Vegan, Vegetarians & Wellness Enthusiasts Rejoice! SŌW Plated is Here

Vegetarian & Vegan fine dining has arrived in Columbus. SŌW represents an upscale take on the limited vegan and vegetarian options on most menus. Right off the bat, you. Notice the sustainably healthy options reign supreme on the menu. Drinks, small plates, appetizers, all focus on the core tenants of being Sustainable, Organic, and promoting Wellness. What’s not directly mentioned is the goal of locally sourcing as much as possible, whenever possible.

The space itself is beautiful, and you’re drawn to the marquis, it’s beautiful and lit, and green and vibrant and...I could go on, but it’s just simply cool to see. The layout of the space is full of clean lines and crisp elements.

The juices are cold pressed, and this lifelong hater of beets, tried the Beet Drop juice cocktail and it was really, REALLY, good. The cucumber limeade was more my speed, but I’m glad I tried it.

The vegan/vegetarian options were the stars, along with a burger made from locally sourced, authentic wagyu beef from Sakura Farms. But to read more about those in detail, you can read more below.

As an avid beet avoider, I was a little hesitant to face my fear. (It involves my dad being allowed to grocery shop without my mom when I was a kid. Beets, Canned German Potato Salad, and Liver in a plastic container still make me shudder). Yet I dove right in. The Beet Drop (Dope name btw...) is beets, apple, pineapple and lemon. Whichever one of those makes beet not taste like dirt rolled in foot crust is a godsend because this was delicious. I was happy to drink it, and under no duress say that I would drink it again. The kombucha, belonged to my eating partner, but I did try it, and I have to wonder if you can get it fresh, on tap, and in a growler from SŌW, why you’d continue to buy the bottled version in stores?

Beet Drop, Kombucha on Tap, Cucumber Limeade

Cucumber Limeade

My favorite was the Cucumber Limeade. Inside secret...I dislike cucumber water with a passion the world may never know. But I love limeade a little too much so I went for it. This might be the most balanced thing on the menu, not to earth or green, and not at all too sweet to enjoy. Just beautiful. Loved it. So much so, that I’m glad I don’t live closer, it would be a problem. they offer alcoholic selections as well, and while I skipped it today, they are made with the same juices, so I feel okay going out on a limb to vouch for them. On to the food!

Mushroom Farro Soup (Market Soup)

Wagyu Beef Burger w/ Spiced Pita Chips

Wagyu Beef Burger

Pad Thai

Pad Thai w/ Chicken

SŌW Burger w/ Beet Drop

So of course in the middle of August I start with soup right? The Mushroom Farro soup was really interesting, in a nostalgically delicious way. As a kid, I had a weird love of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. This soup was like someone took that can of horrible condensed soup jelly and stripped out everything but the flavor and then rebuilt it with fresh, healthy, mushrooms, carrots, farro and a wonderfully aromatic broth. come fall or winter, on a chilly day, you’re going to wish you had this. I rank it the 2nd best of the four items we tried. Tops was the Plant Based SŌW Burger. Vegan to the core, right down to the aioli, this was actually the best of the two burgers of the day and that‘s saying a lot because the Wagyu Beef Burger was delicious. theres just something about a good Vegan/Vegetarian burger, and this one hits the spot, there’s a great crust, real texture, and a flavor profile complimented by the tomato, onion, aioli, avocado, and alfalfa. This is where your plant based desires are met.

The Pad Thai is typically served with marinated tofu, it I opted for chicken. Chicken was a little overcooked, but flavorful, but overall the Pad Thai was the least good thing we ate. Now keep in mind, it’s the healthiest Pad Thai you’re likely ever going to eat. It hits the spot, and has flavor. But it’s not your typical Asian restaurant Pad Thai, so understand that going in, and you’re really going to enjoy this. It’s a treat, you’re not going to be sad about being healthy. Try it with Salmon or Wagyu Steak also.

Overall SŌW does a great job of pushing healthy food to upscale levels, I could easily see more popping up in Grandview, New Albany and beyond. And I can’t wait for their upcoming brunch launch that will also include vegan and vegetarian options. That’s going to be special, and I’m sure there will be some great surprises to write about.


By now you know I try to be very honest in my reviews. So it wouldn’t be fair to not include everything that happened. I like this place, so I want to give them a chance, but I am concerned that managers lack of desire for customer feedback or suggestions could hamper an amazing place, or at least the practice of discussing them within earshot of patrons. Check out Yelp for more details, but I say this: SŌW is needed in Columbus, and gets so much right. I’m routing for them and can’t wait to see what’s next.


What do you think? Will you give it a shot? Have you tried it? Sound off in the comments below!