Vegan BBQ Turns Into Proper Sit-Down Restaurant

Portland, OR-based vegan barbecue eatery Homegrown Smoker will expand into a sit-down restaurant location. The new restaurant will occupy the space of recently shuttered vegan eatery Proper Eats Market & Cafe in the St. John’s neighborhood. “We are honored to continue their legacy by providing wholesome, tasty vegan food to St. John’s and all of Portland,” Homegrown said in its expansion announcement on Facebook. Homegrown plans to maintain its eight-year-old cart on Mississippi Street, however, the deli counter—it’s first brick-and-mortar operation opened in 2015—will close to focus on the expansion. The larger kitchen at the new location will allow the eatery to expand its menu offerings including a new “diner-style brunch,” more veganized versions of Southern food classics, and new takes on Homegrowns best-sellers including its tempeh Reuben and Shepard’s Pie.