambrosial, indeed!
Oh wow. The scramble looks just incredible. Do want!
I had nearly the same meal the one and only time I went there, and I felt pretty much the same: underseasoned scramble, terribly long wait time, awesome jam (and I love that they have the different varieties on the table). They put butter on my toast even after I said I was vegan, which was annoying, but the service was so slow that I didn’t even bother to get a replacement. Sad.
It’s a good place to go with omnis, anyway. I like the atmosphere.
I just went there this past weekend and had the Harvest Grains which was basically a bowel of wild rice and a few cooked apples that I drenched in soymilk and sugar. Not my usual breakfast craving, but it was a welcome healthy option. That time I forgot to ask for un-buttered toast, but our waitress was very happy to replace it with dry. Super fast service even though our table wait was close to an hour.
Another great Sac brunch place is Orphan House (near McKinley Park), which you might have heard of. I’ve only been once, but it’s boasts a menu easily veganizable with the substitution of scrambled tofu for a few bucks more. I wish I could review it, but I have no camera at the moment!