Smile of the Beyond: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Smile of the Beyond is a vegetarian diner on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, and every item on the menu is meatless. You can order eggs, cheese, and dairy here, and you can order nearly every dish in a vegan version for a few dollars more. The diner calls itself New York City’s first vegetarian diner, and it has run since 1972. Students of the spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy own and operate the diner.

Start with breakfast, which fills most of the menu. The Breakfast Special costs $8.50 and brings two eggs your way, home fries, and toast. The Vegan Breakfast Special runs $11.95. Huevos Rancheros ($11.95) layers beans, cheddar, two eggs, guacamole, and salsa over corn tortillas, and the Tofu Scramble ($12.95) packs marinated tofu, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach into one plate. Omelets start at $12.95, and the Mediterranean ($15.95) comes with spinach, feta, sun-dried tomato, and pesto. Order the vegan version for $20.95 and you get vegan eggs and vegan feta.

The menu leans on meat stand-ins, which makes it fun for a mixed table. The BLT ($7.35) uses soy bacon, the Steak Burger ($7.35) uses a soy patty in a whole wheat pita, and the Turkey Club ($14.95) stacks vegan turkey and soy bacon on three slices of bread. The Smile of the Beyond Burger ($13.95) is a grilled Beyond patty with pickles and special sauce on a multigrain roll. The Philly Cheese Steak ($15.95) swaps in Unreal Deli steak with peppers, onions, and Swiss. Pancakes are gluten-free, and you can swap in gluten-free bread on any sandwich for $1 a slice.

Drinks get their own page of the menu. Fresh orange and carrot juices run $6.43 for 12 ounces, and smoothies start at $7.95. Add whey protein to a smoothie for $1.50, and know that the Ginger Blast uses honey. Strict vegans should ask about both. Smoothies marked (V) skip dairy.

Here is the catch for vegans. The kitchen cooks eggs, cheese, and vegan substitutes under one roof, and the diner doesn’t publish its separation practices. The menu marks vegan dishes clearly, with (V) tags and “Vegan” versions listed beside the standard ones, so you can order with confidence. If cross-contact matters to you, tell your server. Vegetarians get the opposite experience. Nothing on the board contains meat or fish, so you can order anything and stop reading labels.

The diner opens at 8:30 am and closes at 3:30 pm. It stays shut on Tuesdays and opens on Sundays. Plan for a late breakfast or an early lunch, since the diner closes before dinner. Most standard plates run $8 to $16, and the vegan versions add several dollars.

The diner sits at 86-14 Parsons Boulevard, about a third of a mile from Annam Brahma, another Sri Chinmoy-inspired vegetarian restaurant. Smile of the Beyond even lists Annam Brahma on its own site as a local favorite. If you want a full day of vegetarian eating in Jamaica, eat breakfast at the diner and dinner at Annam Brahma. Call (718) 739-7453 before you go if you plan to bring a group. The diner’s site doesn’t mention reservations.