11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin
11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin
Since I first went vegan, people had been telling me that I needed to make it out to Austin to try some of the best vegan restaurants around. For one reason or another, it just wasn’t happening. Eventually one of my friends moved to Austin and then I found myself living just a 3-hour drive away in the greater Dallas area. Check out my 13 Best Vegan Restaurants in Dallas post if you’re hitting up Dallas too. As soon as Austin became drivable, I was ’bout it ’bout it!
Austin has loads of vegan restaurants with options ranging from West African jollof rice to Greek lemon herb rice. If you’re looking for some BBQ or Texas classics like Frito Pie, they’ve got that too. They’ve got a little bit of everything, so if you’re in Austin looking for vegan options, keep reading to see what spots I’d recommend!
11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin: Fully Vegan
1. Lick It Up
East Austin Location: 2421 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702
South Austin Location: 10542 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78748
Phone number: 737-707-5649
Website: Lick It Up
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$16 USD)
Lick It Up is a small chain with two locations in Austin and one location in El Paso. I honestly tried the location in El Paso (not in Austin) because I knew I needed to eat something on my drive straight through from Austin to LA. At first, I thought that everything tasted so good because I was just really hungry. But naw… that food SLAPPED! Even the flavor of the toreado (blistered pepper) was on point!
Their menu features carne asada fries, nachos, burritos, flautas, quesadillas, tacos, and tortas. I wish I could have tried everything on the menu, but I went with the Mushroom Chorizo Taco and the Carne Asada Fries. My goodness… Every bite was packed with flavor. The ancestors had to be whispering seasoning secrets to the chefs back in the kitchen!
It’s easy to skimp out on seasoning certain elements of a dish when there are so many parts that come together. For example, they could have left the fries unseasoned and expected the rest of the toppings to do the talking. But no ma’am. Even the fries were seasoned perfectly!
The Mushroom Chorizo Taco was simple, which I loved. Just the seasoned mushrooms, crema, and cabbage. I gobbled that thang up! I left out of there understanding why it’s called Lick It Up. Everything within me wanted to lick the sauce of the tray that the Carne Asada Fries were served in. There was even a sign was on the table telling me to “Lick It Up!”. But I decided to act like I had some home training and left it alone.
2. Li’l Nonna’s
Location: 440 E St Elmo Rd A1, Austin, TX 78745
Phone number: 512-993-8998
Website: Li’l Nonna’s
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive pizza is $22 USD)
The very first time I visited Austin, I stopped at Li’l Nonna’s before even making it to my hotel. Friends had highly recommended this place and the pictures online looked so good. Thankfully, Li’l Nonna’s did not disappoint! I’m a thick-crust kind of gal, so I had to get a slice of the Sicilian since their whole pies only come in NY style.
The Sicilian was topped with organic San Marzano tomato sauce, vegan mozzarella, and vegan Italian seitan sausage. It was a decent slice, but my favorite part of the meal caught me off guard. I decided to take a leap of faith and trust my friends’ recommendation. I ordered the very last pie that I normally would have ever thought to order from the menu. The Beeteroni n’ Cheese.
The only beets that I’ve ever liked is the band from Doug. If that reference didn’t stick, just google “The Beets Doug” on YouTube. Hit me up later to let me know if you agree with my theory that they were a vegan cartoon band.
But anyways, beets and I just don’t seem to get along. The taste of beets just isn’t my favorite and I learned years back that beet juices flat out give me a headache. So I was very reluctant to commit to a whole pizza lined with beets. Even though I decided to give it a try, I thought that the “beeteronis” would be some sort of seitan with a little bit of beet mixed in. I know that some mock meats use beets for color, so I was hoping for that. And then here this pizza comes out with big slices of beets on it.
To my surprise though, IT WAS AMAZING! First of all, the beets were sliced fairly thin. Second of all, the beets were slightly seasoned, so it wasn’t just the full-on “dirt in ya mouf” taste that I don’t like about beets (sorry beet lovers). Lastly, the beets were just good! I don’t know how that worked out, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Then there was the ice cream! It reminded me of a vegan version of McDonald’s ice cream! Their ice cream used to be my jam in my pre-vegan days as a kid. So having a vegan version of it from a machine that didn’t pretend to be broken an hour before closing was everything!
3. Arlo’s Curbside
Cheer Up Charles Location: 900 Red River at Cheer Up Charlie’s Austin, TX
Phone number: (512) 840-1600
Spiderhouse Location: 2908 Fruth St, Austin, TX 78705
Phone number: (512) 840-8585
Website: Arlo’s Curbside
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is $20 USD)
The food at Arlo’s is not only tasty, but also very well executed. I don’t really know how to explain it besides saying that their food seemed neat and orderly. Like the burger was perfectly packed and cut evenly down the middle. Every carrot shred on my hot dog seemed like it was intentionally placed. The mac and cheese was perfectly packed. Just a well-organized presentation of the food.
