Worcester Magazine just published the newest article in the Soy de Worcester column: Vegan On The Cheap. Last week, I asked: Where can you get a good vegan meal in Worcester for under $5? There were a ton of comments on facebook. Thanks, everyone! After going through all the wonderful recommendations, this is the result. Definitely pick up a print copy, but since WoMag doens’t have the story online yet, here it is:

Vegan On the Cheap

Worcester is a city of deal-hunters and do-it-yourselfers. It’s called “The Spag’s Mentality” and it means that Worcesterites will come out in droves to get in on a good deal. The vegetarian population of Worcester is no different. There are a handful of stellar deals in Worcester vegan food scene. Here are 5 spots where you can get a good vegan meal for under five bucks:

The Pickle Barrel

Don’t want to pay $10 for a veggie burger? Don’t. At The Pickle Barrel on Pleasant Street, you can get a wicked good, Worcester-style veggie patty grinder and a bottomless cup of coffee for under five bucks. The grinder is a half-sub filled with a hearty vegetable patty, topped with onion, tomato, and greens. You can add spicy fries to your order, but it will take you a little over the $5 line. The down side? Excluding the usual side dishes, there is not much else in the way of vegan fare.

Veggie Corner

Veggie Corner is Worcester’s newest vegan restaurant. When Quan Yin closed it’s doors back in June, the folks at Veggie Corner decided to open up in its on Hamilton Street. Thankfully Veggie Corner has stuck to Quan Yin’s model: cheap and delicious vegan food. For $4.50 you can choose between one of five lunch specials, which include a mock-meat or tofu entrée, a soup, hot tea, and a side of white rice. They are not the largest portions, but it is certainly enough to leave you feeling satisfied. Take-out available.

Fantastic’s

Some people are surprised that this small pizza place on Main Street offers falafel, but their falafel is so amazing that I am surprised anyone would even bother with their pizza. (Maybe I would reconsider if they offered soy cheese.) With fresh-baked Syrian bread from Bay State Bakery on Water Street, Fantastic’s falafel is by far the best item on their menu. For $4.75 you’ll get a falafel wrap with crisp vegetables and creamy tahini. If you’re not the fried food type, try the baba ganoush or the homemade hummus. Both are under $5.

George’s Bakery

Located on Grafton Street, George’s Bakery is a Mediterranean market with plentiful options for the penny-pinching vegetarian. For $2 and some change you can get a star-shaped, golden-brown spinach pie. Get two for a quick lunch. Or get a spinach pie and an order of fresh hummus and to dip it in. They also have a tasty falafel sandwich for five dollars even.

Tortilla Sams

This American Tex-Mex joint on Highland Street is well-known for its veg selection. Worcester punk and hardcore bands like Four Year Strong and Bane have patronized the place for years. If you’re looking for the best deal, order off the take-out menu. The burritos-to-go are a dollar or so cheaper. The “unchicken” is the most impressive dish and price at under $4. The tofu buffalo wings are definitely their most well-known menu item, but don’t be surprised to find that they are nothing like buffalo wings. You can always stick to the basics with a simple black bean burrito. Beware of the “health-nut” burrito. It is exactly as appetizing as it sounds.

Big thanks to Flo, CJ, Marilyn, Dylan, Alex, Pat, Ashley, Jenna, Jesslyn, Allicia, Melissa, and Eileen! You guys rock!

So what do you think? Which is your favorite? Did I miss any big ones?

I’m not a picky eater. And falafel is my favorite food. It doesn’t take much to impress me when it comes to falafel, or really anything deep-fried for that matter. That said, the falafel wrap I got from Hidyan was probably the worst I’ve ever eaten. It was goopy and tasted a little like soap.

Let’s back up a little bit. Towards the end of the night, the table at the show was going a little slow, so I ducked out of the venue to check out what food options there were nearby. Hidyan Cafe was right across the street and it looked promising. It looked like it was mostly a take-out pizza and falafel place. These are usually the spots to find killer falafel. Pro-tip: you’re probably not going to find amazing falafel at some fancy-pants Middle Eastern restaurant.

So I walked across the street, pysched to try some new falafel, but the whole affair started off on the wrong foot. When I ordered the wrap, I asked if they used yogurt in their tahini. She assured me they did not, but after a couple of minutes into constructing the wrap she told me that they do put dairy in the hummus. Weird. Who puts dairy in hummus? I’ve never heard of that. Apparently the guy next to me was thinking the same thing, because he asked the woman behind the desk about it. She explained that she thought chickpeas hurts your stomach, so she adds milk to the hummus. Why would anyone ruins such a wonderful food by putting dairy in it? So I got a falafel wrap without any hummus or other sauce. Bummer.

As far as presentation goes, the wrap looked pretty alright. But after the first bite, I was done with it. There was some weird chemical after-taste and a questionable white substance dripping out the bottom. On the bright side, the root beer was pretty satisfying.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by falafel in Worcester. We have so many places in town that sell kick-ass falafel for dirt-cheap. Plus we are home to Bay State Bakery, so our falafel joints get the freshest of the fresh Syrian bread. You just can’t beat falafel in Worcester.

Do you know of any good falafel places in Boston?

A couple months ago I wrote a list of the top 5 falafel joints in Worcester for RealWorcester.com. I am proud to say that I have now added it to VegWorcester.com. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out at VegWorcester.com/top-5-falafel-2008/. Enjoy!

There are two places that I wish could have have made the list. Patriots House of Pizza located at 332 Pleasant Street and Simon’s (closed for good).

Patriots would definitely have made the cut, but they recently removed falafel from their menu. Let’s hope they decide to rethink their decision!

Simon’s Falafel and Pizza, on the otherhand, is not open anymore. If it was, it would definitely make the Top 5. Simon’s was located right next to the Paladium, which was most of its appeal. You could grab a cheap falafel sandwhich while you waited in line for a show.

I went to Simon’s whenever the Juggalos from Insane Clown Posse invade our beautiful downtown. I bought a $4 falafel and $2 fries to enjoy while I watched as 15-year-olds dressed as scary clowns lined up to see a performance of their favorite rap-rock band. They were scary makeup and chanted obcenities. This year when Gwar played with ICP at the Palladium, I watched morosely from across the street. I miss Simon’s.

Simon’s, this is your eulogy. I wish you were still here with us. RIP.

Anyway, read the Top 5 List on RealWorcester to find out who made the cut.

By no means does this list cover every single place to get quality veg food in Worcester. In fact, you can get good veg food at nearly every restaurant in Worcester (even Burger King has a veggie burger). This mini-guide lists local places that are either all-vegetarian or who have a very good vegetarian selection. Leave a comment if you think I left out a really good one.

So print it out. And hang this baby on your fridge!