Grindcore House West
4134 Chester Ave.
Philadelphia
July 3, 2023
When you walk by Grindcore House in West Philly, all you have to do is look at the window displays to know what’s up: Posted in large, gold font on the glass, the vegan coffee shop advertise their gluten free and vegan menu offerings, and, second, an instruction to “Listen to Bolt Thrower.”
I’m a pop girlie who does not follow a vegan diet on the regular by any stretch of the imagination, but I love a tasty vegan bite and a good coffee. So I was curious to stop by Grindcore West not only to check out how their vegan faire holds up, but to better understand why someone would bring their laptop and remote work at a cafe that blasts a genre called Grindcore (a mix of heavy metal and hardcore punk), with bands like Bolt Thrower, a British death metal band from the ’80s.
“People come from all over to take photos in front of that window,” a barista told me.
I was expecting, given the restaurant’s name, that I’d be entering a shop that would more so resemble a D.I.Y punk space. But inside the unassuming, one-block-off-Baltimore-Avenue spot is a spacious, clean-cut, white-walled space that could pass for many other coffeehouses in the city, with tables in the back to accommodate coworking. And every morning it does indeed house plenty of people grinding away at their daily work while coffee grounds churn and Scandinavian metal plays loudly in the background.
I took my own spot at a row of booths, old band shirts lining the cushioned seat backings and an oversized grim reaper mural crawling up the full height of the wall. I started to understand the appeal. Even if you’re not a fan of the grindcore genre, the music seemed to be like a stimulant substitute. The heavy bass, incomprehensible or foreign language lyrics, and often rapid beat encourage momentum without distracting those of us who, for example, have vegan food reviews to write.
Speaking of which, the food and drink menu is a healthy size, featuring around 12 animal-product-free sandwiches to choose alongside with leafy salads or your choice of bagel and spreads. I asked for the most popular food and drink. The baristas, in turn, ordered up The Cotsmo, a breakfast sandwich with baked tofu, bacon, avocado, jalapeño, cheese and garlic aioli (all vegan, of course) on a Philly muffin, and The Romano bev, a housemade lemonade with a shot of espresso.
I was skeptical of the drink combo, but pleasantly surprised. The sugary lemonade countered the bitterness of espresso, delivering the gentle flavor of coffee with barely a bite of acidity.
As for the sandwich, I immediately understood why it’s such a popular choice among customers. Although a bit messy — it took me two napkins to finish just half of the sandwich — it was well worth it. As someone who eats meat and dairy in their everyday diet, this sandwich still hit all the flavor marks while filling my stomach to the brim. I worried the jalapeno would be overpowering and the avocado underwhelming. But in this sandwich, the pair shined as individual elements responsible for pulling all the various textures and tastes involved together.
I was down for dessert. I wanted to try a gluten free offering, so I opted for a donut from High Fidelity Bakery. I went for cookies and cream, but there were at least three other flavors plus a carrot cake option for the gluten intolerant. It was dense, a common symptom of alternative flours, but it was also tasty. It was sweet but not overstimulating, with an icing that recalled the tang of Hydrox cookies’ cream center filling. Will I opt to eat another? Probably not. But if I had a gluten allergy and this was my option for a donut, I’d certainly take it.
Once satiated, I felt my attention shift from the food to the consumers. Across from me was Grindcore regular Sutton Paras, munching on a strawberry rhubarb pastry and a bagel with scallion cream cheese and strumming an air guitar along to the day’s soundtrack.
Paras, 30, lives in West Philly and has been a vegan since age 14. They’re deeply familiar with the Philly vegan scene, but keep coming back to Grindcore. “I come to Grindcore West because of the accessibility to where I live, but also because the founder is someone I’ve known since I was 15, and it feels good to support your friends and the community,” they told me. “Plus the food is really good.” They especially like the Costmo and vegan Cuban.
We didn’t talk about the music. It seems Grindcore is able to stand out for its food and contribution to community building alone. The metal gimmick is, arguably, a tertiary feature.
I walked away with no clue what music I’d been listening to all afternoon, the sound of bizarre Swedish screamo nothing more than a memory to my ears. Only a full stomach and lunch for the next day.
I rate Grindcore 3 ½ stars out of 5 in my holistic review of Philly vegan eats: Yummy food, but the music is a little loud.
NEXT:
Emily reviews Monster Vegan, a spooky but ethically-focused comfort food spot. Until then, Grindcore is open Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., as well as on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Emily reviewed Grindcore’s West Philly location, its original location, opened in 2010, is also serving vegan goods to the public over in South Philly.
