Cast Iron Trading Co. Vegan Roast | Vegan Night in Stockton, CA
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Vegan Roast Nights at Cast Iron Trading Co.!
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.
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.
August 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 August 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 created 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.
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September Vegan Roast at Cast Iron Trading Co.
September’s Vegan Roast at Cast Iron Trading Co. brought an entirely new menu featuring seasonal, fresh produce from Honest Acre Farm. This month’s 6-course meal was Latin-inspired and just as delicious as the last. This month’s dinner also required reservations and was served family-style.
September Vegan Roast 6-Course Menu:
- Sweet Gem Salad– Whole sweet gem lettuce sandwiching charred corn, black beans, chopped cherry tomatoes, and pepitas, topped with citrus vinaigrette and crispy tortilla strips seasoned like Doritos.
- Jackfruit Carnitas Taquitos– Crispy rolled taquitos made with corn tortillas filled with jackfruit, black beans, creamy vegan cheese sauce, and topped with sliced pickled red onions and served with fresh dairy-free crema.
- Chick’n Mole Verde – Gardein Chick’n coated in rich mole verde, topped with sesame seeds and chili oil.
- Charred Jimmy Nardello Pepper Salad– Whole charred Jimmy Nardello peppers served over an avocado Caesar and citrus vinaigrette, topped with pepitas and cashews.
- Arroz Con Tomate & Refried Lentils– Rice simmered in vegetable broth with tomatoes, served with lentil refried beans and topped with crispy garbanzo beans and garlic oil.
- Tres Leches– Tres Leches cake made with oat milk, coconut milk, brown rice milk, served in a pool of tres leches, and topped with fresh diced peaches and whipped coconut cream.
My September Vegan Roast Review
Cast Iron’s September Vegan Night hosted a packed house and had a running waitlist. The menu included 6 courses, but one was actually an elevated take on rice + beans, so it was more like 7.
The Sweet Gem Salad was served first, and the presentation was beautiful. Large platters of whole sweet gem lettuce leaves were layered like a wreath, and topped with brightly colored, crunchy fried tortilla strips, seasoned to taste like Doritos. Charred corn, whole black beans, and chopped cherry tomatoes sat between layers of lettuce, and the salad was topped with a creamy citrus vinaigrette. This salad was hearty, and I’d love to see this on their standard menu and have the opportunity to order it in the future.
The taquitos were my favorite! I love a handheld food, and these were nostalgic and tasty. Crispy tortillas filled with seasoned jackfruit, black beans, and creamy vegan cheese, then topped with sliced pickled red onions. Served alongside was a homemade dairy-free crema that was tangy, fluffy, and airy.
Honest Acre Farm provided a variety of fresh peppers for the Jimmy Nardello salad. It was colorful and made up of charred whole Jimmy Nardello peppers in various colors and sizes. They were served over an avocado Caesar and citrus vinaigrette, and topped with pepitas and cashews. The flavor was nutty and a tad tangy.
The third course was an elevated take on beans and rice with Arroz Con Tomate and Refried Lentils. The rice was Spanish-style and tomato-flavored, the perfect pairing for the refried beans. The lentils were thick and savory, topped with crispy garbanzo beans and garlic oil. The texture was similar to refried black beans, but the toppings added crunch.
I was very impressed with the Gardein Chick’n Mole Verde. Chick’n pieces coated in a thick mole verde and topped with sesame seeds. The chick’n was tender with a crisp coating, and the sauce tasted earthy, with a touch of heat from the chili oil topping.
For dessert, we had a comforting bowl of Tres Leches. We each received a bowl with a small piece of sweet cake, topped with fresh vegan whipped cream, and served with fresh diced peaches, in dairy-free tres leches made with oat milk, coconut milk, and brown rice milk.
The six-course dinner is definitely worth the $55 price tag, and I left full but still reminiscing about the salad and taquitos. My only critique is that I’m personally not a big fan of family-style dining (or seating). You may be able to request a seat separate from the large group, but I haven’t asked yet. (To many people’s surprise, I’m an introvert.) Also, with a higher price point, I am hoping to see individual plates in the future (with an option to take home any leftovers) versus sharing with a full house.
The next Cast Iron Trading Co. Vegan Roast is on Saturday, October 17th! I am added to the list and looking forward to seeing what menu they create next. Fall flavors, I hope!
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, and if either dinner is a testament, they’re all 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?
Cast Iron Trading Co. Website, Instagram, Facebook
Cast Iron Trading Co. Location: 114 N San Joaquin St. Stockton, CA 95202
Post Updated September 27th, 2026
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