It’s not always easy to find vegan pizza spots in the Valley (though Green and Z Pizza are a couple of great options), which is why I was stoked to find Mellow Mushroom.

The spot has been open for about 3 weeks now, breathing some much-needed life into the often-desolate CityNorth and joining other Tempe and Happy Valley locations (there are more around the country).

Think of it as a pizza joint touched by the hippie spirit, with a giant mushroom mascot and colorful music-inspired artwork covering the walls — good vibes all around to complement the vegan-friendly menu. And if eating animals is your thing, there are items for you, too.

The menu’s specialties are the pizzas, but it also includes soups, salads and hoagies. On a recent visit, we started with a Stuffed Portobello ($9), a mushroom topped, not stuffed with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese. I was really disappointed with the portion size of this appetizer, and the taste wasn’t anything special. Thankfully, the appetizers also include the tasty-sounding pretzels, which come in both sweet and salty options.

My boyfriend got a Kosmic Karma pizza, which I actually preferred over my own pizza even though I’m not the hugest pesto fan. It came with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, feta and spinach. All the toppings worked wonderfully together, and the dough was soft and bubbly with a dusted parmesan crust.

I tried the Melchacho, a pizza special to the CityNorth location. It had avocados and tomatoes and an interesting chipotle sauce base. I now know I’ll probably avoid cheddar cheese on my pizza in the future — the pie reminded me more of an item from Taco Bell than a pizzeria.

On a later visit, I tried a veggie hoagie, which came with avocado, sprouts, tomatos and mozzarella cheese, along with chips. You can get hoagies on wheat bread, and I thought the meal was really filling — I preferred it to my pizza, especially because it seemed like the healthier option.

Despite not being completely thrilled with the food I ordered, there were lots of drool-worthy items on the extensive menu that I’ll be trying out soon. And it’s nice to see another cool place pop up in CityNorth, too!