Austin Vegetarian Resources

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Legend
	Central
	Extra Central (all of these are within about a mile of each other)
	Downtown
	North & Northwest
	East
W	West
	South & Southwest
	Twenty-four-hour establishments
See a map of Austin

Green entries	Completely vegetarian
Brown entries	Veg. + Non-veg.

See our full list of restaurants. (What you see at right isn't the full list, it's descriptions of just some of the restaurants we know about)

Other restaurant review sites:

* Austin Chronicle's restaurant guide

* Austin Food Data Bank

Who's naughty & nice

Health Inspection Scores

Vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Austin

Email us your reviews and we'll post them here.

Austin's original Ethiopian restaurant. About half the menu is vegetarian (and vegan by default, since dairy use is rare in Africa). The injera here is a lot thinner than just about everywhere else I've had it (including Ethiopia). And like many Ethiopian restaurants, they use a copious amount of oil in the vegetarian dishes, and asking for less oil isn't an option, since most of this type of food is cooked in bulk in large pots.

888  (911 W. Anderson Lane, 302-5433)

"Has great vegan dishes. In particular, it has awesome sesame tofu." by Kim, 2005

Austin's Pizza  (2324 Guadalupe + 10 other locations)

"Has soy cheese [though not on the menu], and will make any pizza with it for no extra cost, though the soy cheese is made with casein so it won't satisfy some. Try the Vegetated, Margherita, Farmer's Market, or make one to order." by Kim, 2005

Bangkok Cuisine (9041 Research Blvd., 832-9722)

Thai. Formal dining. You have to have a soft place in your heart for any establishment with a neon sign in the window that says "Vegetarians Welcome", especially when that sign dates back to the early 90's. But be careful: some of the vegetarian dishes have counterparts with the same name that include fish, so specify that you want the vegetarian version with no fish. The buffet may be disappointing to vegetarians (especially vegans), but there are numerous vegetarian items on the menu, and they're a much better value anyway.

W Bodhi Eco Café  12801 Shops Parkway, Bee Cave, TX * 402-0033  (M-F 9-7, Sat 11-3)

Mostly vegan. Their manager writes, "Chef Dan Ost is a world-trained certified executive chef, specializing in whole and natural foods. We use mostly local, organic ingredients, while keeping almost all of our entrees under $10. We also serve no-sugar-added fruit smoothies, over 15 fresh squeezed juices, and Organic and Fair-Trade coffee and espresso drinks, all made with organic milks and soy milks. We take call ahead orders of any size, can host parties in our cafe, and produce holiday catering/entertaining menus."

Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse & Café  (1501 S. 1st. * 416-1601)

"A friend (and also a long time vegetarian) and I have opened a small new coffeehouse/cafe in South Austin. We are called Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and are located at 1501 S. 1st St. @ Elizabeth. (You may have seen us in this week's Chronicle--both in the Postmarks as well as the Best of Austin section.) Our menu is completely vegetarian, with most of the items being vegan." (from Veg Out Austin)

"High Time Tea Bar & Brain Gym closed, but the building owner (Leslie Moore of Word of Mouth Catering) cared enough about maintaining the eclectic charm of the neighborhood that she leased to Leslie Martin and Lisa Goodell, two local waitstaff goddesses who caffeinate and cook with aplomb. It is an all-veggie menu with yummies like their Soul Food Plate and Cosmic Sloppy Joes. Hats off for keeping the faith." (Austin Chronicle, 9-15-00)

"This inviting Travis Heights haunt features a funky lime-green exterior and an interior that's probably more homey than the place you sleep. Pick up a book, play Battleship, and enjoy all your favorite coffee drinks along with some killer honey lemonade. Bouldin Creek also has a small, economical vegetarian menu featuring all-day breakfast, salads, sandwiches, beans, collard greens, and homemade cornbread." (Austin Chronicle, 10-6-00)

Casa de Luz (1701 Toomey Rd., 512-476-2535)

A non-profit macrobiotic establishment. According to their ad, "100% vegan & organic, seasonal &

Clay Pit  1601 Guadalupe * 322-5131  (M-Th until 10pm, F/S until 11pm)

Indian. Like all Indian restaurants, Clay Pit offers a plethora of veggie options.  Their lunch buffet was a bit sparse in general and specifically for vegetarians, with only two veggie entreés.  On the other hand, for only $7.50 (weekday) one can hardly complain. by MBJ, June 2011

local, holistic health food". website

Counter Culture  2337 E. Cesar Chavez * 524-1540  (W-Sun Noon-10pm, Sat/Sun 11am-10pm)

Dog Almighty  3005 S. Lamar * 912-1105

Hot Dogs. There's a veggie option for each and every meat item on the menu, and they use a separate grill for the veggie items. They also list a few veggie-specific items separately on the menu, such as the Veggie Burger and Vegan Chili (which won awards two years in a row at the Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cookoff). Note that their veggie dogs use refined soy protein, which Dr. McDougall says is nearly twice as carcinogenic as milk.

