Bramptonians rejoice! We finally have a completely vegan (100% plant-based meaning no meat or dairy) restaurant of our own. It’s a win for all of us, because who doesn’t love good food? But you better believe Team Vegan and Team Veggie are quite pleased.
Copper Branch, a popular vegan franchise from Quebec, opened its new Brampton location in the Bramalea City Centre plaza (48 Peel Centre Drive) on February 26th and the response has been enthusiastic. The restaurant stays pretty busy most days, but Saturdays find the comfortable space bursting at the seams with the line-up for the all-day breakfast. The restaurant’s staff recommend calling in on Friday night to reserve seating for a Saturday brunch. For brunch, the avocado toast is a top seller and the gluten-free blueberry waffles are so popular that the mix sold at the store flies off the shelves weekly.
The restaurant is spacious and well-lit with unobstructed windows, and the décor is fresh—literally. There’s a huge picture of fresh veggies on the wall. There are a range of seating options and the general vibe is both welcoming and relaxed.
You order at the counter, take a seat, and your meal is brought to you once it’s ready.
Copper Branch has “plant-powered” menu options aplenty. If you’re heading there for lunch, bring your appetite. It has several fresh sides like oven-baked nachos, poutine with cremini mushroom sauce, and oven-baked fries. If you’re looking for something fun, make sure to try the spicy Buffalo wings, which in truth are more flavourful than they are spicy (if you ask this Punjabi girl) and come with a surprisingly tasty side of sriracha coleslaw.
In terms of a main, you won’t go wrong with any of the burger choices. Served on your choice of either an organic kamut or gluten-free bun (or you can choose to go bun-free with the collard green or organic spelt wrap), you could try the mushroom galaxy portobello (mushroom/zucchini), the spicy black bean (the best seller), or the Copper Signature (beets/organic brown rice patty) burger.
There’s also a shiitake teriyaki burger, which I found to be as delicious as it was filling. The shiitake mushroom patty is marinated in organic teriyaki sauce and served on a bed of lettuce and tomato and topped with aioli.
If you’re partial to power bowls, Copper Branch has a few options that might be up your alley. The Aztec bowl is the fan favourite, but there is also the Mediterranio, the Asian fusion, and the Aristotle. You pick your bowl and then have a choice of for base: organic brown rice, mixed lettuce, organic quinoa or zero-calorie konjac noodles—and then a choice for protein: organic tempeh, shiitake teriyaki, carrot keftedes or tofu scramble.
I told you to bring your appetite because after all of that you simply must save some room for the most decadent vegan brownie I’ve ever tasted! The chocolate zucchini brownie is a rich and creamy punch to your taste buds. Savor each bite. If you’re more of a cheesecake person, there’s a cashew lime cheesecake that’s quite popular as well.
For drinks, at the moment, you have your choice of natural beverages (water, cold-pressed juices), Power Smoothies, or organic specialty teas and organic fair-trade coffees. However, in about two weeks of this writing, Copper Branch will be expanding its offerings to include vegan wine and vegan beer.
Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, a carnivore that dabbles, or just someone who wants to try something new, yet familiar a try, check out Copper Branch.
