Eden'z

Eden’z Vegetarian Restaurant
by Laura Ryals

Normally, I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl, but I figured I would give Eden’z Vegetarian Restaurant a whirl—variety is the spice of life, right? On first glance, the Poplar Street restaurant is real low-key, plain and simple. But on second glance, I could see the charm. It has the sort of comforting warmth and closeness that brings people back to a neighborhood eatery. That’s important because Eden’z may be designed as an oasis for the health-conscious and vegetarian diners, but it has plenty of attractions for the curious carnivore, too.

Since this was the first time I had ever ordered anything from a vegetarian restaurant, I went with the special of the day: potato croquettes with dill sauce, curry rice, sautéed spinach and cornbread. I also ordered a strawberry-banana smoothie because those are always tasty. (They have 45 different health drinks—that’s no hyperbole either!—and several soy milk-based fruit smoothies.) The food was good, and the service was fast and friendly. If you’re a meat-eater and you aren’t paying attention, it isn’t hard to forget that you’re chowing down on an all-veggie meal.

This explains, in part, why owner Karen Andre is proud to point out that Eden’z has been in business for four years, which is quite an accomplishment considering that they’ve done so in a location with low traffic. That’s doubly impressive considering the fact that us Southerners rarely resist adding one type of pork or another to everything we eat. And it’s worth saying that their success in Macon has led to a recently opened location in Warner Robins, too.

If you’re looking to recreate some of this magic at home, they’re even willing to share some of their kitchen secrets with you.

“We offer cooking classes on a monthly basis,” Karen says, adding that Eden’z also caters and participates in health seminars.

The top three most-requested items, according to Karen, are the gyro, curry and sesame chicken. (The “meats” are made with gluten-free soy products.) If you want to try a variety, she suggests the lunch buffet that they offer Monday thru Friday from 11am to 2pm, and on Sunday from 12p to 4p. The buffet is served in the remodeled space upstairs that’s full of deep, rich colors. It’s perfectly quiet, making for an excellent place to catch up with friends and co-workers over a meal. Meanwhile, the downstairs dining room provides a perfect view for people-watching.

During my visit there, someone asked about the wheat grass smoothie. Hopefully I can get up the courage to try that one day. Also, if I hadn’t been so full I would have tried one of the desserts. I noticed that they have bread pudding, which I love. I have never been able to figure out why other restaurants around town don’t serve it.

Though the idea of eating vegetarian may be a little scary, I must admit that my overall experience was good. Eden’z is a great place to check out if you are looking for something different and affordable.