El Azteca - (2600 E. 7th St., 477-4701)

Mexican. Alana Carpenter writes, "El Azteca has an extensive menu of foods to delight the vegetarian. They don't have much for the Vegan diet, but they have great guacamole."

Frank & Angie's Pizzeria - (807 W. 6th St., 512-472-0693)

Doesn't specialize in vegetarian fare, but on Monday nights, veggie pizzas are 2 for 1.

Hao Hao   website
Dobie Mall, 2025 Guadalupe * 505-0155
1901 W. William Cannon Dr. * 447-8121

"Has great vegan dishes. In particular, it has awesome sesame tofu." - Kim, 2005

Hoboken Pie - (718 Red River * 477-HBKN)

Proudly offers to make any pizza vegan with Teese-brand soy cheese (for $3 extra).

Hut's - (807 W. 6th St., 512-472-0693)

This is a burger place, but Hut's was voted Best Veggie Burger in the Austin Chronicle Readers Poll in 1997. On Monday nights, the veggie burgers are 2 for 1. Beware, though -- this place smells like meat.

Koriente - 275-0852 * 621 E. 7th • 11-10 M-Sat

Korean with an emphasis on natural preparation -- most dishes are oil-free and sugar-free, and brown rice is an option (but you have to make sure to ask for it because they don't offer, unlike Veggie Heaven). Most of the selections are vegetarian/vegan, though strict vegans should note that in some dishes they use honey instead of sugar. (They also use fruit juice.) See our full review of Koriente. (Aug. 2006)

Leaf  419 W. 2nd St. * 474-5323 (11-4 daily)

If you prefer your vegetarian food on the stereotypical side, or if you just like lots of greens, you'll love Leaf, since they specialize in salad. They're not exclusively vegetarian, but any place that puts salad front and center is gonna have plentiful vegetarian offerings. They got a Critic's Pick in the Austin Chronicle, and their to-go containers are made from potato starch.

Madras Pavillion - 719-5575 * 9025 Research #100

Indian. Strictly vegetarian (no meat, no eggs). Read the review at Veg Out! Austin.

Magnolia Café - 512-478-8645 * 2304 Lake Austin Blvd, 78703
Magnolia Café - 512-445-0000 * 1920 S. Congress Ave., 78704

American. Very cool, lots of vegetarian selections, and open 24 hours. Favored by musicians.

Moe's Southwest Grill (2270 Guadalupe)
Moe's Southwest Grill (997-9200 * 500 Canyon Ridge Rd, #L275)

Five items on the menu are clearly labeled "vegetarian" (in bold type), and five more are clearly labeled as being available with tofu instead of chicken or steak. Peta said that Moe's was the most veggie-friendly restaurant chain in 2004.

Mother's Café & Garden (4215 Duval, 512-451-3994) • 11:30-10 M-F; 10-10 Sat/Sun

Completely vegetarian. Quality atmosphere -- especially the "outside" room, with very high ceilings, lots of plants, and a stone floor. They have a diverse menu specializing in Mexican dishes, stir-frys, and pasta entrees.

Mr. Natural
       477-5228 * 1901 E. Cesar Chavez • 8am-8pm Mon.-Sat.
       916-9223 * 2414- A South Lamar • 9am-9pm Mon.-Sat.

Mexican. A completely vegetarian diner & bakery, specializing in authentic Mexican foods. (The owners used to run a vegetarian restaurant in Mexico.) All the baked goods are vegan (except for honey). Mr. Natural serves a number of distinctive beverages, including Horchata, juices, and smoothies made with seasonal fruits. The food is imaginative and delicious. My favorite restaurant in Austin. ["Healthiest Mexican Lunch Specials" in Austin Chronicle's Critics Picks, 2000]

Indian (North, South, Goan).  Menu has a vegan section with eight entrees, and the menu identifies other items which are vegan, gluten-free, or contain nuts.  Vegan naan available on request.  The website says you get a dollar off your meal if you bike or walk to the restaurant(!).

P. F. Chang's
        457-8300 * 201 San Jacinto Blvd.
        231-0208 * 10114 Jollyville Road

Chinese. Vegetarian items on the menu are marked with a special symbol, and include Wok-Seared Mushrooms, Green Tea Noodles, Buddha's Feast, Stir-Fried Eggplant, Ma Po Tofu, and several others. Most vegetarian items are low-calorie, too (less than 500 calories per pound). And to my delight, brown rice is available.

