Happily, the number of all-vegan and veg-friendly restaurants in town has been steadily increasing over the past few years, especially within the food trailer movement. Since we absolutely want our herbivore neighbors to enjoy ATX’s colorful food culture, we’ve cultivated a list of ten of the best vegan eats and eateries in the greater Austin area:
10. Kerbey Lane Cafe is the uncontested king of vegan pancakes
Kerbey Lane’s strawberry vegan pancakes. Photo: Flickr user Stephanie, CC licensed.
We adore Kerbey Lane Cafe for multiple reasons. Not only do they serve food that makes both our tastebuds and our tummies supremely happy, but they’re also champions of the local and sustainable food movement and they seriously care about our community. But back to tastebuds. Kerbey Lane serves three major vegan eats beyond salad: a veggie burger that’s usually quite decent, a tofu breakfast scrambler that’ll make you curl your toes, and the best friggin’ vegan pancakes ever.
7 locations, phone numbers and hours vary. Menu. Website.
Arlo’s Bac’n Cheeze Burger. Photo: Flickr user Stephanie, CC licensed.
A long-time alternative diet favorite, Arlo’s is a all-vegan food trailer with three trucks — one that’s usually parked at Cheer Up Charlie’s, one that usually sets up shop at The Grackle, and one at Spiderhouse. So what do we mean by vegan comfort food? We mean burgers and tacos, people. Arlo’s mouthwatering Bac’n Cheeze, Chipotle Chick’n, and BBQ burgers are unmatched in Austin, and their Street and Chick’n tacos are wonderful too.
HappyCow visited (and loved) Conscious Cravings in their 2013 Austin vegan food trailer crawl. Video screenshot from YouTube user HappyCow.
Sporting “modern plant-based cuisine,” Conscious Cravings is an all-vegan food trailer that’s currently parked at South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery, as well as a location in the Mueller area. They’ve also opened a new location in the trendy St. Elmo district (located in the yard). While Conscious Cravings sells multiple different types of food, including wraps, salads, and smoothies, it’s their tasty Bella wrap that has us drooling. Made with portabella mushrooms, grilled onions, tomatoes, and the trailer’s own original recipe for herbed vegan mayonnaise, memories of the Bella will probably keep you up at night. Just saying.
1311 S 1st St, 512-582-9182, open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Fri – Sat til 10 p.m.). 4209 Airport Blvd, 512-582-2124, open daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 514 E. St. Elmo Rd, 512-998-4566, open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Menu. Website.
Philly Seitan with Chipotle Quinoa. Photo: Flickr user Jeff Gunn, CC licensed.
Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza. The Philly Seitan. TACO TUESDAYS. These are just a few of the reasons why Counter Culture deserves a visit. Once a humble little food trailer serving up “internationally inspired” raw cuisine, Counter Culture has quickly become a local favorite. The company opened an East Austin brick and mortar site three years ago. Even cooler: you’ll love their community- and health-minded business philosophies and their donut holes are seriously yum.
2337 E Cesar Chavez St. 512-524-1540. Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Menu. Website.
Bouldin Creek Cafe. Photos: LEFT Flickr user Commodore Gandalf Cunningham, RIGHT Flickr user Carlos Pacheco, CC licensed.
Bouldin Creek Cafe isn’t exactly a vegan restaurant (it is, however, a vegetarian one), but they might as well be. The vegan-specific dishes that they do serve are seriously good — especially their tofu scrambler, which will make you remember why life is worth living — and they keep dairy and meat-free ingredients on hand to be able to make most dishes vegan. Combine that with their artsy bohemian atmosphere, friendly waitstaff, and varied drink selection, and you’re gonna want to put Bouldin Creek on your restaurants-to-try list, dear vegans.
1900 S 1st St. 512-416-1601. Open Mon – Fri 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sat – Sun 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Menu. Website.
Why yes, that is a hipster octopus riding a bicycle. