This cozy cafe is located upstairs at 628 State Street. There is a sandwich board listing the specials near the doorway to the stairs. The cafe fits the name well, for it is quite sunny in there, due to the large windows in the dining area. It's very nice to be able to get a good view of State and have a nice amount of natural light coming in. Sunroom also serves as a gallery, showcasing local art on the walls.

Earlier on in the day, you come in, order at the counter, and then seat yourself. Your name is called when your food is ready, and you go up to the counter to pick it up. For dinner, you are seated, and a waitress/waiter comes to you.

It is very casual at the Sunroom Cafe, and the prices are very reasonable in comparison. They are open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. It is always very clean in there (as I'm sure it would be hard not to be with so much light coming in!), the service is always good and friendly, and the wait for food is never too long.

They have a veggie burger, made from rice and nuts, on a crusty, yet soft bun, with lettuce and tomatoes and a dill pickle spear on the side. The burger is browned so it is crispy on the outside, yet softer on the inside. It is sturdy and filling, as is the bread, which is pretty hearty. I've said it before and I'll say it again (despite me contradicting myself by ordering veggie burgers out a lot... most are equally good, and it's hard to find an awful veggie burger, being that veggie burgers are so readily available). You can get a side of potatoes (not vegan usually, since mashed are generally offered... but sometimes they have roasted) or tabouli, which I chose this last time I went. It was good and a nice sized portion was given as well. It wasn't extraordinary tabouli since it didn't taste any different from tabouli I've had before (which I've always liked), but yes, it was good and standard.

I have had their soup before: a vegetarian vegetable soup. It is spiced well and tastes homemade and not from a can. You can get this in a bowl or cup (or breadbowl, but I don't know if this is vegan, as I'm not a big connoisseur of bread bowls). Speaking of bread, as a sidenote, when the waitress figured out that I was vegan from saying "no cheese" on the veggie burger, she offered to bring out a vegan bread basket instead! I thought that was extremely nice very much appreciated. Back to soups though, they also have a vegan chili which I have not tried, but I am sure it is good (and probably doesn't have broccoli in it...)

There are a few other vegan options on the menu, such as an eggplant and tomato sandwhich. I'm not sure if it comes with cheese or not, but obviously, you can request no cheese. There is an array of salads, pasta dishes, and some rice. The options are many and are varied too, so you're not suck with salad or..... salad............

I hear from non-vegans that their breakfast and dessert options (they have bakery items in there) are incredibly good. I have not investigated if any of these are vegan, but it might be worth looking into.

Overall, I give the Sunroom Cafe a good review, and if you're looking for a very casual, relaxing meal with fair prices, check it out. Everything being homemade makes it even better.

SUNROOM CAFE AND GALLERY
Location: Central
638 State St., Madison, WI, 53703; 255-1555
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian