NotMeat Vegans (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

Exploring tasty alternatives with ‘Not Meat Vegans’


May 23, 2023
a woman sitting at a table with food
By Hannah Hernandez
By Hannah Hernandez

Not Meat Vegans is a Foodie 500 Restaurant Partner.

Not Meat Vegans is a vegan pop-up garnering attention in the local food scene, with its menu featuring vegan alternatives to your favorites. The founders of Not Meat Vegans, DJ and Nicole Miller, have a personal connection to veganism.

“Nicole grew up being exposed to vegetarianism and went back and forth with the lifestyle for years,” DJ explained. “It wasn’t until we started a family together that Nicole became vegan. We knew we wanted to give our family the healthiest baseline.”

Their passion for veganism shows in their food, too, which is both innovative and flavorful.

Not Meat Vegans (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

For instance, NotMeat Vegans’ menu includes everything from vegan burgers and spicy fried vegan chicken to comfort foods like mac and cheese and cookies. Whether you’re a vegan or simply looking to try something new, Not Meat has something for everyone.

One of the best things about the menu is that it changes here and there with new dishes making the roster.

Their success really got rolling with a surprise win at a chili contest.

“Our success started with chili and we realized that there was a vegan community here without vegan chili options,” said Nicole. “Most importantly, we enjoy cooking and educating others on vegan alternatives that taste good.”

Not Meat Vegans (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

From there, they brought their food to a local farmers market and received a positive response. With their exceptional food quality and excellent flavors, it’s no surprise that Not Meat has gained a loyal following.

With their commitment to satisfying vegan foods, Not Meat Vegans is a pop-up sure to make it on your list of frequented food stops. It’s likely you’ve seen them set up on occasion at events such as the monthly Soul Food Wednesdays, during markets at Rozet Nursery, the 420 High in the Desert festival, and more.

Check out their schedule soon by following Not Meat Vegans on Instagram and give their plant-filled items a try.

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Article By

One of Tucson’s distinguished media creators, Hannah Hernandez, also known as Death Free Foodie, navigates the realms of digital imagery, video editing, and photography. The trajectory of Hannah’s life changed in 2017 when she adopted a vegan lifestyle, which invited...

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