Rebranded from the Plant Bass Vegan Deli in 2022, 2 Phat Vegans is a vegan spot in the West Bank known for its plant-based takes on New Orleans classics, and the vegan restaurant is preparing to open a location at 1303 Decatur St. While 2 Phat Vegans has a wide range of vegan Creole and soul food dishes, it is especially known for its take on a hot sausage po-boy. The new French Quarter location is set to open in October.
Owner Corey Mathis recently told What Now New Orleans that his love of hot sausage sandwiches before turning vegan forced him to come up with a plant-based version.
“I said, I’m not going to continue being a vegan if I can’t eat a hot sausage,” he stressed. “So, I went into the lab, tried a bunch of stuff, and came out with a hot sausage that everybody who tastes it agrees it’s the best hot sausage in the city.
“I tell people,” he added, “if I have the best hot sausage sandwich in New Orleans, then that means I have the best hot sausage sandwich in the universe!”
The vegan restaurant currently has two locations in the West Bank. Mathis said the upcoming location in the Quarter will cater a bit more to tourists by offering gumbo every day, instead of it only being a weekend special. He also said the new location will have vegan boudin balls as a new offering. In addition to soft drinks, beverage options include several fresh-pressed juices.
Mathis noted that 2 Phat Vegans will be the only restaurant offering this type of vegan food in the Quarter, and he’s looking forward to getting feedback from new customers coming to the location.
“Growing up in New Orleans, it’s always been a dream for me to have a restaurant in the French Quarter,” he mused.
