Ralph “RJ Groove” Johnson didn’t think he’d be getting back into the restaurant industry so suddenly. The former DJ, radio host, and nightclub owner spent most of the pandemic posting vegan recipes to social media from his studio apartment in Atlanta, and the likes started rolling in. Before he knew it, he’d signed a lease on Highland, moved back to Memphis, and opened his own vegan restaurant, Plant Based Heat.
Owner Ralph “RJ Groove” Johnson
“I started posting pictures of my food to Facebook, and the response just went crazy,” says Johnson. “People would be commenting, ‘Hey man, give me some of that.’ The light went on in my head, and the energy from people matched my entrepreneurial drive, so Plant Based Heat was born.”
And it’s clear that internet interest has translated to something tangible. During the wait for my order, all sorts passed through the doors of the restaurant: business people in suits, college students from the nearby University of Memphis campus, or folks who simply wanted some good food. “We opened on June 10th, and business has been really good,” he says. “The response has been overwhelming from everyone.”
“This is a franchise,” Johnson says. “We’re looking to have other locations soon, and you can expect to see some of our ingredients and products in stores soon. We’re movin’ and groovin’, that’s for sure.”
BBQ Brisket Special
Yes, it’s not just vegans who are warming to Plant Based Heat. Johnson guesses that at least 40 percent of his customers aren’t vegan. And that’s no surprise, with so many recognizable and appealing flavors on the menu, including burgers, chicken and barbecue sandwiches, and a pecan meat Philly. “The idea was just to provide comfort,” he explains, “and share recipes that I knew. We’re talking burgers, smoked sausages, things like that. I did plenty of research and studied a ton of pop-ups in the area, so I was really able to home in on what people in Memphis wanted.”
For a first-time diner, it’s tough to go wrong with the burgers. Plant Based Heat doesn’t skimp on all that greasy goodness right off the griddle. I tried the Fye Junt: a thick, smoked Beyond Meat patty decked out with plenty of spicy toppings like jalapeños, vegan pepper jack cheese, and vegan spicy mayo. The masterstroke is the inclusion of sweet heat barbecue sauce and secret PBH sauce that smooth out the high level of heat.
Plant Based Heat Classic Burger
But Johnson points to wings as his specialty, tracing his relationship with the food back to his nightclub days. “I was DJing at one of the top clubs on Beale Street, Alfred’s, back in the nineties, and [Crumpy’s owner] Donald Crump was their chef and kitchen manager. We partnered together over the years, and I learned a lot about cooking wings from him. I’ve come up with some of my own flavors too, but at the start, we worked together a lot and I was able to pick up a lot of the properties from him.”
Harking back to those early hot wing days, Plant Based Heat features two of Johnson’s wing alternatives. Customers can choose from Vings, a soy protein-based take, or fried cauliflower, both available with any sauce, from buffalo to agave gold.
Plant Based Heat has plenty of other goodies on its menu. There’s a shroom section, with a Memphis Bella Philly, or battered oyster mushrooms in burger or basket formats. Side options feature some of Johnson’s favorites, like street corn or sweet potato tots. “I’m a business person, but I opened the restaurant with the mindset of a vegan going out to eat,” he says. “I want it to be an exciting place for people to come and have a lot of options, even though it’s a little bit harder in terms of prep work with a wider menu.”
Memphis Bella Philly
Johnson has been eating vegan for a long time now, even if it was unintentional at first. “I’ve always taken care of myself,” he says. “When I would work late nights DJing, and then wake up at 1 p.m. the next day to get ready, I’d usually eat a vegetable plate, or something like that, to recuperate.” But an encounter with a Morningstar sausage 12 years ago really kickstarted his vegan journey, before the Netflix documentary affirmed that path for him. “I went full vegan, and pain from injuries I had went away completely.”
The move back to Memphis from Atlanta has seen Johnson come full circle from the nightclub days, with Plant Based Heat setting up shop right next to a Crumpy’s. And he now has a chance to put his own stamp on the culinary path that has been a big part of his life.
“A lot of people might think it’s just eating vegetable plates,” he says. “I wanted to bring in a lot of cool flavors, things that I like to eat, to Plant Based Heat. We’re facing a staffing issue like many other places, but when that’s fixed, I’m also looking to include new theme specials, like a vegan macaroni and cheese, or seafood boils. Maybe some more barbecue options. It’s tough to balance a big menu with our small kitchen, but I want to listen to the customers and bring the flavors that they want.”
And this is just the start for Plant Based Heat. With his brand now firmly established, Johnson is seeking to expand. “This is a franchise,” he says. “We’re looking to have other locations soon, and you can expect to see some of our ingredients and products in stores soon. We’re movin’ and groovin’, that’s for sure.”
Plant Based Heat is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. 669 S. Highland St. plantbasedheat.com
