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Austin is a great city for veg-heads. Almost everywhere you look, a vegan or vegetarian restaurant is just steps away, and if one isn’t, you can nearly guarantee that the restaurant you do choose will have veg-friendly options. But sometimes, you don’t want to comb the menu for limited options; sometimes, you just want a full menu that caters to you. That’s where the best vegan restaurants in Austin come in, with a few vegetarian bad boys thrown in because we couldn’t help ourselves.
Counter Culture
2337 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Aesthetics alone will draw you in. Women-owned and dog-friendly, Counter Culture is a great introduction to new vegans and, honestly, kind of a cute first date spot. Since you probably care about the earth, this vegan restaurant in Austin recycles or composts 97 percent of their waste! If that isn’t enough for you, their menu is entirely meat-free and full of delicious entrees like the Maple BBQ Seitan Sandwich and a gluten-free Tex Mex Mac ‘N Cheese with sweet potato cheese.
The Vegan Nom
2324 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
When you’re veg-forward, you can pretty much predict what kind of tacos you’ll be ordering at a normal restaurant: beans, mushrooms, and sometimes potatoes. But, when you eat at The Vegan Nom, Austin’s original vegan taco truck, your options are practically endless. We’re talking avocado, tofu scramble, fajita mushrooms, tempeh bacon, and so much more, not to mention their imitation meat options, which include Korean BBQ and buffalo chicken.
Bouldin Creek Cafe
1900 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Vegans, you’ve been warned: this place is more on the vegetarian side, but there’s still a bunch of options for you! Bouldin Creek Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant in Austin TX that offers delicious menu options such as the Tofu Bouldin House Omelete, Vegan Ruby Rueben, and vegan queso. Grab a mimosa, too, and stay awhile.
The Beer Plant
3110 Windsor Rd, Austin, TX 78703
Nothing complements vegan food like beer. Honestly, nothing compliments any food like beer, but especially the southwestern food served at The Beer Plant. Hill Country “Chicken” & Gravy is on the menu, complete with seitan chicken and all the fixins. You might go for the Corn Chowder Bowl instead, though, and we wouldn’t blame you.
Mother’s Cafe
4215 Duval St, Austin, TX 78751
The perfect brunch cafe, Mother’s Cafe is a popular vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Austin. Don’t pass up on the enchiladas — there’s a ton of variety and intense flavor. And their weekend breakfast specials are served from 10 – 3 pm, so you can enjoy mimosas all day long. Ask about their cashew tamari dressing for a good time.
Citizen Eatery
5011 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
Always breakfast, never not good. Citizen Eatery has an all-day brunch menu that looks so good, you couldn’t possibly make the wrong choice. Try the Egg McCartney, made with a plant-based JUST egg, tofu “bacon,” and cheese on an English muffin, and top it off with an orange-hibiscus mimosa.
Papadom
310 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
Okay, so this place definitely has meaty options, so try to avoid those. But the vegan and vegetarian menu at this restaurant in Austin, TX is so inclusive, we figured you’d want to know about it. Delicious Indian meals await, like channa masala and mattar paneer, so make sure to peruse their offerings next time you’re downtown.
Li’l Nonna’s
440 E St Elmo Rd A1, Austin, TX 78745
Serving up NY-style pizzas with a vegan twist, the team at Li’l Nonna’s clearly knows something we don’t. It’s tough to make vegan pizza taste just as good as the real deal, but if anywhere has it down pat, it’s Li’l Nonna’s. This vegan restaurant also serves gluten-free pizzas and sides of dairy-free ranch. Score!