Their menu includes items like tacos, burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, fries, fried pickles, and frito pies. You read that right. Frito pies.
Frito pies are a Southwestern delicacy that originated in either Texas or New Mexico. I’ll leave it to the native fans of the dish to duke it out and determine the rightful home state of the Frito pie. Just know that the base of a frito pie is usually some form of chili and cheese drenched over Fritos. All this talking about Frito pie and I didn’t even try their options on the menu!
However, I did try 3 other menu options. I had the Bac’n Cheeze Burger, Hawt Dog, and Mac & Cheeze. What I loved most about Arlo’s was their housemade soy and gluten-free patty. I’m a sucker for a housemade vegan burger patty! The burger came topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, and bacon served with a housemade patty on a toasted bun. It was a good ol hearty classic burger!
I’d like to give another shout-out to Arlo’s for using a good hot dog as well. It tasted and felt like FieldRoast, which is one of my favorite hot dog brands. I don’t hold the same appreciation for housemade hot dogs, so I was happy to see that they used a good brand.
It came topped with grilled chipotle slaw, grilled onions, carrots, corn, BBQ sauce, and jalapeno ranch. I didn’t care much for the toppings and honestly would have preferred a simpler version with just the hot dog, bun, lots of mustard, and relish. The BBQ was a game changer and saved the hot dog for me though. The Hawt Dog is listed under the Southern Style portion of the menu, so maybe it’s just a Texas thing and I don’t get it. Not knockin’ it, just those toppings didn’t hit the spot for me.
Another item that just wasn’t for me was that Mac & Cheeze. The flavor just didn’t hit for me and left me wishing that I would have taken a risk with the fried pickles instead! However, that housemade burger patty sealed the deal for me and made up for the shortcomings of the Mac & Cheeze and The Hawt Dog.
4. The Beer Plant
Location: 3110 Windsor Rd, Austin, TX 78703
Phone number: 512-524-1800
Website: The Beer Plant
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$18 USD)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. VEGANS WANT BRUNCH TOO! I don’t even fully understand the hype around brunch, but I like having the option to hit up an all-vegan brunch spot just because!
The Beer Plant is exactly what you need if you’re looking for a full vegan brunch experience! No bottomless mimosas, but you can get a michelada… or 4 from their brunch cocktail menu. They even have non-alcoholic brunch cocktails featuring a virgin bloody mary.
I came in hot talking about brunch, but let’s not forget the name of the restaurant. They have an extensive beer menu featuring Ambers, Ciders, Dark beers, IPAs, Light beers, and even nonalcoholic beers. Not into beer? They also have some snazzy cocktails and a wine menu. Not into any of those either? Try out their King’s Peach mocktail or non-alcoholic hop water.
And then there’s the food! Their brunch and dinner menus include options ranging from curry to country vegan chicken and gravy. For my solo dolo brunch, I ordered the Home Fries, Benedict, and Chicken-Fried Seitan. I often feel that brunch menus don’t give me the combination of elements that I want on my plate, so I decided to a la carte it up!
My favorite was the Benedict. I honestly had never heard of eggs benedict was until a few years ago, so I never tried the animal-based version. I love me some vegan benedict though and the dish at The Beer Plant was very flavorful! It consisted of a toasted English muffin topped with a Just egg folded egg, seitan, pico de Gallo, and hollandaise sauce. I was very pleased with my self constructed meal and would definitely go back!
5. Theano Vegan Greek
Location: Food Co, 5610 N Interstate Hwy 35 #5610, Austin, TX 78751
Phone number: 512-888-7152
Website: Theano Vegan Greek
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$18 USD)
My favorite part about the food at Theano Vegan Greek was the smoky grilled flavor of the kabobs. This wasn’t just some liquid smoke flavoring either. They actually tasted like they were cooked on a real grill like we were at a real cookout in the park! I rarely experience that kind of flavor in vegan restaurants, let alone from a vegan food truck. I was very impressed with their ability to capture that flavor.
Their lengthy menu includes items like baklava, kebabs, gyro, spanakopita, falafel, and dolmades. I heard great things about the marinated mushrooms and kebabs, so I went a little buck wild and ordered multiple kebabs. I went with the Chick’n, Tempeh, and Be’f Kebabs, all of which are seasoned with their special blend of spices before being flame grilled. They were honestly all amazing, but the be’f kebab was my favorite.
