Super Bowl Sunday is a day of fierce competition, silly commercials, and plenty of food.
And even if you’re not a football fan, at least we can all agree that Game Day food is… pretty special. Saucy, crispy, salty, gooey, fried, drool-worthy foods are in abundance before, during, and after the game.
But as a vegan or plant-based eater, it’s easy to feel left out of the Game Day food extravaganza. You may feel like you need to stick to the carrot and celery sticks while everyone else is diving face-first into pizza, dips, and wings.
Friend, kick those veggie sticks to the curb. There’s surely a time and a place for them, but it’s not on Super Bowl Sunday.
Pittsburgh is a great hub for plant-based eats these days, and it certainly isn’t lacking in the plant-based Game Day food department; you can find a ton of ooey-gooey, fried-food fun to help get you through the big game.
That said, today we’re going to focus on, in my opinion, the king of Game Day food options: wings. Specifically, plant-based wings.
I bought seitan wings from five different local restaurants to figure out which reigns supreme. My boyfriend (a meat-eater) and I (a non-meat-eater) tried and ranked them 1-10 on the following criteria:
Let’s get into the review:
512 Perry Highway / Rt.19, Westview, PA 15229
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First up is Mandy’s Pizza in the North Hills. They have a huge vegan menu, complete with hoagies, pizza, appetizers, and calzones, but I got a 10-piece order of their “Chicken Thangs” with their vegan ranch on the side.
When I went to pick up my order, they mentioned that they used to make their vegan Chicken Thangs from scratch, but now they buy it. Their vegan ranch is homemade.
I don’t buy plant-based “meat” very often to begin with, so I was still super excited to try them! Here’s what they looked like right out of the box:
I really like everything I’ve ever tried at Mandy’s (their Vegan Buffalo Chicken Pizza, which comes with fries on top, is not to be missed!), and we were both impressed with Mandy’s Vegan Thangs and ranch!
140 Andrew Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275
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Industry Public House has two locations, one in Lawrenceville and another in North Fayette. I ordered from the latter, and I got their seitan wings with their mild buffalo sauce.
I didn’t realize it before I ordered, but the buffalo sauce isn’t actually vegan. Their two vegan wing options are their mesquite BBQ dry rub and their hot ginger teriyaki, so just keep that in mind if you’re looking to keep everything 100% vegan!
They have online ordering, and pickup was incredibly quick and simple. Here are our thoughts:
We definitely enjoyed these vegan wings, and I think Industry Public House would be a great place to take a group of omnivores and vegans alike!
1124 Park Manor Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205
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Pizzeria Davide, the sister restaurant to DiAnoia’s Eatery and Pane è Pronto, has two different locations, with a third on the way. I ordered from the shop in Robinson, and the whole process, from ordering online to pickup, was straight-forward, quick, and easy.
Their vegan seitan wings are definitely the most unique in the bunch, as I’m sure you can tell from the photos:
Are these seitan “wings” reminiscent of traditional buffalo wings? Not so much.
Would I order them again? For sure. Like I mentioned above, I’d love to cut each piece up a little smaller and add it to a pizza, rice bowl, or sandwich.
5107 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224
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I actually first learned about Spak from my brother, who has talked about his love of their seitan sandwiches and wings for years.
That said, I had never tried their vegan seitan wings before. And oh boy am I happy that has changed.
Their online ordering was a breeze, and they have a little pickup window where you give them your name and they hand you their order. Easy peasy.
Let’s get to the wings:
These were our favorites of the bunch, and my mouth is watering writing this review, remembering how good they were! I am now a Spak Superfan.
220 South Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
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Max Mex, a restaurant that’s part of the Big Burrito Restaurant Group, along with other Pittsburgh classics like Kaya and Casbah, has many different locations throughout the Burgh, but not all of them offer their seitan wings.
That said, if you find yourself around their Shadyside location on South Highland Avenue, you’ll be happy to know that you can order a small or large order of their seitan wings, complete with a vegan chipotle ranch sauce.
We went with a small order, and it was a pretty hefty portion:
Here are our thoughts:
All in all, Mad Mex’s seitan wings are a great traditional-tasting plant-based wing option in the city!
What a time to be plant-based in Pittsburgh! There are so many incredible options for non-meat eaters these days, and all of these seitan wings were super tasty. And to be honest, I really wasn’t expecting to like any of them, let alone really like all of them.
While Spak Brother’s seitan wings were our overall favorite, I’d be deliriously happy to eat each and every one again and again. I encourage you to support these local businesses and try each for your own!
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