Vegan Night at Cast Iron Trading Co. | Vegan Roast Review in Stockton

Heirloom tomato salad with peach chamoy, shaved purple daikon, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil served during Vegan Roast.

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This Saturday was Cast Iron Trading Co.’s “Vegan Roast”!

Cast Iron Trading Co. is a local pub in Stockton that serves “scratch-made pub grub and craft beers.” In 2025, the 9-year-old business landed under new ownership, and since then, the restaurant has continued to grow through thoughtful improvements and increased community involvement. While the restaurant is not vegan, they offer a rotating menu that always includes vegan options and subs for specials.

This Saturday, August 1st, was their exclusive family-style dinner experience, Vegan Roast. Reservations were required, as this was a unique 6-course seasonal menu and truly farm-to-table. The produce used for our Vegan Roast was picked just days before, from a small, local, regenerative farm called “Honest Acre”. The farm is located in Linden, just minutes from the restaurant, and is where the bulk of the menu’s ingredients were sourced.

The six-course plant-based menu included: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peach Chamoy, Beyond Burger Kefta with Cashew Labneh, Grilled Vegetable Skewers, “Ezquites” Risotto, Coal-Roasted Potatoes with Almond Fondue, and Fresh Melon with Oat Ice Cream and Brittle. To drink, I ordered one of Cast Iron’s house margaritas, which was well-balanced and made for the perfect pairing.

Vegan Roast 6-Course Menu:

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peach Chamoy– Heirloom tomatoes from Honest Acre Farm, tossed in a peach chamoy made with fruit, sugar, vinegar, allspice, and pepper, and topped with shaved purple daikon and fresh basil.
Beyond Burger Kefta with Cashew Labneh– Beyond Meat seasoned with harissa, curry powder, and herbs de Provence, skewered and grilled, then topped with a cashew yogurt labneh sauce.
Grilled Vegetable Skewers– Grilled seasonal vegetables from Honest Acre Farm, including brussels sprouts, dried winter squash, and heirloom cherry tomatoes.
“Ezquites” Risotto– Corn risotto topped with vegan parmesan, fresh grilled and fried corn, tossed with lime juice and rosemary oil.
Coal-Roasted Potatoes with Almond Fondue– Grilled potatoes tossed with garlic oil, served with an almond and nutritional yeast fondue. Mixed with Jimmy Nardello peppers from Honest Acre Farm (sweet red and yellow Italian peppers), pickled red onions, and crispy garlic.
Fresh Melon with Oat Ice Cream and Brittle– Raiden melon and crown melon from Honest Acre Farm, served with oat ice cream and a seeded brittle made with walnuts, seeds, and agave. Topped with basil and rosemary oil.

My Vegan Roast Review

The creativity and execution of every course surpassed my expectations.

To start, the Heirloom Salad blew me away. Heirloom tomatoes from Honest Acre Farm, tossed in a peach chamoy made with fruit, sugar, vinegar, allspice, and pepper, and topped with shaved purple daikon and fresh basil. The produce was insanely fresh, and the peach chamoy was thick, sweet, and something I would have never thought to use as a salad dressing!

The Beyond Kefta was skewered and grilled Beyond Meat, seasoned with harissa, curry powder, and herbs de Provence, then topped with a cashew yogurt labneh sauce. It was well-seasoned and charred, and the cashew yogurt sauce made for a nice mix of nutty tang, with salty, savory notes from the “beef”.

Our veggie skewers combined mixed grilled seasonal vegetables from Honest Acre Farm, including brussels sprouts, dried winter squash, and heirloom cherry tomatoes. The kebabs were lightly grilled so that the winter squash and brussles were nicely tender, and the heirloom tomatoes were just ready to burst.

When I heard “fondue,” I was stoked (because duh, melted cheese?) and the dish did not disappoint. Mixed with Jimmy Nardello peppers (sweet red and yellow Italian peppers) from Honest Acre Farm, pickled red onions, and crispy garlic. We witnessed the small potatoes being coal-roasted out front on our way in for dinner, and the garlic oil was not missed. The chef made the fondue with a base of almonds and nutritional yeast, making a thick, rich, and creamy sauce.

The star of the show was definitely the corn risotto. A spin on a Mexican corn dip, the risotto was cooked to perfection, creamy, comforting, with a zing of zest from lime and vegan parmesan. Then, an added crunch from the topping of fresh grilled and fried corn. I do not even like corn, but I am always willing to try it, and boy am I so glad I did! I want this in the frozen aisle for at-home dining, STAT!

Our dessert was an elevated melon dish with oat ice cream. Fresh raiden and crown melon from the farm were cut and served as a bed for vanilla oat ice cream, which was topped with a walnut and seed brittle, basil, and rosemary oil. The brittle added texture to the soft, cold melon and ice cream, and the basil and oil helped to balance the flavors.

Every flavor profile, taste note, and sensory experience was thoughtfully considered, and I can’t wait to see what plant-based creations are unveiled next.

Monthly Vegan Roast at Cast Iron Trading Co.

Great news! The Vegan Roast, aka “Vegan Night,” at Cast Iron will be monthly! The last vegan night was hosted in February, so this evening was long-awaited. The menus will change as the seasons offer fresh bounty, but if this dinner was a testament, it is bound to be delicious. Make sure you’re following Cast Iron Trading Co. on Instagram or Facebook, so you’ll be the first to know when their next Vegan Roast menu drops.

If you’re looking for a memorable night in Stockton, Cast Iron Trading Co.’s monthly Vegan Roast is absolutely worth experiencing. Will we see you at the next Vegan Roast?