Evie’s – The Overview…
Food: Pumpkin Soup, Little Italy Pasta Puttanesca, Mac n Cheese, Chilli Cheese Fries, Hotdog, Chicken Burger,
Ratings:
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4.5/5
The details…
Evie’s is definitely quirky with a capital Q. This vegan disco diner is so Fitzroy it’s almost Mancunian (Manchester is just like one big Fitzroy, with worse graffiti). Full of spangles, neon and disco lights, it feels a little as though you’ve sneaked into a 70’s night club for a quick dinner before it opens. You’ll want to visit Evie’s Disco Diner for one of 3 reasons: it’s a lot of fun, it’s got a great American diner style menu, and almost everything on the menu is vegan (and they cater to almost all other dietary requirements too).
The really great thing about Evie’s is the menu. Everything on there is vegan (or comes as a vegan option), and we’re talking awesome dive bar food: mac n cheese, burgers, dogs and tater tots. Fun shakes, floats and cocktails adorn the drinks menu – again all available vegan. Now I’m not a “let’s chain ourselves to vans and block major intersections in Melbourne” vegan – I’m not vegan at all, although I definitely think we could reduce our meat consumption and I love that creative places such as Evie’s make that possible and open non-vegan eyes to the fact that vegan food doesn’t have to be boring.
The menu is split into smaller and larger plates. Smaller plates are designed as sides or to share a few, then the larger plates are more to enjoy as one each – consisting mostly of burgers, hotdogs and the like. While popular, the vibe of Evie’s is very laid back – oh and they serve food until at least 11pm every night. So I went to town on the fake dairy – starting out with a cola float and demanding that vegan Mac n cheese be on our order. The cola float looked awesome (and it’s pretty big). It reminded me of the ice cream parlours of Enid Blyton books where the Famous Five enjoyed their shakes after solving yet another mystery. It put a huge smile on my face.
From the winter specials we tried the Little Italy Pasta Puttanesca – a rich tomato based pasta dish with a nice kick. It’s a great winter option, warming and with thick filling noodles. There’s loads of flavour running through it and it’s a very tasty choice. The winter specials are the chefs chance to try something a little different from the main section of the menu.
We also sampled the pumpkin soup, another special. Served in a cob loaf it’s another great winter warmer dish. It’s super smooth with a slightly nutty flavour. Given both these dishes are new on the menu, the chef was already doing an excellent job and we’re sure they’ll both be hits. This is exactly the kind of dish you want to go and sample when the temperatures drop outside.
On the side we had the chilli cheese fries and that mac n cheese that I was so passionate about. Now I need to make one disclaimer here: vegan cheese will not taste exactly like normal cheese – ever, and if you go expecting that you’re always going to be disappointed. Saying that, the mac n cheese is goooooddd. There’s a nice creaminess to it and it tastes like mac n cheese should (and actually better than most). It’s convincing enough that was sat there waiting to feel sick from the dairy overload. i absolutely loved it. If you need a dish to convince someone to go vegan this is it.
The cheese on the chilli cheese fries isn’t quite as convincing as the mac n cheese but it is still a fab dish. Mixed with the lightly spiced beans on top it’s a pleasant sauce, not overly cheesy – made in house too! They’re a huge portion of crunchy chips too – ideal to share with a couple of larger plates.
We finished up with the vegan hot dog and vegan chicken burger (available non-vegan too). The hot dog was your perfect classic hot dog – lashings of sweet flavoured ketchup and a slither of mustard adoring it. You’d pass this off as a meat version any day, and it was pleasant and juicy.
The chicken burger was a classic, simple burger. The chicken had a slight spice to it, and teamed well with the abundance of sour pickles. Adding just the cheese and lettuce to it allowed those key flavours to stand out and, while well loaded, it wasn’t even slightly overwhelming. We left Evie’s very full, and very happy, it’s one dining experience you have to try!
Everything else…
Website: https://www.evies.net.au/
Address: 230/232 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Opening Times:
Mon Closed
Tue 3pm to 11pm
Wed 3pm to 11pm
Thu 11:30am to 1am
Fri 11:30am to 1am
Sat 11:30am to 1am
Sun 11:30am to 11pm
Parking: We parked just around the corner from Evie’s. There are a few permit zones around, but it wasn’t too tricky to find a spot close by.
Getting here on PT: It’s on the 86 tram line, alight at Smith St/Gertrude St, or about a 4 minute walk from the 12 or 109 trams – alight at Victoria Parade/Smith St.
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Evies, Fitzroy. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a cafe won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.