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303-546-0886
Serves meat, vegan options available. A pub and brewery in Boulder with a large amount of vegetarian options and a decent amount of vegan options including vegan sauces. A variety of items can be made vegan - just ask. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-1:00am, Sun 12:00pm-1:00am.
Categories: Vegan-friendly, Non-veg
14 Reviews
First Review by SynthVegan
Contributions +26
Barely any vegan options - Edit
I came here because I saw the reviews advertising it as vegan friendly, and it hardly is. There are no indications of what is vegan/vegetarian on the menu, and when we asked the server what was vegan she was accommodating, but because they had an issue with their tempeh supplier, only had one option, a portabella sandwich w/out cheese and mayo. It was a good sandwich, and the restaurant did have good craft beer, however, it's not exactly vegan friendly. Just a warning.
Contributions +746
Love Mountain Sun - Edit
Mountain Sun may not have a super extensive vegan menu, but the items they have are very tasty and the beer is great. My husband and I typically split the tempeh reuban without cheese (but with vegan thousand island sauce) and black bean chili with avocado. And beer.
The staff is friendly and I enjoy the atmosphere. Located right on Pearl, Mountain Sun is usually buzzing. We go to Mountain Sun every time we are in Boulder.
Pros: Great Beer, Decent vegan offerings, Fun atmosphere
Cons: Cash only
Contributions +189
Nice place to have dinner in boulder - Edit
My girlfriend and i both had a great vegan burger/sandwich with their really excellent homemade fries. Their selfbrewed beer is also very tasty. The staff is very good informed about vegan lifestyle.
All thumbs up. Good place to go in boulder!
Pros: Frienly staff, Great beer, A lot of vegan options
Cons: Crowded on weekends
Contributions +20
As a former employee... - Edit
The black bean chili does contain some cocoa powder. The Tempeh Reuben without cheese is bomb, comes with a vegan 1000 island dressing. My three favorite go to options are the salads (you can sub arugula for no upcharge), the hummus (double check the variety of the day) and veggie sandwich, and the burrito (the black beans at the Sun are the best I've ever had). Oh wait! Don't forget deconstructed nachos!!! The beans, salsa, loads of fresh jalapeños, and the addition of a large side of guacamole is a perfect meal. Although no longer listed on the menu, you can order the half size, and it's more than this fat kid can eat. Shittttt... French fries too! They have separate fryers for French fries and wings, so don't be scared!
Pros: super friendly and knowledgeable, fast bar food, separate cooking utensils and grill, vegan friendly beers (try the FYIPA!)
Cons: Cocoa powder in the veggie chili
1 Response
alisurvenir528 30 Jan 2017 - Does the cocoa powder contain cows' milk powder or something not vegan? Unadulterated cocoa powder should be vegan otherwise.
Contributions +25
Well informed about the needs of vegetarians - Edit
Super friendly staff told me my tempeh Ruben will be made in a separate (vegetarian) frying pan. They really sounded informed and on top of the needs of vegans and vegetarians. I really appreciate that as I know most restaurants claim to serve vegetarian food, then use pans and utensils used for meat to make them (often unwashed or just wiped).
Great beer and atmosphere. I really like this place.
Pros: Well informed, Great beer and atmosphere, Tasty
Cons: Could use a few more options
Contributions +179
A few good vegan options - Edit
They have a vegan rueben that's pretty good, and a burrito than can be ordered vegan. Also, great beers. It's a place we like to go with our non-vegan friends because we can all be happy. Southern Sun is basically the same, but bigger and usually doesn't have as long of a wait.
Pros: Good beer
Cons: Few vegan options
Contributions +24
Very limited, but excellent, vegan options - Edit
The Sun (Mountain Sun on Pearl and Southern Sun off Table Mesa) was a regular stop when I lived in Boulder; I was vegetarian then and, given a customizable veggie burger and several other options, had plenty of choices. I recently went back to visit Boulder and stopped in (OK, three times). I'm vegan now and it was still a great place.
The decor is fun: Boulder hippie, Grateful Dead-inspired stuff. Their beer selection is phenomenal (though they ran out of my favorite Rouge de Brouge just before I arrived). There is often a wait, sometimes a long one, but it's worth it.
One of the things I really like about the Sun is that all employees cycle through all jobs: cook, wait staff, kitchen help. They all tip-share. This means that everyone there knows exactly what's in everything on the menu. I was quickly told that the veggie burger is vegetarian, not vegan. While that was disappointing, the remaining food options were great. They were, however, only three: a portabella sandwich, a tempeh sandwich, or the veggie burrito (all minus cheese). I'm not a big mushroom or tempeh fan, so I had the burrito. Two days in a row. Since I didn't get cheese, I smothered it in salsa. Fantastic!
They also have daily specials. On my first (of three) visits this trip, they had something called the Yellow Submarine: a vegan curry. It was simply the best curry I have ever tried. I asked for the recipe, offered to pay for it, but was given it complimentary.
Yes, vegan choices are limited. Vegetarians have more choices. Nevertheless, the food that you can have here is delicious. Don't pass it by!
Pros: excellent food, knowledgeable, helpful staff, incredible beer
Cons: often a long wait, limited vegan options, can be noisy
Contributions +29
Hit the spot! - Edit
On our first in boulder we enjoyed some tasty beers and good food. It was. Busier than expected On a Monday night but was worth it. Staff was excellent from knowledgeable recomendatiOns of beers to quick service. Food was better than avg. bAr food and had Plenty of veg options. Special of the day tempeh wrap was our favorite dish/
Pros: Friendly service , Decent options for kids , Wide variety of beers
Cons: Crowded
Contributions +39
Veg Friendly Brew Pub - Edit
Focus is on the beer, but the food is good, too. Solid vegan & vegetarian options.
