Healthful, inexpensive vegan fast food (buffalo bella sandwiches, smoked tempeh burger with ‘special sauce’) and fresh smoothies come out quickly at this industrial-looking Rittenhouse Square cafe; there are a handful of tables, but many choose to skip the crowds and bring their eats (in nifty recyclable packaging) to the park.

Nicole Marquis knows how to work a room. Or to be more precise, a line.

With its big glass front window, greener than green seats, and winding counter, Hip City screams ‘fresh, clean, and bright.’ The simplicity of the place gives it a very modern feel, mixed with a warm, home-style, comfort-food vibe.

I’m mulling all this as I stand in line at HipCityVeg, a cheerfully bright fast-food joint right near Rittenhouse Square, and contemplate what to order. Would it be a curried tofu wrap? Arugula taco salad with black beans and corn? Or their own version of a cheesesteak — plant-based, of course?

Rittenhouse Square’s premier quick-serve sandwich/salad spot happens to be all-vegan.

Despite being “fast”, the food at Hip City Veg was five star restaurant-worthy and I recommend it for anyone who is looking to have their expectations surpassed.

I had dinner at HipCityVeg, 127 S. 18th in Center City Philadelphia. The place is tiny, maybe 4 small tables plus window seating – zoned for takeout only, so no bathroom. A hostess-type person was there to answer my questions. I think her primary role is to help keep things moving along when it’s busy, but it was not crowded at 5 pm so she was able to talk me through the menu at length. By 5:30, there was a line out the door

Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg, a complete vegan fast-food restaurant in Rittenhouse, agrees that appealing to a market outside of vegan-eaters is key to success. “We don’t just attract vegans; we attract a huge audience,” she says. “We’re able to do that because our food tastes really, really good. It’s also made fresh, and people crave freshness.”

Hip City Veg is always packed but the wait is worth it. An item like the Crispy HipCity Ranch sandwich tastes so much like actual chicken, you can forget it’s not. Self-described as “100% plant-based” foods, it’s hard to believe such a thing was even possible. In the warmer parts of the year, nothing beats a mean thirst like the Green Lemonade, made with squeezed lemons, kale, and agave nectar. The food is best enjoyed taken-out to Rittenhouse Park two blocks away.

Then came the Crispy HipCity Ranch from HipCityVeg for a bit of redemption. It’s still the only vegetarian sandwich I would recommend to an omnivore.

LISTEN, KIDS: Back when I was comin’ up, going vegetarian was a challenge. We had no Maoz or HipCityVeg – no Internet, even. By the end of the ’90s when I went vegan, there was still no basic, easy way to find other vegans or local vegan food. A tough life!

“Hold the patty for HipCityVeg’s plant-based menu. Specials such as corn chowder, quinoa chili, and vegan hot chocolate with coconut whipped cream are like a blanket for your belly.

“New Year’s Detox: Where to find healthy juices and smoothies in Philly! What: Smoothie (well, called a “Groothie” here) Where: 127 South 18th Street, Philadelphia.”

The food at HipCity is appealing, regardless of your protein proclivities. A portobello mushroom sandwich comes crispy with buffalo sauce and celery slaw, an arugula taco salad has vibrant pico de gallo, and the Ziggy veggie burger gets a dash of a smoked tempeh sauce – “our version of a Big Mac,” Marquis said.

“HipCityVeg is a great addition to Philadelphia vegan food choices. It is nice to have a fully vegan restaurant in Center City. I can’t wait to try more dishes.”

“I had my first taste of Hip City Veg, Philly’s newest all veg eatery, today. I’ve gotta say, I’m totally smitten with what owner Nicole Marquis and chef Lauren Hooks have done with the space, concept, packaging and food.”

” ..it will certainly make itself a member of my lunch-time rotation. And yeah, I just licked the last of the dressing from the side of the bowl.”

Hip vegan fast food prepares gourmet style with everything from Udon Noodle Salad to the Crispy Hip City Ranch. Can’t forget the Organic Green Smoothies! It’s sure to quench the thirst of the health conscious and even attract meat loving converts.

“…Hip City is to provide a “100 percent plant-based” experience “familiar to meat eaters, without sacrificing affordability or taste.”

HipCityVeg pulls off the “healthy food is fun!” vibe without calling to mind gravel and grass.

“My vegetarian Sandwich Quest search has finally found a sandwich worth recommending to omnivores.”

“The first time I saw Marquis’ place, I did a double take. The line was snaking down South 18th, coiling around Sansom, the young and not-so-young, including swells who were clearly not vegan, a Birkin-packing woman with her companion sockless in Guccis.”