Needless to say, eating out as a vegetarian in a small town like Carlisle, PA presents its challenges.  So as a junior at Dickinson College, I knew that Café Bruges was an excellent place to start.  Who doesn’t like hand cut frites and craft Belgian beer?  Located at 16 North Pitt Street, it’s a must have experience for all Dickinsonians.

Café Bruges gives you the full experience from the moment you walk through their doors.  Dim lighting, and a quaint, comfortable atmosphere provide for a relaxed and enjoyable meal.  To top it all off, their wait staff is extremely charismatic and willing to help you, especially if you don’t know your way around a specialty beer menu like me.

I started my dinner off with one of their Blond Amber Ales, Malheur.  I highly recommend it for those of you who are not highly fond of overly bitter, hoppy beers, or for those of you who don’t indulge in beer frequently.   With hints of peach and citrus flavors, it’s a wonderful pre dinner beverage, not to mention it’s delicious!  The beer was excellent, but the main course proved to have its fallbacks.

I came into this meal knowing that not all restaurants have a wide array of vegetarian or vegan options on their menu.  I’m sure they have few customers who request these options, so I was prepared to compromise.  The only option that Café Bruges had that suited my dietary restrictions was a veggie burger.  Veggie burgers are a staple in my vegetarian diet so I was pleased to see that it was even an option.  Unfortunately, the burger itself was not made in house, just a premade Morningstar patty that they keep in stock to keep customers like me satisfied.  It was lack luster at best, and at $7 I could’ve purchased one at the grocery store and just made it myself.

While I appreciate that Café Bruges keeps this option on their menu, I can’t help but think about the restaurant’s quality.  An eatery that prides itself on making so many of their fine dishes in house, that makes superb in house mayo and hand cuts their own frites, should be able to make a white bean burger easily, no?  The quality of their dishes goes above and beyond, but it lacks consistency if only in this one area.

Thus my first adventure as a vegetarian on the go left me less than satisfied.  But this is only the beginning!  Look out Carlisle, I’m hungry and I want to see what you can throw my way.