Pros: Friendly staff, Happy atmosphere
Cons: Often crowded
Contributions +43
Great veg options and atmosphere - Edit
The veg options were numerous the day that we dined and our food was tasty. I had the burrito and my husband had a tofu wrap that was on special. Much of what made the experience enjoyable was the atmosphere at Mountain Sun. Energetic without being crazy, with games available to play while having a drink or waiting for your food (though the food does not take long, so it isn't necessary to have a game to play). I also really enjoyed their beer, though I will admit I did not ask if it was vegan so look into that before ordering if you need. Also, go early or expect a wait.
Pros: numerous veg options, great beer, fun atmosphere
Cons: busy
Contributions +21
BEST RESTURANT IN BOULDER - Edit
I cant believe the low reviews, I get the same sandwich here every time - tempeh ruban - and pick a new home-brewed beer. Its amazing!! My non-veggie parents love the stuff they get - I cant speak for that - and if your into the jam scene the music/decor is AWESOME.
Is the selection large? Well no, but its not a big selection for any food, vegi/vegan or meat. Its a small menu. And if you aren't vegan you can eat 75% of the menu - like the somehow amazing quesadillas. Also, from what I've seen, they can whip you up something off menu pretty easily.
All the workers switch jobs, so your waiter one week is the cook the next, and tips are communal. If this wasnt cash only (who has cash??) i'd eat here every day.
Oh! Word to the wise - this place is small and gets super crowded. Its worth the wait, and they usually pass around free food to get you through, but dont come here expecting fast food.
Pros: Amazing Food!, Amazing home-brewed beer, Great music
Cons: Cash Only, Very Popular = Very crowded
1 Response
Gabe 22 Feb 2013 - Small menu which is great if you're NOT vegan, small and crowded, don't take credit cards, [edited] jam band music - I think you answered your own question about why there are poor reviews.
Contributions +216
Great beer - Edit
Yet again, I am surprised at seeing this listing on HC. Though you can get some vegan items, its a far cry from being mostly or even half vegan friendly. Seems to be some confusion on what is vegan from the other posters. I frequent this location and Southern Sun, so here it goes:
French Fries, Vegetarian Black Bean Chili, Side Salad, Tempeh Reuben, Hummus & Veggie Sandwich, & Burrito. Make sure to 86 the cheese/sour cream on these items & I do not think it renders the food tasteless as another poster wrote. Ive written on comment cards to ask them to change to a vegan "Garden Burger" and "Black Bean" burger. Maybe if more people did that it will eventually happen. They have daily wrap and soup specials, which are sometimes vegan or can be made vegan. You can ask for the Tempeh on a burger bun rather than Reuben if you'd like.
But what you really go here for is the beer!! If you like to drink a yummy craft brew and eat chili fries then you must check it out. If I was reviewing on beer alone, I'd have to go with 5 stars. Or if I was reviewing on convenience on not having to drive to Denver to get a great beer and some vegan bar food, I'd at least give 4 stars. But I'm reviewing on vegan food only, so I'm giving them 3.
Pros: beer
Contributions +117
serious lack of vegan options - Edit
If you eat cheese this place should have a decent number of tasty options for you, but if you consider yourself a vegan you'll be disappointed. Several things on the menu can be made vegan, like taking the cheese off the tempeh reuben (and rendering it fairly tasteless) but I don't think any of the main dishes or sandwiches were vegan as is.
Cons: little or no as-is vegan options, parking
Contributions +3358
Veg*n options, good food. - Edit
Mountain Sun has lots of vegetarian options and a lot of things can be made vegan. Our waiter was very friendly and ran down the entire menu with me and informed me as to what was (or could be made) vegan. I was in sandwich mode, so I opted for the hummus and veggie sandwich and had avocados added. The sandwich was huge, but it was so good that I ate the entire thing. I also noticed MS has vegan 1,000 island dressing, so I may just throw that on the sandwich too next time. There are definitely some options if your vegan, a lot more if you're vegetarian. Overall we had a good experience here and we'll definitely go back - be mindful that you'll likely have to wait during lunch or dinner, this place gets super packed!
3 Responses
kindlizard 22 Feb 2013 - That's funny you listed this place. I was here a few years ago and they served me beer but no food. They must have made a concerted effort bc when I was there not too long ago we just got really hungry. Although, is keeping a tub of hummus in the box a "concerted effort"? If it is limited to hummus I don't think it should be listed. good beer though
oops, I see the vegan samich...
SynthVegan 22 Feb 2013 - Sorry, but I don't get your response. I realize it's been years since you've been there, but if you go to their site now there are clearly several veggie options. Like I said in my review, they have more vegetarian than vegan options so I see where you're coming from. But I'd rather go to MS than half of the other places listed in Boulder/Denver on HC (i.e. typical Thai, Indian, Chinese places or even Souper Salad).
kindlizard 22 Feb 2013 - HC should not list those other places you mention. They wouldn't do it (nor should they) anywhere else. I have seen many of the menus in person (even some listed as veg now at that point were serving fish) outside on thier walls and refuse to go, but I go there since in my mind "its listed on HC" when that has no bearing in reality. That sinking feeling... is not a happy one, I don't go in, and I rather keep a higher standard to help fellow vegans from illness. Hummus and one samich on the menu here. For that, do you know the food is divided/ isolated prep? Were all the questions answered? If not, I'd rather get a tub of hummus where I can read the label and know. Unless the menu online is different than the one in hand... Glad you had a good experience though
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