Looking for one of the best vegan cheese shop on the planet? Then you have to come to Rebel Cheese, Austin’s vegan cheese shop!
📍 REBEL CHEESE
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Address: 2200 Aldrich St Suite 120, Austin, Texas 78723
- Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 AM – 09:00 PM; Saturday & Sunday 9:00 AM – 9 PM
- Notes: Dozens of vegan cheeses, sandwiches, and deli meats and fixins
We all know vegan cheeses can be inconsistent. Some taste great but don’t melt. Others melt and pull, but have a slightly snot-like consistency—(we’re looking at you Daiya). Navigating the vegan cheese aisle at your local grocery store can feel a bit like strolling through a minefield. And when you encounter a new product, you have to ask yourself, “Am I really ready to shell out nine bucks for something that may end up smelling like unwashed gym socks?”
Well, fear not, friends, we got some great news for you. We here at Plant-Based Passport have searched far and wide for the best vegan cheeses. We’ve been to Paris, New York, London, Los Angeles, and it turns out the best vegan cheeses were right under our noses the whole time.
Rebel Cheese in Austin, Texas has hands-down the best vegan cheese selection and flavors we’ve tasted. We’re talking authentic combos like havarti-dill and smoked cheddar, hidden gems like Norwegian gjetost and truffle brie, and crazy mashups like lemon lavender chèvre. All spot on. All flavorful. All the stuff to haunt your dreams. All of the cheeses are sold by the ounce and you can sample before buying.
But wait! There’s more! (No, this is not an infomercial. We’re just that excited about this goddamn place). Rebel Cheese also has a bomb-ass selection of soups, salads and sandwiches. The sandwiches were seriously some of the tastiest we’ve ever had. And this includes our pre-plant-based days. Rebel Cheese also sells an assortment of vegan wines, renegade and fig salamis, jams, crackers and pretty much anything else you need to assemble that perfect vegan charcuterie board. No lie, we haven’t stopped talking about this place since our last trip to Austin. We’ve even toyed with the idea of making the 2.5 hour drive from Houston to Austin just to chow down on a couple.
🍴 STANDOUTS ON THE MENU
CHEESES:
- Smoked Cheddar: This was the best vegan cheese we’ve ever had. We like our cheddar sharp, and have found that to be the characteristic most missing from vegan cheddars. That was not the case here. This cheese was sliceable, wood smoked, and sharper than a genuine Hattori Hanzo.
- Havarti Dill: A good havarti dill was one go-to’s in our pre plant-based days. Rebel Cheese’s havarti dill really brought back some memories and came pretty darn close to the real thing. It was incredibly creamy, super spreadable, and mild enough to let the dill shine through.
DELI OFFERINGS:
- French Dip: We still haven’t stopped talking about this French dip. The thinly sliced vegan beef was super tender and the onions were caramelized to perfection— no half-assed, limp translucent stuff here. But the real star of the show was the homemade creamy horseradish sauce, which counterbalanced all the richness of the beef, cheese and onions with pungent heat.
- Bacon and Brie: Is there a better combo? We’ll wait. The pig-less bacon was crispy, the aged brie creamy, and the arugula peppery. But like the French dip, the real scene stealer came from one of the more unexpected ingredients: the sweet fig jam. It paired perfectly with the caramelized onions and smoky bacon. 10 out of 10. Go home, kiddo. There’s no point in eating anything else after you’ve had this one.
🥈HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Cognac and Cinnamon Gyetost: Gyetost is a sweet, caramel-colored Norwegian cheese. The cognac and cinnamon make this the perfect cheese for that holiday charcuterie board. We felt that it was a bit too sweet and could use a touch more savoriness. And while we preferred the cheddar and havarti, we have to commend Rebel Cheese for their ambition here.
- Red with Envy Tomato Basil Soup: Who doesn’t love a great tomato basil soup? This one was just perfect. The soup was not too sweet or tart, had a mild basil flavor, and a beautiful cashew cream design to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes.
Thanks for reading, folks! We hope you give Rebel Cheese a try if you find yourself in Austin, Texas. Believe us, you will NOT be disappointed.
Love,
Val & Mani
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