Pei Wei Asian Diner:
    1000 E. 41st St. * 382-3860
     4200 S. Lamar Blvd. * 382-2990
     12901 N. I-35, Bldg 15 * 691-3060
     13429 N. Hwy. 183 * 996-0095

Asian. A mixture of Asian cuisines. This is "fast-casual" -- you order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. About 1/3 of the menu items are vegetarian if ordered with tofu, and those items are clearly marked with a special symbol. They offer brown rice as an option, which is appreciated. The food is unremarkable, and my teriyaki had far too much oil.

Sarovar (8440 Burnet Rd. #100, 78757, 512-454-8636)

Indian. Southern and Northern Indian cuisine. Over 60 vegetarian entrees. Can be prepared vegan upon request. Wide selection of dosas. 10% off with student or faculty ID.

Satay (3202 W. Anderson Ln., 467-6731)

Thai. Be careful: some of the vegetarian dishes have counterparts with the same name that include fish, so specify that you want the vegetarian version with no fish.

Swad Indian Vegetarian Restaurant (9515 N. Lamar, 512-997-7923)

Indian. "Swad specializes in South Indian vegetarian cuisine, and vegearian foods from the state of Gujarat in Western India. They make everything from scratch and share mutual ownership with the Taj Market a few doors down. Stop at the market a few doors down and grab a tub of Saffron-Pistachio ice cream before you leave!" (from the Austin Chronicle) I add: This is a really low-budget operation, though of course that's fine if you like that sort of thing. It has a cafeteria feel: You order at the register and pay there before you're seated, they give you plastic utensils, etc.

Taj Palace (6700 Middle Fiskville Rd., 512-452-9959)

Indian. Formal Indian dining. The vegetarian selections are pretty good, although you may be subjected to the smell of burning flesh when the waiters prepare a flaming entree at a nearby table. Vegans won't go hungry, but they'll have less to choose from, since most of the veggie dishes have butter, cream, or cheese. And that's not always indicated on the menu, either, so be sure to ask. I believe the Bhagan Bharta is vegan, but it seems to have been prepared with an entire bottle of olive oil. I haven't seen an entrée that greasy since...well, actually, I can't ever remember seeing an entrée that greasy.

Thai Menu - 472-8306 * 2514 Guadalupe 78705

Thai. Patrick Beeson writes: "They have lunch for $5 where you can choose 2 of 4 vegetarian dishes. They are decent enough for $5."

Thai Noodle House (2602 Guadalupe, 512-494-1011) • 11am-10pm daily

Thai. Very casual. Nice outside deck. Kind of hard to find -- it's behind a 7-11 -- you have to go through the alley behind the 7-11 to get to it.

Thai Noodle House (2602 Guadalupe, 512-494-1011) • 11am-10pm daily

Thai. Very casual. Nice outside deck. Kind of hard to find -- it's behind a 7-11 -- you have to go through the alley behind the 7-11 to get to it.

Thai Village (6406 N I H 35, 452-3888)

Kim writes in Jan. 2005: Everything fresh and made-to-order. Chef will substitute tofu and/or veggies in any meat dish on menu. Makes a great coconut milk soup that comes to the table in a flaming tureen! It's BYOB like Thai Kitchen.

African.  I usually don't list places outside of Austin proper (this one's in the next town, 13 miles from central Austin), but this place has the only vegetarian buffet in the area, for their lunch buffet.  In fact, considering that it's Ethiopian, it's almost certainly a vegan buffet too, though I haven't asked specifically.

Threadgills
    6416 N. Lamar * 451-5440  (M-Sat 11-10, Sun 10-9:30; 365 days a year)
    301 W. Riverside Drive * 472-9304  (M-Th 11-10, F/S 11-10:30; Sun 10-9:30; 365d)

Southern.  Threadgills' menu is what all non-vegan restaurant menus should aspire to (and Threadgills is welcome to quote me on that).  Items are clearly marked as vegan, dairy, or meat, and there's a conspicuous note that all frying is done in canola and corn oil.  It's so simple and easy to give customers this info right on the menu, but besides Threadgills, almost no one else has bothered to do so.  Threadgills offers a 3- and 5-vegetable plate, and of the 28 vegetables & sides to choose from, 9 are vegetarian and an additional 12 are vegan.  What's more, Threadgills offers seconds on the vegetable plates.  Well done!  Other restaurants, please take note of the transparency on Threadgill's menu.

Titaya's (5501 N. Lamar, 458-1792)

Thai. This place is great. The front page of their menu says, "All vegetarian and tofu dishes are prepared vegan." All the veg. dishes are starred, and there are a lot of them -- thirty-two. Lots to choose from. And it's not quantity over quality, either -- the entree I ordered was attractively presented and quite tasty. A reader tells me that since I wrote this review, they now have brown rice. reviewed Oct. 2006

Tom's Tabooley - 479-7337 * 2928 Guadalupe 78705 • (M-F 7-10, S 11-10, Sun 12-6)

Mediterranean.  Tabouli, Thai Tofu sandwiches, and other standard med. fare.  If you haven't been there since it was mostly a take-out place with a few barstools, check out the new expanded interior.

