best vegetarian restaurants

ByĀ Josephine Morris,Ā Food Policy Coordinator for the Humane SocietyĀ 

The American Southwest is known for its beautiful sunsets, wide-open spaces, dry climate and vast mountains that reach farther than the eye can see.

As more and more people move plants to the center of their plates, the Southwest has also become a hot spot for delicious flora-based cuisine.

The food industry magazine Fast Casual reports, ā€œThree-fifths (62 percent) of general population consumers say they consume meals without beef, pork, chicken or turkey at least once a week.”

Numerous large organizations in the Southwest such as Intel Corporation, Arizona State University and Dallas Independent School District are making big changes by moving plants to the forefront of their dining operations.

This helps their employees and students eat healthier plant-based foods while lessening their impact on the environment.

According to the Sierra Club, ā€œEliminating or reducing meat consumption in your diet is one important way to reduce your contribution to climate change, since animal agriculture is the single largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions from food production.ā€

Whether you travel to Arizona, New Mexico or Texas or call one of these states home, there are an abundance of outstanding dining choices for people looking to fill up on plant-powered meals.

Arizona

Photo: Green New American Vegetarian
Photo: Green New American Vegetarian

1. Green New American VegetarianĀ 

Locations: 2240 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 8, Tempe, AZ 85281ā€Ø 2022 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Green is a funky and modern diner that masters comfort food and celebrates vegetables. They make their own plant-based meats for mouth-watering meals like the Black Jack Pita with blackened Cajun meatless chicken and artichoke hearts and the Argentine Po-boy with seitan steak and caramelized peppers. Save room for dessert and order a Cookies ā€˜nā€™ Cream Tsoynami which combines soft serve ice cream with Newman-Oā€™s and organic chocolate. Rumor has it that Green is a favorite takeout spot for Bill Clinton and Madonna.

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: Pomegranate CafƩ

2.Ā Pomegranate CafĆ©

Location: 4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 28, Phoenix, AZ 85048

Patrons can often see local farmers delivering their produce right to the counter. The cafƩ has expanded three times since it opened in 2010 due to popular demand. Their robust breakfast menu features plates like Wild Western Tacos that combine tofu, mixed vegetables, potatoes and cashew cream and their Lumberjack Sandwich with tofu, tempeh bacon and avocado have made this a local hot spot. Owned and operated by a mother-daughter team Cassie and Marlene Tolman, Pomegranate creates food that is a labor of love.

Best Vegetarian Restaurants
Photo: Lovin’ Spoonfuls

3.Ā Lovinā€™ Spoonfuls

Location: 2990 N Campbell Ave #120, Tucson, AZ 85719

You will often find Sunny Holliday, owner and operator, behind the counter at Lovinā€™ Spoonfuls where sheā€™s proud to offer an entirely plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner in a warm atmosphere. For breakfast, the Stack Oā€™ Pancakes is a must. Or you can pick from a variety of scrambles complete with meatless ham and home fries. Lunch and dinner offerings include plenty of options from pasta bowls and salads to burger baskets. Bring the littles ones to enjoy some Golden Nuggies or a Kiddie Pup.

New Mexico

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Cafe

4.Ā Annapurna’s World Vegetarian CafĆ©

Location: 2201 Silver Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 (two other locations)

No New Mexico travel guide would be complete without discussing the local food, and this eatery does not disappoint. Annapurnaā€™s is where nature and organic food meet in the heart of New Mexico. Yashoda Naidoo, the restaurantā€™s owner and operator, aims to serve food as simple as possible. It shows in dishes like the Cauliflower Chapati Tacos, which are filled with crisp fried cauliflower, shredded veggies and sambal chili, and the Saag Paneer, a creamy, spiced dish served with house made cheese. The menu is robust and the varieties of chai tea are plentiful.

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: Indulge Cafe & Ma Cherie Bakery

5.Ā Indulge CafĆ© & Ma ChĆ©rie Bakery

Location: 317 Aztec Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

When in Santa Fe, Indulge CafĆ© is a must stop for lunch or an afternoon treat. The Best Burrito Ever combines pesto, quinoa, black beans, corn and spinach into a giant tortilla that is sure to fill you up. Or you may want to start with dessert first since the Ma ChĆ©rie Bakery is located within the cafĆ©. The bakery churns out double chocolate cupcakes with wild orange frosting, lemon cake with coconut crĆØme filling and raspberry frosting and chocolate coconut sparkle cake with a cinnamon crust.

best vegetarian food
Photo: El Gamal Taos

6.Ā El Gamal Taos

Location: 112 Dona Luz St, Taos, NM 87571

Located in the heart of Taos, El Gamal provides a unique vegetarian dining experience with Middle Eastern roots. Their food is made from scratch with authentic, worldly flavors. Start with some traditional favorites like dolmas, samosas, baba ghanoush, or tabouli. If you can’t decide, check out the sample plate with a side of hummus. The hummus is so popular at El Gamal, they have an entire bar dedicated to different varieties!

Texas

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: BBQ Revolution

7.Ā BBQ Revolutionā€Ø

Location: 2421 Webberville Road, Austin, TX, 78702

Eating vegetarian or vegan in Austin, Texas is actually quite easy.

