Seva: Ann Arbor Comfort in Food and Atmosphere

You can feel a fresh perspective just by walking through the doors of this hidden plant-based gem in Ann Arbor, where the experience of dining begins before you are even handed a menu. Approaching Seva (say-vah), there is a golden glow illuminating the front windows. Greeted by friendly faces, plants, and pride flags — an important peace reminder mentioned on the restaurant’s website — it feels like home here.

As a vegetarian who has been living in Ann Arbor for three years, it was only recently I learned of Seva’s existence. I think its location is to blame, as this locally owned eatery is hidden in the Westgate shopping center at Jackson and Maple in west Ann Arbor. But you should put in the effort to get there, if for no other reason than to enjoy their take on a comfort food staple– macaroni and cheese.

I grew up in a family that always made mac and cheese for the holidays. So the dish is hard to beat. But I wondered if it would be able to satisfy my high expectations without the rich butter and cheese?

Vegan macaroni and cashew cheese served with a caesar salad and garlic bread. *Photo by Payton Fae (February 2026*).

Seva serves theirs as shell pasta drizzled in a cashew “cheese” sauce with sides of garlic bread and a Caesar salad. I couldn’t wait to dig in when the plate arrived with the salad looking crispy and well-dressed, the garlic bread seasoned and bronzed on the edges, and the star macaroni saucy and golden yellow.

This history of mac and cheese is an interesting one. The first written, documented recipe, as sourced by Smithsonian Magazine, was created in the 13th century in Naples, Italy. While people have been eating cheese with noodles for hundreds of years, but wasn’t until 1916 that “Chicago cheese salesman James L. Kraft was awarded the first patent for processed cheese” and two decades and lots of ideas for how else to sell processed cheese later, Kraft’s company “debuted its boxed macaroni and cheese” in 1937.

The mac and cheese at Seva may share a history with the product that Kraft made into a popular convenience food in American homes, but it’s a much more elevated version you’ll find in this Ann Arbor plant-based restaurant. Seva’s dish certainly made up for its lack of dairy with real nutritional value. Holding a consistent texture to traditional macaroni while also providing a new flavor profile with the cashew cheese, I think this vegan pasta dish does a great job of elevating a plant-based option to a comfort food. Although there’s an undeniable comfort of noodles with sauce, I couldn’t help but wish it had the familiar crunch of a panko topping that my family loves to make. Despite how wonderful it tasted, I found myself missing my grandma’s version baked with a three-cheese blend, noodles sparkling in butter, and her iconic crust on top. Although I am sure to visit Seva in the future, I don’t think I will try to replace that comfort I hold dear from my grandma’s vegetarian-but-not-vegan version.