Top 5 Imitation Meat Plates (No Veggie Burgers Allowed)

Philly Cheese Steak
Sabrina's Café, 910 Christian St., 215-574-1599
The big conundrum: How does one vegetarianize the steak in this Philadelphia staple? Easy — with a $7.95 man-wich made of sauteed onions, long hots, provolone cheese and expertly seasoned seitan. Weighing in sub size but with 1/100th the grease, it's served with a pile of sweet potato fries. Oh, good lord.
Grilled Seitan Tips
Azure, 931 N. Second St., 215-629-0500
Sick of restaurants calling their menus vegetarian-friendly when they serve one house salad sans the ham chunks? Frustrated diners, meet Azure. Or more importantly, meet Azure's $8.50 fake filet tips grilled to perfection and dished up with a crunchy-sweet refried corn risotto cake, warm flour tortillas and a little dipper of soy chipotle aioli.
Chicken-Fried Steak
Honey's Sit n Eat, 800 N. Fourth St., 215-925-1150
Who's down for some Southern Jewish fusion? Delicately breaded, deep fried and drenched in a veg-friendly gravy, the fake chicken-fried steak goes perfectly with a side order of Honey's green bean casserole, made with locally grown greens and kitchen-brewed cream of mushroom soup.
Grilled Tempeh Salad
Sunwishes, 2027 Walnut St., 215-255-8408
Loaded with raw ingredients and rib-sticking substitutes, the California-inspired plates at this vegan haunt offer a little slice of healthy goodness right here in Fat City, USA. The tempeh salad in particular combines fresh spinach with marinated mushrooms, diced avocados and chewy sun-dried tomatoes. Tossed with a spicy-cool cucumber and horseradish dressing, it's groovy, man.
Deli Delicacies
Natural Goodness Market & Café,2000 Walnut St., 215-977-7749
Attention salami-freaks-turned-vegheads. For $4.50, hungry lunchers can buy a seven-grain sandwich stacked with lettuce, tomatoes, bean sprouts and a choice of fake tuna salad (i.e. chickpeas), mock pastrami, a tempeh reuben or meatless meatballs. There's even eggless egg salad. Eggless egg salad, people!