Tasty and Meatless | Restaurant Features

The masculine ambience at Compadres Bar and Grill in Ward Centre belies the very vegetarian-friendly menu. This sports bar meets Mexican Fiesta not only offers specifically named meatless items, but the kitchen staff is willing to “vegitize” most anything short of the hopelessly meaty like the Steak a la Tampiquena or Spareribs Navarro. Two of the five dishes on which I feasted were ordered in their altered veggie versions, and all were excellent.

The grilled vegetable version of the Chingalinga, a Mexican-style egg roll, is a crispy, satisfyingly deep-fried appetizer served with guacamole and sour cream. Request a side of Tomato Vinaigrette as you order. This ever-so-slightly sweet and mellow dressing works well with the Chingalinga and the complimentary chips, as an alternative to the chunkier but very good salsa. In fact, you may want to try the vinaigrette on everything.

For something fresh and salady, but still filling, the Vegetarian Tostada is an excellent choice. Mashed and always meatless black beans, layered between two crisp corn tortillas, are topped with shredded lettuce, green and red cabbage, and carrots. This Mexican salad mix is further dressed with green chilis and salsa, splashed with avocado vinaigrette and garnished with a citrusy guacamole and black olives.

Like the Chingalinga, Compadres signature Avocado Relleno, an entire avocado halved and stuffed, can be prepared with grilled vegetables instead of the meat choices. Although this is a rather heavy choice, it fills the gap between salad and savory comfort food like enchiladas. The grilled, but still crunchy carrots, broccoli, and squash do contrast nicely with the creamy avocado on its bed of black beans.

For me, the most delightful surprise came with the enchilada selections. Served with refried beans, rice, and a Mexican salad, the enchiladas may be ordered in singles or doubles. In a display of good customer service, Compadres will allow you to combine different versions in one order. The Vegetarian enchilada is a gloriously green creation of spinach tortilla, guacamole filling and spicy verde sauce. The additional veggie filling and salsa fresca insure good textural variety and impart an acidic note. In contrast, the Carmelized Onion enchilada is rich, sweet, brown, and almost decadent, with only a sprinkling of salty cotija cheese for balance. Its deliciously simple red sauce is generously spiced with chili powder and cumin. Many of Compadres desserts look quite interesting, but they are all dependent on eggs or dairy. However, it is quite easy to be satisfied with the real food. Pre-dinner, sip a Marguerita, if you are inclined, and watch the sun set over the water. As the name suggests, Compadres is a great place to hang with your pals and enjoy some good food.