A forkful of creamy mac and cheese can make you forget you are eating a meat-free meal. At Soul Vegetarian No. 2, located at 652 N Highland Ave NE in Atlanta, Georgia, vegan mac and cheese shares the plate with Southern-inspired comfort food, including collard greens, cornbread, and other plant-based dishes.
The casual setting keeps the focus on familiar flavors served with a distinctly vegetarian twist.
For anyone curious about Georgia soul food without meat, this Atlanta kitchen offers an inviting place to try something different. The mac and cheese is a natural starting point, especially alongside savory greens and a piece of cornbread, though customer experiences can vary and daily availability is worth checking before visiting.
Come hungry, take a closer look at the menu, and see which comforting dishes deserve a place on your plate.
Mac And Cheese With Main Character Energy
A side dish can quietly take over the whole meal. The vegan mac and cheese at Soul Vegetarian No. 2 has drawn more attention in the supplied customer comments than any other dish, making it a natural starting point for curious visitors.
Several diners call it a favorite, and one longtime vegan praises the kitchen’s flavor overall. Others describe the mac as too sweet or report an unusual taste, so the praise is not universal and your own preferences matter.
At this North Highland Avenue kitchen, consider pairing an order with collard greens rather than building an entirely rich plate. Ask how the sauce is made if you have allergies, since a vegan label does not explain every ingredient or promise that a dish is gluten-free.
For a first visit, treat the mac as something to discover, not a guaranteed best-ever bite. Sharing it with a companion lets you compare impressions and leaves room for another side, especially if you want to understand why this humble comfort food keeps appearing in conversations about the restaurant among Atlanta diners and visiting food lovers.
Collard Greens Bring The Plate Back Into Balance
After a few rich bites, a forkful of greens can change the rhythm of lunch. Collard greens are one of the most frequently mentioned dishes at Soul Vegetarian No. 2, giving visitors another clear connection to the restaurant’s Southern food focus.
Customer opinions offer a useful reality check. Some praise the seasoning, while others say the greens need more flavor or contain too much liquid, which means texture and seasoning may not meet every diner’s expectations.
Order them alongside mac and cheese or a barbecue protein if you want variety across your plate. Before adding salt or hot sauce, taste a little on its own so you can decide what, if anything, you would like to change.
The appeal here is not about turning vegetables into a lecture on healthy eating. It is about finding a familiar Southern side in a meat-free kitchen at 652 N Highland Ave NE, where a simple serving of greens can help you explore the menu without choosing only its richest dishes or missing the flavors that make a traditional soul food plate feel complete and thoughtfully balanced.
Cornbread Deserves A Place Beside The Fork
Sometimes the smallest part of the meal becomes the bite you save for last. Cornbread brings that familiar feeling to a Southern plate, especially when there are greens, sauce, or gravy nearby waiting for one more taste.
At Soul Vegetarian No. 2, several reviewers mention enjoying the cornbread, including one who lists it among the meal’s strongest dishes. Another describes a disappointing piece on an earlier visit, then updates the review after receiving a large, fresh piece later.
That contrast makes freshness a better question than any promise about perfection. Ask whether cornbread is available that day, and confirm its ingredients if avoiding dairy, eggs, wheat, or another allergen is part of your ordering routine.
Once it arrives, try a bite alone before pairing it with the rest of lunch. A modest side can tell you plenty about what you enjoy, and it gives a first meal at this Atlanta kitchen a familiar anchor while you explore less familiar choices such as kalebone or barbecue tofu without making the entire order feel like a leap into unfamiliar food all at once today.
Barbecue Tofu Offers A Different Kind Of Comfort
Barbecue does not have to begin with meat to earn a spot on a comfort food plate. A sauced tofu dish offers another way to explore familiar flavors while trying something that may be new to your usual lunch routine.
One reviewer at Soul Vegetarian No. 2 specifically prefers the barbecue tofu to the seitan option. That is a helpful clue for visitors deciding between plant proteins, although it reflects one person’s taste rather than a rule for everyone.