Vegan Yacht  1001 E. 6th * 619-7989 (M-Th 12-4, 7-12am; F/S 12-4, 7pm-3am)

American/TexMex. A food wagon in a little park with lots of other food wagons.  100% vegan, as you might suspect from the name. Opened in Aug. 2010.  added March 2011

Veggie Heaven - (1914-A Guadalupe, 512-457-1013) • Daily 11am-9pm

Chinese. Closest vegetarian dining to the University of Texas campus, and to-go service is available. The menu is extensive, mostly vegan, and boasts large, full-color photographs of each dish. It's absolutely the best menu I've ever seen. To top it off, they offer brown rice, a rarity in restaurants. The operators used to be devotees of Ching Hai, which was considered a cult. These days these seemed to have switched allegiances, now supporting Falun Gong. They don't push it, though, so don't worry about it. Voted Best Vegetarian Restaurant in '98 Austin Chronicle Critics Poll, Best Tofu Dish in '98 Chronicle Readers Poll, and 3 1/2 stars by the Austin American-Statesman. Check out their excellent website, including a complete color-photo menu.

WeFuse - 236-1011 * 120 E. 4th (Frost Bank Tower)  M-F 11-4

Japanese + French fusion. I'm not particularly impressed with this place, but a friend likes it so I'm including it. Probably the two ethnic cuisines with the fewest vegetarian options would be Japanese and French, so a combination of them doesn't exactly make one hopeful. Of their six salads, only one is vegan (Miso Crusted Tofu & Avocado) and only one more is vegetarian (Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese). Bento trays are even worse, one vegetarian, none vegan. The "Goodies" section does list possibly vegetarian Veggie Dumplings, Miso Soup, Chilled Soba, and Udon Bowl (the last three if you choose the Tofu option), but the menu offers no guidance as to whether they're truly veg. And considering that all udon and soba bowls in Japan (and most miso) are made with fish stock, it rather behooves a restaurant to be up front about whether their menu items are vegetarian or not. Finally, WeFuse has extremely limited hours.

Wheatsville Co-op Deli (3101 Guadalupe, 512-478-1164)

Deli inside a natural foods grocery store. Many vegetarian and vegan items to choose from, including lots of sandwiches. Some of the best bargains around. There's bar-style seating inside, and picnic-style seating outside. This is an "open" co-op, where non-members are welcome, and pay the same prices as members. Open until 9:00pm every night.

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Closed / Out of Business

Cosmic Café ( 1110 West Lynn, 512-482-0950), website

A reader reported in 9/07 that they're closed. Their website and phone number no longer work. History trivia: The owners of Mothers opened West Lynn around 1990, then around 2005 sold it to new owners, who restarted it as Cosmic Café. It didn't last too long in its new incarnation.

Nu Age Café (2425 Exposition, 512-477-5228) • 11am-9pm daily (website)

A reader reported in 9/07 they're closed. Thai / South Asian. Rob Nylund of the Vegetarian Network of Austin writes: "The menu offerings include 10 appetizers, salads, soups, grain and pasta dishes (pad thai, stir-fried noodles, butternut risotto, pesto linguine), entrées like soy spinach rolls, a shitake taro bowl, sesame seitan, a club sandwich with yucca fries, and a portobello mushroom burger. But try to save room for desserts like cake, pie and sorbet. You'll also find tea infusers, fruit tea and 'fusion' smoothies."

Shanghai River (2700 W. Anderson Lane, Village Shopping Center, 512-458-9598)

Closed in 2007. Chinese. Shanghai has two buffet islands. On Wed., Fri., and Sun. both of them are vegetarian, no meat at all. On the other days one island is vegetarian and the other is not. There's even soft-serve soy ice cream on the buffet. They also have a 50-item vegetarian menu. M-F 11-2:30, 5-9:30; Sat/Sun 11:30-9:30.

World Beat Cafe (600 W. MLK Blvd., 236-0197) Mon-Thu, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm; Sun, noon-6pm

Closed circa 2006. The following review remains for historical reasons. African. I was really unimpressed with this place but so many people have requested I add it that I finally had to add it anyway. The advertising World Beat outside proclaims "Burgers!" and inside the daily specials are burgers, hot dogs, chicken... Although it's ostensibly an African/Ethiopian cafe I couldn't find even a single injera dish on the menu. I asked about that and they directed me to look over an inconspicuous part of the side wall, where they had another menu that listed some things that weren't a part of the regular menu, for some inexplicable reason. This menu contained exactly one injera dish. I ordered it and I can safely say I've never had greasier lentils in my life. Most of the other veggie food is also very high in fat, like the peanut soup and fried plaintains. But if you don't care about your health (or your weight) and enjoy having limited veggie options then maybe this place is for you.