Rhino Market Deli - Charlotte

They get quite busy at lunch and it’s a tight squeeze in the little mini mart where the deli is located in the back. They have a vegetarian part of their menu and can veganize all the things I asked about. The vegetable soup was just meh, and quite oily but the bbq tofu sandwich was wonderful! Not to mention they have vegan items in the shop and at the register.

Quick service, everything is $6-8. Several vegetarian options, most of which appear vegan. I got the tofu you which was very good. Lots of beer options too on tap and in cans.

Lol. I know, such excitement, but that’s exactly how I feel about Rhino. It’s a poor substitute for a Common Market, in my opinion. They do have vegan options. If you order one of the veg sandwiches with cheese and ask them to leave it off, make sure you check your order before you leave. I’ve had it happen a couple of times at the uptown location. And, I don’t know about you, but once I walk back to the office to eat my food, the last thing I want to do is walk back down the street to tell them they got my order wrong. They use oil on sandwich bread to toast it. It will look like butter. I’ve asked them a bunch of different times about this and the answer is always the same: they don’t use butter on their bread. They also have vegenaise. Other than that, they have chips, one or two grab and go options, sodas, juices, water, and beer.

I asked the person taking the order if the tofu sandwich was vegan, they said they didn't know, but, according to the menu description, it looked fine to me. Nope. I could tell after a few bites that they used butter to toast the bread and I could swear I tasted cheese on the last bite I took before I threw the other half in the garbage. If you are vegan, you can find stuff here, but they aren't going out or their way to make sure the food you pay for is free of animal products.

Tofu You and Chaud Legumes are great options that are either vegan or can easily be made vegan. Regular vegetable soup is vegan-friendly as well. Monday special for $10.50 gets you a sandwich and a draft beer.