Heywood Hotel’s Guide to Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Austin
July 17, 2024
|
Austin has an impressive dining scene for foodies of all types, including those who prefer to eat plant-based. With numerous praise-worthy vegan and vegetarian restaurants, you’re never far away from a great meal.
The Heywood Hotel is lucky to be surrounded by some of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Austin, many within walking distance! Whether you’re looking for plant-based meal alternatives, a dairy-free dessert, or even late-night comfort food, the Heywood’s got you covered.
1. Mr. Natural
Opened in 1988, Mr. Natural is one of the longest-running vegetarian restaurants in town. The plant-based restaurant is not only an Austin institution but a staple in the vegan and vegetarian community.
The fully vegetarian Mexican restaurant and bakery offers a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free specialties, including tamales, tacos, and flautas, to name a few. If you go, don’t forget to grab a sweet treat or two from the bakery case. Best of all, Mr. Natural is located a short walk away from the Heywood.
2. Bouldin Creek Cafe
Bouldin Creek Cafe has long been a local favorite for hearty vegetarian dishes. The Bohemian, all-vegetarian cafe and coffee shop offers all-day breakfast as well as lunch and dinner with some of their most popular dishes being a tofu scramble and a veggie burger. They also serve beer and wine in their casual indoor/outdoor space. Bouldin Creek Cafe is located about three miles south of the hotel.
Image courtesy of Bouldin Creek Cafe
3. Fabrik
Fabrik is one of the only upscale vegan restaurants in Austin. The menu is 100% plant-based and is served in an upscale, intimate space. Diners can choose between a five-course or seven-course tasting menu (with a set price per person) that changes with the season. Fabrik is currently only open for dinner service, from Wednesday to Sunday, and it’s located on the East side — less than two miles away from the Heywood.
4. The Vegan Nom
Austinites sure do love their tacos. And The Vegan Nom is making sure that vegan eaters don’t miss out on the staple meal thanks to their 100% vegan taco food truck. The menu at The Vegan Nom features a variety of creative, plant-based tacos with inventive flavors like their KBBQ taco, which features Korean BBQ chicken, or the Birdie Sanders, which has buffalo chicken, queso blanco, and avocado.
They also serve classic tacos like migas and al pastor, as well as vegan sides like jalapeno mac and cheese, chips and queso, and nachos. The truck is located down the street from the Heywood at The Vegan Nom Food Park.
5. Li’l Nonna’s
If you’re a fan of New York-style pizza, Li’l Nonna’s has you covered. The vegan pizza is lauded by plant-based folks and non-vegans alike thanks to its house-made vegan cheese and meats — including its signature Beeteroni (pepperoni made out of beets). With classic pizzas like the Supreme, Beeteroni and Cheese, or Margherita, this food truck is a must if you’re looking for plant-based pizza on your hunt for the best vegan places in Austin.
6. Community Vegan
If you’re in the mood for comfort food, Community Vegan is another great vegan restaurant in Austin to add to your list. The East Austin food truck serves up a 100% plant-based menu of comfort classics like burgers, wings, and chili cheeze fries. We recommend visiting for Sunday brunch to try classic dishes like Southern Fried Chick’n and Biscuit or Chick’n and Waffles, which incorporate the restaurant’s signature fried oyster mushroom as the protein. Community Vegan is located in a food truck park on East 11th Street, just one mile from the Heywood.
Book your stay at the Heywood Hotel and our concierge team will help guide you to the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Austin.
7. Casa de Luz
Tucked away off Barton Springs Road, Casa de Luz is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of its city surroundings. The fixed menu here is based on a macrobiotic diet and features plenty of wholesome and affordable plant-based dishes that are served cafeteria-style.
The longtime vegan restaurant and community center is located in a secret garden-like atmosphere, which locals love for the sense of tranquility it provides. If you visit Casa de Luz, take a moment to stroll the grounds and enjoy the surroundings.
8. Arlo’s
Located at The Ballroom at Spider House, consider Arlo’s your late-night go-to for vegan comfort food. The food truck offers a 100% plant-based menu, and they keep it simple by sticking to burgers, tacos, and sides like mac and cheese, fries, and frito pie. Arlo’s is a great alternative for both vegans and non-vegans alike who are craving a guilt-free post-bar meal.
9. The Beer Plant
Austin’s own plant-based gastropub, The Beer Plant lives up to its name in providing vegan dishes and craft beers under the same roof. The Tarrytown restaurant, located about 5 miles northwest of the Heywood Hotel, offers a variety of hearty vegan dishes like buffalo cauliflower wings, spinach and ricotta lasagna, and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, among other tasty dishes. They also have 40 craft beers on tap to complete the gastropub experience.
10. Koriente
Located downtown on East 7th Street, just under one mile from the hotel, Koriente is a longtime Austin restaurant that serves up healthy Asian fusion dishes. Their menu consists of salads, noodle and rice bowls, and curry dishes, all with an emphasis on fresh vegetables and simple ingredients. While Koriente isn’t a 100% vegetarian or vegan restaurant, it’s one of the best restaurants with vegan options in Austin. Many of their dishes are nutrition-conscious, use natural sweeteners, and are customizable. They also offer gluten-free substitutions for some dishes.
11. Possum Pizza
That’s right, there’s more than one vegan pizza option in Austin! Located down the road from the Heywood at the Vegan Nom Food Park, Possum Pizza specializes in 100% vegan thin-crust pizza with unexpected ingredients. Some of its flavorful pizzas include a Bac’n Mac and Buffalo Cauli, while it also serves up classics like veggie and Margherita. Complete your meal by adding one of Possum Pizza’s vegan sides, like popcorn chick-n or mozzarella sticks.
12. Rebel Cheese
One visit to Rebel Cheese and you’ll be able to end your search for the best vegan cheese once and for all. A newer addition to the Mueller neighborhood, the vegan deli offers a large selection of artisan made vegan cheeses, vegan meats, and even a small menu of classic sandwiches. Rebel Cheese is an excellent place to grab lunch or to enjoy wine and cheese for date night, Austin style.
13. Zucchini Kill
Craving something sweet? Zucchini Kill is a woman-owned (and musician-owned!) vegan bakery in Austin known for its decadent cupcakes and, of course, zucchini bread. Not only is everything vegan, but it’s also gluten-free and soy-free. Zucchini Kill has two locations: one in the North Loop neighborhood and the other at Tweedy’s Bar, which is near the UT campus and about a 10-minute drive from Heywood.
14. Dear Diary Coffee
We have to give an honorable mention to Dear Diary Coffee. While it’s not technically a restaurant, Dear Diary is one of the best coffee shops in East Austin that serves vegan baked goods from some of the local vegan restaurants on this list, including Zucchini Kill, Mr. Natural, and Vegan Nom.
Feature image courtesy of Mr. Natural.