The Marinated Mushrooms caught me off guard because they were cold. Once I got over that, I came to appreciate the freshness they brought to the meal. And then there was the baklava! Let’s just say it was good enough to not last too long around me. I don’t play with my sweets!
6. Wasota Vegan Paradise
Location: 2701 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702
Phone number: 512-565-3864
Website: Wasota Vegan Paradise
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$15 USD)
Wasota Vegan Paradise is a Black-owned restaurant serving Austin the West African vegan food that we all deserve! It truly is a slice of vegan paradise. Their menu features items like plantains, jollof rice, black-eyed pea fritters, spinach, egusi soup, and yam fufu.
I wanted to try a little bit of everything, so I ordered the Wasota Vegan Platter, which came with jollof, black-eyed peas, spinach, plantains, and black-eyed pea fritters. That platter was everything. And with the benin (pepper sauce) drizzled on top… undefeated!
This meal was the kind of meal that makes my gut do its lil’ dancey dance. I LOVE me some black-eyed peas, black-eyed pea fritters, and plantain. Spinach is usually a hard sell for me, but I even loved the spinach in this dish! For anyone looking to have vegan West African food in Austin, I HIGHLY recommend checking this spot out!
7. Counter Culture
Location: 2337 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Phone number: 512-524-1540
Website: Counter Culture
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$16 USD)
I told yall about my rocky relationship with beets right? So when my friend recommended this spot based on a beet dish AGAIN, I feared that I couldn’t get lucky twice. I was skeptical about Counter Culture purely based on the beet recommendation and some pictures that I had seen online. My friend randomly had a coupon from a food delivery service that gave us a massive discount, which was the only reason I caved in. I must say though that I was pleasantly surprised with how the meal turned out!
I tried the Buffalo BLTA Salad, Tempeh Reuben, Buffalo Mac ‘N’ Cheeze Balls, and Tiramisu Cashew Cheezecake. The BLTA salad was my favorite by far. I just love me some kale, but the winning ingredient was the D in this equation! And I’m talking about that housemade ranch DRESSING! It paired perfectly with the fresh tomatoes, creamy avocado, and smokey tempeh.
My second favorite item was the Tempeh Reuben. It was just a great classic Reuben sandwich filled with grilled local tempeh, sauerkraut, melted swiss cheese, pickles, onions, and 1,000 island dressing on rye bread, but it was delicious! The bread was a little soft because we had it delivered, but it was nothing that a trusty air fryer couldn’t fix!
The Buffalo Mac ‘N’ Cheeze Balls were a little dry on the inside for my liking, but I just drizzled on some of that housemade ranch and kept on keepin’ on! I don’t know how I let my friend talk me into the Tiramisu Cashew Cheezecake over the German Chocolate Cake (one of my all time favorites), but I tore that Tiramisu Cashew Cheezecake up too. All in all, it was a good meal with some highlights that I’d be happy to order again.
8. Sassy’s Vegetarian Soul Food
Location: 500 W 29th St, Austin, TX 78705
Phone number: 737-333-4458
Website: Sassy’s Vegetarian Soul Food
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$12 USD)
If you’re looking for more Black-owned vegan restaurants to support in Austin, check out Sassy’s Vegetarian Soul Food! I know that the name itself says vegetarian instead of vegan, but it is indeed a vegan spot.
Their menu includes items like their Vegan Pokechop (porkchop) Sandwich, Chicon N Waffles, Greens, Cajun Mac and Cheese, and an item that I don’t see on vegan soul food menus very often: Hot Water Cornbread. I didn’t grow up eating hot water cornbread, so when I tried it for the first time at a friend’s house in high school, I cried on the inside and yearned for the cornbread that I was used to.
Fast forward to a vegan and adult version of myself, and I still don’t like hot water cornbread. I just don’t know what to tell you besides it ain’t for me. BUT, if YOU like hot water cornbread, you can get some from Sassys!
11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin: Vegan-Friendly
9. Bodhi Viet Vegans – Vegetarian
Location: 2301 W Parmer Ln, Austin, TX 78727
Phone number: 512-696-1807
Website: Bodhi Viet Vegans
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive entree is ~$11 USD)
It breaks my heart to have to put Bodhi Viet Vegans so low on my list, because it would have been #1 if it were fully vegan. However, they use animal-based milk in some of their drinks, so be sure to check with the cashier that your entire order is indeed vegan.
When I read that nuns and volunteers from a nearby Buddhist temple run Bodhi Viet Vegans, I was all in on visiting this restaurant! Not only does 100% of the profit go towards the temple, but the food is made with intention and care. They prioritize using pesticide-free ingredients from their garden and make their meals from scratch.
