The Loving Café doesn’t just leave a soft spot in your heart, it’s safe to call it a “diamond in the jungle,” as it’s rare to come by restaurants that pack as much punch as Mike Tyson.

Located on the city’s northwest side, the family-run Loving Café became the first all-vegan restaurant in Fort Wayne, and its customers are treated as an extended part of their ever-growing family.

Established in 2009, the café has been spotlighting and introducing vegan delicacies to the Fort and showcasing their creativity through innovative Asian/American fusion cuisines that have captivated vegans and non-vegans alike.

This quaint café holds a lot of variety in its dishes, with everything on the menu being plant-based. Yet, it’s hardly the kind of brown, bland food that colors people’s perceptions of vegan cuisine. The menu varies from soups, like the popular pho, sandwiches, rice and noodle dishes, like gluten-free Singapore Noodles and the savory and spicy Kung Pao (made with tofu nuggets), to desserts and a kids menu. There is even a raw menu that samples some raw vegan dishes, as well as indulging smoothies.

According to its website, the mission behind the café is “to offer affordable, healthy, vegan cuisine.

“Our staff shares a common desire to serve the public by offering an earth friendly dining experience that contributes to a high standard of personal, community and planetary health that also represents living in harmony with all beings.”

Among the benefits of eating vegan/veggie touted on the café’s site include:

• Saves over 70% of the Amazonian rainforest from clearance for animal grazing
• Free up 3,433 million hectares of land annually
• Consumes two thirds less fossil fuels than those used for meat production
• Reduces pollution from untreated animal waste
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Reduce Type 2 diabetes
• Increase life expectancy up to 15 years

Whether you believe in the  café’s mission or not, its food has won customers and accolades, including several Journal Gazette Reader’s Choice Awards, a mention in Chicago Magazine, and a slew of great reviews on customer review sites such as Tripadvisor and Yelp. ThreeBestRated.com rated the café among the top three vegans/vegetarian restaurants in the city, commenting that it is the “perfect place to satisfy your cravings.”

No matter how you look at it, Loving Café will be good for your heart and your palate. Open Monday – Saturday, 11 am – 7 pm. 7605 Coldwater Road, 260.489.8686, lovingcafefw.com