Plantaqueria at 124 Broadway will pierce your heart, in a good way. The owner, Sofia, is trying to lower our cholesterol, “one taco at a time,” without sacrificing the flavors of our beloved Mexican food.

I was downtown on a professional tour guide gig and decided to give the vegan restaurant, located where Travis runs into Broadway, a try. My husband has become a vegetarian, so I’m always on the lookout for tasty plant-based foods.

I didn’t know what to order, so I asked the young man behind the counter his favorite tacos, and he recommended La Macha (jackfruit machacado, pico de gallo and vegan egg scramble) and La Lucha (soy chorizo, seasoned potatoes, vegan egg and cheese). Plantaqueria did not disappoint. In fact, it slayed. Who knew jackfruit could make you give up meat?!

One of the best things we can do for our planet is to eat less meat. Cows emit more than 231 billion pounds of methane gas per year, making them the number one producer of agricultural greenhouse gases, which trap heat near the Earth’s surface and leads to climate change.

So, not only will you enjoy a delicious, heart-healthy meal, you’ll also be helping to save our planet. What’s not to like about that?

Besides breakfast tacos, Plantaqueria also offers aquas frescos, horchata, coffee, mini tacos, quesadillas, tortas and sides, including Mexican rice, charro beans, elote en vaso (corn in a cup), papas caseras (potatoes made in house), refried beans, chips and salsa, guacamole and ceviche.

Plantaqueria is open daily in downtown San Antonio from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. They also partner with shops across San Antonio, like Royal Blue Grocery, Archie’s Coffee Lounge, Indy Coffee, Plantyful Sweets, One Another Coffee and Rosehip Market. Keep an eye out for their offerings so that you can make healthy eating a priority this new year.

Bonus: You can run into Alamo Antique Mall after you’ve finished your meal to do a little shopping!

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!