They have an extensive menu featuring impressive prices. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been to many a vegan restaurant these days that will charge $20+ for even a sandwich. At Bodhi Viet Vegans, you can get a sandwich for $4. Most entrees on the menu are less than $8!
I went with the Bodhi Spicy Noodle (Bun Hue) and a taro dessert served with coconut milk. The lazy in me usually likes quick ready-to-eat-type meals, but I actually appreciated the additional time it took to assemble the Bodhi Spicy Noodle dish at home. The noodle soup comes with lime, basil, cabbage, onion, chilis, and sambal for you to add to your liking. It made me feel like I was showing a lil’ extra TLC to my own body by adding in those ingredients myself.
On top of the experience, the dish was just super flavorful. I also enjoyed the dessert, which was sweet and light at the same time. The perfect way to end the meal. Of all the restaurants that I visited in Austin, this was truly my favorite spot for vegan food. Had it not been for the few drinks that are served with animal-based milk, it would have been at the top of my list!
10. Sazan Ramen – Vegan-friendly
Location: 6929 Airport Blvd #146, Austin, TX 78752
Phone number: 512-432-5474
Website: Sazan Ramen
Price range: $$$$$ (vegan ramen is ~$15 USD)
Sazan was just a downright pretty restaurant. It was open and bright with perfect plating of the food! On top of that, the food was also bomb! I usually stick to vegan and vegetarian restaurants whenever I can help it, but this place was so highly recommended by an Austin-native friend that I had to try it out. Safe to say that my friend was spot on with this recommendation.
I tried the Vegan Steamies Dumplings, Indomitable Fries, Just Like Paitan Ramen, and Vegan Lychee Mochi. Oooooo weeeee!!!! Good golly Miss Molly! That food was good! The dumplings were unbleached flour dumpling wraps stuffed with organic napa cabbage, carrots, scallions, seitan, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake, onions, and ginger and served with a dipping sauce combination of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. They were absolutely delicious and pan-fried to perfection!
The Indomitable Fries are criss cut waffle fried tossed in their curry rub and served with a vegan Yuzu aioli. The curry rub makes all the difference in this appetizer and I appreciated being at a non-vegan restaurant that serves a vegan aioli as the standard aioli. The fries are also fried perfectly too.
Then the star of the show came bustin’ down the door! The Just Like Paitan Ramen was soooo gooood! There was an ATX kaige tempura ball consisting of onions, arugula, and beni-shoga on top of a creamy vegan broth, spicy oil, and kale noodles. Quick tip: Eat the kaige first before it gets soggy in the broth.
I was skeptical about the kale noodles at first, because I thought that would be some creative version of zoodles, but from kale. To my pleasant surprise though, they were actual ramen noodles infused with kale, giving them their green color. They were delicious!
The Vegan Lychee Mochi wasn’t as breath-taking as the rest of the meal, but for those that want a dessert option, we at least have one!
11. Juiceland – Vegetarian
Location: multiple (check website below)
Phone number: 512-628-0782
Website: Juiceland
Price range: $$$$$ (most expensive smoothie is ~$14 USD)
Juiceland is where it’s at if you’re looking for smoothies, juices, or grab-and-go vegan options throughout Austin. It’s a chain with multiple locations throughout Austin, so they make it easy for you to get your hands on their products.
They serve honey and bee pollen on their menu, which is why I’ve included them on my list as vegetarian instead of vegan. Be sure to confirm your order with them if you do not consume bee products. Outside of the honey and bee pollen, all other ingredients are vegan!
I fell in love with the Julio Verde at the recommendation of one of the employees! It contains orange, almond mylk, banana, mango, spinach, pecan, vanilla, coconut oil. I didn’t know how the pecan would turn out in the smoothie, but I loved it and highly recommend it!
I also grabbed a Golden Mylk Coffee Latte to start off my long drive from Austin to LA, and it was just what I needed to get the drive started off right! It contains cold brew coffee, hemp seed, date, turmeric, coconut oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. It tastes as decadent as it sounds! They have a lengthy menu with tons of interesting options, so go give them a try!
Map of 11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin
Conclusion: 11 Best Vegan Restaurants in Austin
So there you have it folks! Some of the best vegan restaurants you can find in Austin! Although a good ol’ burger can hit the spot every once in a while, I appreciated the variety that Austin brings with restaurants that serve vegan Vietnamese, West African, Greek, Soul Food, Japanese, Italian, and Mexican food. I even visited multiple vegan food truck parks and a vegetarian grocery store in Austin! Get out there and explore all of the vegan goodness that Austin has to offer. Not every restaurant that I tried could make the list, but hit me up if you have any recommendations for more places for me to try!
