Photos by Amelia Goe
Location and Hours:(602) 733-8076
1301 NW Grand Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Monday closed
Tuesday-Thursday 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Star Rating (0 – 4): ★★★★
Recommended: Nopales Like Home, What The Waff!
Tip: Get pie. Whatever you do, do not leave without pie.
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We don’t think it’s far-fetched to say that vegan restaurants don’t have the greatest reputation among the majority of restaurant-goers. Not to offend the vegans and vegetarians of the world, but sometimes a plate of veggies and hummus doesn’t sound all that appetizing. However, you won’t find raw veggies and dipping sauces as complete dishes at Bragg’s Factory Diner on Grand Avenue. What you will find — and revel in — is blast-from-the-past nostalgia creeping up on you as you plunge fork-deep into complex flavor combinations. Dining duo Gabe and Amelia embraced the blast from the past and ate to the point of sickness — it’s all for the cause.
The feeling of nostalgia is in the mix of music, vintage-tchotchke salt and pepper shakers, mugs and other kitschy decor that modestly appear throughout the pizza slice-shaped interior. It’s a place where we both felt at home.
When Gabe first moved to Phoenix two and a half years ago he was more thrilled than can be described (politely) to find a building labeled Bragg’s Pie Factory. He envisioned a wonderland of sweets rolling directly from a conveyor belt into the mouths of hungry downtowners. Instead, Gabe found a trendy art space owned and renovated by the endlessly fascinating Beatrice Moore.
The pie gods did not leave his prayers unanswered, and after much patience, the city of Phoenix received the long awaited second coming of pie on Grand in the form of Bragg’s Factory Diner. The creation of local wunderkind Liam Murtagh and Emily Spetrino-Murtagh, the diner filled a void in Gabe’s heart by its very existence, but the real question is whether the pie — a product of local baker/rocker/co-owner of the diner, Dana Stern — stands up to the void in my stomach.
During our visit, we tried the peach-blueberry double decker, served a la mode. It was extraordinary. Really, the proof in their pudding (well, actually pie) was the to-go slice of cherry pie that sat in Gabe’s fridge for a full day before being devoured in bed. The pie is simple, the crust is chewy but flaky, the cherries were tart and sweet and tasted like actual cherries, a rare and wonderful quality often missing from fruit pies. The only possible complaint is that for the less tidy among us (Gabe included), the likelihood of cutting through the crust only to end up with crumbs everywhere (everywhere) is high.
Now, barbecue and vegetables are not what much of America’s food culture would call a match made in heaven. Those people have never had the Nopales Like Home at Bragg’s. This unique dish is crafted out of jackfruit cooked in a traditional mix of spices used in barbacoa — a South American and Caribbean style of cooking that predates modern American BBQ. Bearing a striking resemblance in texture and flavor to pulled pork, the sandwich will rock even the most staunch carnivores into a food coma. The real kicker is the pieces of cactus that are served on the dish, which replace pickles in a most pleasant way.
Another pleasantry — and a true testament of any great dining establishment — is the always available breakfast menu. Nothing says “thank you, dining deities” like being allowed pancakes for dinner. In this simple privilege resides one of the reasons why Bragg’s reminds us, or at least Amelia, of childhood nostalgia. You cannot go wrong with either the What The Waff! or the Koo-Koo Bananas Pancakes. It’s fair enough to say some are skeptical of vegan baked goods or foods that normally taste great with traditional recipes that include animal products. However, the pancakes at Bragg’s remain to be some of the fluffiest and most absorbent pancakes we’ve had in Phoenix. Did we mention they are topped with rum-caramelized bananas? We didn’t? Well, finish reading before you run away to try them, even though they are worth running away for.
Bragg’s also offers chef specials for their pie and main menu. Black Coffee Chili on a cold (for Phoenix) winter day hits the spot. Hearty, a tad under-spiced and served out of a mug, because it’s been proven that everything tastes better when eaten from a mug.
Admittedly, one of the high points of any visit to the diner is the chance to hear a lovingly crafted soundtrack of all generations of ska pumping from their tiny boombox. Ska and all of its derivatives are kind of like the city of Phoenix itself; fast, often out of vogue, and incredibly lovable if given a chance. That is why Bragg’s is important. More than just being a restaurant, it is an embodiment of the people who make Phoenix great.
Contact reporters at angoe@asu.edu, gradley@asu.edu