Ask which barbecue dishes are available before ordering, and check whether the sauce leans sweet if that matters to you. Pairing tofu with greens and cornbread can give the meal different textures without requiring you to sample several mains at once.
There is something inviting about a kitchen that gives familiar Southern flavors another route to the table. At the North Highland Avenue location, barbecue tofu can be that entry point, particularly for someone who wants a recognizable style of meal but would rather skip a wheat-based protein or simply try the option another diner singled out for praise during a recent visit there.
Country-Style Steak Keeps The Comfort Food Spirit
A hearty main can make a meat-free meal feel familiar before the first bite. Country-style steak is one of the dishes mentioned by Soul Vegetarian No. 2 customers, offering another connection to the Southern comfort food behind the restaurant’s appeal.
The supplied reviews use both country fried steak and country baked steak when describing their orders. Rather than assuming those names mean the same preparation, ask which version is on offer and what comes with it that day.
One enthusiastic visitor enjoyed country fried steak with mac, rice and gravy, and other dishes. For your own plate, consider choosing sides with different textures so the main does not get lost among several equally heavy choices.
Ingredient questions are especially useful here because a vegan steak can be made in different ways. Confirm the protein base and any allergens before ordering, then settle into the pleasure of a substantial lunch at the North Highland Avenue kitchen without expecting it to copy meat exactly or needing every bite to prove something about plant-based eating to anyone else sharing the table with you that afternoon.
Rice And Gravy Add An Old-Fashioned Touch
Not every memorable bite needs a bold name or a dramatic presentation. Rice and gravy bring a quieter kind of comfort, the sort of side that can make a plate feel like a complete meal rather than a collection of samples.
Visitors to Soul Vegetarian No. 2 mention ordering it with mac and cheese, cauliflower, and country-style steak. Reviews are mixed, however, with some enjoying the combination and others reporting disappointing gravy or rice texture on past visits.
If you prefer less sauce, ask whether gravy can be served separately or added lightly. That small request may help you control the balance, though the kitchen’s ability to adjust an order should always be confirmed rather than assumed.
Rice also gives you a useful comparison point when tasting several foods. Try it first by itself, then alongside your main, and notice which pairing you like best as you build your own picture of this Atlanta restaurant instead of letting a single glowing review or one unhappy account decide the whole visit before you have even sat down to enjoy your own meal there.
Sweet Potato Pie Rewards A Little Restraint
Saving room can be harder than it sounds when macaroni and cornbread are already on the table. Sweet potato pie gives diners at Soul Vegetarian No. 2 a reason to pause before ordering one more savory side.
Several supplied reviews speak positively about the pie, including a visitor who compares its taste to pumpkin pie. That comparison offers a familiar reference for newcomers, but it does not establish the spices, sweetness, or exact recipe used by the kitchen.
Check dessert availability early if pie is a priority for your visit. Ask about ingredients and serving size, especially if you plan to share or need to avoid wheat, nuts, or another allergen that a vegan dessert may still contain.
A shared slice can turn the end of lunch into a slower moment rather than a rushed exit. Whether it becomes your favorite dish or simply a pleasant finish, the pie adds another layer to the restaurant’s Southern identity and reminds you that a meat-free meal can include familiar comforts from the first savory forkful through the last small bite of dessert before heading out.
Art, Music, And Good Timing Complete The Visit
A meal can linger in your memory because of what surrounds the plate. Reviewers describe art celebrating Black history, music, and books to read while waiting at Soul Vegetarian No. 2, adding interest beyond the food itself.
Several visitors also praise friendly service, though experiences with food and timing vary. The supplied listing shows a 4.3-star rating from 1,174 reviews, a useful snapshot rather than a guarantee that every visit will feel the same.
Find the restaurant at 652 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306. Listed hours are Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 PM, with Monday closed; confirm before traveling because schedules can change.
Call +1 404-875-0145 or check originalsoulvegan.com for current information and menu questions. An older review mentions limited parking, so allow extra arrival time and let the visit unfold without a packed schedule, giving yourself space to notice the artwork, ask about the day’s dishes, and decide whether the much-discussed macaroni really is the part of lunch you will remember most after leaving this casual Atlanta kitchen.
