Tampa steakhouse gets plant-based cuts

Charley's Steak House in Tampa, part of the Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, has added whole-cut, plant-based steaks to the menu, according to a Monday news release from Chunk Foods, a non-meat producer founded in 2020.

The Orlando-based restaurant group — which includes Charley’s Steak House, FishBones, Texas Cattle Company and Vito’s Chop House — has six restaurants in Central Florida. Charley's Steak House in Tampa is located at 4444 W. Cypress St.

A Talk of the Town executive says the search for a non-meat menu item for vegetarian and vegan guests has taken more than a decade.

"We are reshaping the steakhouse experience and catering to the expanding tastes and preferences of today's consumers," says Seth Miller, vice president and COO of Talk of the Town. "At our core we serve the finest steaks and seafood, and we have been searching for over 15 years for a plant-based option for our guests that meets our standards. … If it's not the best, we won’t serve it."

Amos Golan, Chunk Food's founder and CEO, says, "We're ensuring that all guests, regardless of dietary preference, can enjoy an exceptional steakhouse experience."

And worried about protein content? Don't be, says Chunk Foods. It says its average cut has 25 grams of protein, no cholesterol and no GMOs.

Chunk Foods says it develops, manufactures and markets plant-based whole cuts that are "delicious, nutritious, and kind to the environment."

"We are on a mission to make plant-based eating accessible and enjoyable for everyone, using a handful of healthy ingredients, crafted using the same time-honored cooking tradition of fermented foods," the company says in a written statement. "Our products are minimally processed and have the cleanest ingredients list ever made in the plant-based space, free from thickeners, binders, and additives."