Grindcore House

Abrasively-named Cafe With Soft, Vegan Fare

BY MARISSA OSWALD Amid a sea of houses and corner stores, Grindcore House sticks out like that goth kid who pretends they’re hiding under their dark exterior when all they want is some friends.  But even if he’s that lonely kid, he is certainly worth the visit.
Not that he needs it though:  on a Tuesday morning, several young folks filled the cafe’s plentiful outdoor seating, many of whom brought their pups along: dogs are welcome in a place like this, where all the food is animal-cruelty free.  Instead of cream cheese and creamer, Grindcore imitates hard-to-find veganized favorites and turns them into new and exciting things such as scallion soy cream cheese and coconut milk creamer, mm!
The handwritten chalkboard boasts a menu of assorted bagels and “cream cheese” flavors, sandwiches, lattes, and teas.  I’d say some standout varieties are the whole wheat everything bagel, kalamata olive cream cheese, yerba mate latte, and grapefruit mint iced tea.  But that’s not all, folks: a display case full of Vegan Treats famous baked goods allows you to indulge in butt cheek-sized buns, some drizzled in coconut frosting, others in sticky cinnamon pecans.
So whether you’re vegan or not, a trek out to the middle of South Philly is awfully worth it, although the absence of public transit is a hassle.  Perhaps the unreachable quality of Grindhouse is symbolic for the limited options for vegans in cafes all over the world.  Well whether or not it’s their goal, their location certainly maintains that desire to be able to order anything we want off a menu, as well as to know why on earth they named it Grindcore.