If youā€™re in need of something unexpected and delicious in Austin, check out BBQ Revolution. This all- vegan food truck is dedicated to making the best in plant-based barbecue. Itā€™s no wonder they have thousands of followers on social media with specialties like No Bull Brisket, Tempeh Ribs and Smokey Curls. You can top off one of the plant-based proteins with a side of BBQ Baked Beans, Mac N’ Cheeze or Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. With options this hearty and delicious, nobody will miss animal-derived meat.

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: Spiral Diner & Bakery

8.Ā Spiral Diner

Locations: 1101 N Beckley Ave, Dallas, TX 75203ā€Ø & Ā 1314 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104

Even in the Lone Star state, thereā€™s a diner that serves plant-based, mostly-organic food. Spiral Diner opened its doors in 2002 and has become a favorite for herbivores and carnivores alike. Fresh favorites like the taco salad with Mexican quinoa, black beans, veggies and ranch dressing and comfort foods like The Cowboy Burger with homemade bacon and barbecue sauce make you want to return again and again. Shakes and sweet treats from their in-house bakery satisfy even a gargantuan sweet tooth. As if thatā€™s not enough, Spiralā€™s beer list is extensive and breakfast is served all day.

best vegetarian restaurants
Photo: Viva Vegeria

9.Ā Viva Vegeria

Location: 1422 Nogalitos St., San Antonio, TX 78204

Latino food is a must in Southern Texas. Vegeria does not disappoint. Thatā€™s why USA Today nominated Vegeria as one of top ten vegan restaurants in the nation. Vegeria embraces urban gardening, organic and seasonal produce and a farm-to-table mindset to create all-vegan, all gluten-free Tex-Mex favorites. The sweet potato poblano flautas and tacos with garbanzo chorizo and calabaza are local favorites. Ask for a glass of the coconut horchata to complete the Tex-Mex experience.

This is just a sampling of the many vegetarian restaurants in the Southwest that serve up delectable food. Many traditional restaurants are incorporating a variety of vegetarian menu items which makes it easy to follow the Three Rā€™s of eating: ā€œreducingā€ or ā€œreplacingā€ consumption of animal products, and ā€œrefiningā€ our diets by choosing products from sources that adhere to higher animal welfare standards no matter where you choose to eat.

What would you add to this list ofĀ best vegetarian restaurants in the American Southwest? Please share in the comments below!Ā 

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later!

The American Southwest is home to some of the best vegetarian restaurants in the world. Whether youā€™re going on a US road trip, or just looking for the best places to eat in New Mexico, California or Sante Fe, here are 8 not-to-miss vegetarian restaurants in the American Southwest.

About Josephine Morris

Josephine Morris is an outreach coordinator for The Humane Society of the United States Farm Animal Protection campaign. She works with schools, universities, health care companies and corporations to serve more plant-based foods. Josephine has several degrees from Arizona State University and she completed a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in June 2012.

Recommended:

An American Vegan In Paris [Blog Inspiration]

But I Could Never Go Vegan!: 125 Recipes That Prove You Can Live Without Cheese, It’s Not All Rabbit Food, and Your Friends Will Still Come Over for Dinner by Kristy Turner [Great Reads]

YogaDownload.com Yoga On The GoĀ [Travel Health]

The following two tabs change content below.

Jessica Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you donā€™t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.

Jessica Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you donā€™t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.

You may also like...

14 Comments

  1. So good to know where to stop for plant-based foods while traveling, or just in town. Makes it easier to stick to Meatless Monday’s!! Thanks for the info…I Tweeted your article.

  2. Thanks for this great list! I love the photos and the restaurant descriptions. I can’t wait to try those that are new to me.

    1. @Linda: So many great spots!

  3. Thank you for this list! I’ve added these to my must-visit while I’m traveling to NM and Texas. Your write-up of the restaurants in AZ is spot-on. I hope many more will come to try out these fantastic restaurants!

  4. Ah! I’ve only been to a few of these, and I am so happy to learn about more veg-restaurants in the area. Keep it up AZ!!

    1. @Katherine: Woot woot! šŸ™‚

  5. The Cutting Board in Mesa is one of my favorites. Thanks for new info on here. Any favorites near Anaheim?

    1. @Claudia: Oh I got to check it out! Have you heard of Healthy Junk?

  6. You missed the vegan restaurant chain in New Mexico, Thai Vegan! Two in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. http://www.thaivegannm.com/

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeganvilleSantaFeNM/requests/?notif_t=group_r2j

    1. Thai Vegan is incredible as is Loving Vegan. Both in Albuquerque, NM. Gracias Madre in San Francisco is another fave.

      1. @Stacey: Getting hungry already!

  7. My wife, Laurie and I absolutely LOVE Viva Vegeria with its tasty familiar dishes bursting with life. The owner and Chef, Fred Anthony is the friendliest guy and once you meet him you can tell his intention is for healthy plant based cuisine that is delicious Tex-Mex.

    1. @John: Glad to see you both had a positive experience. Such a great spot!

  8. Such a great go to list with great descriptions! I have been meaning to check out the Austin, Texas veggie scene as I’ve heard so much about it. I’ll definitely check out that BBQ Revolution when I do get there. Would love to get to Viva Vegeria in San Antonio for those amazing looking tacos.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.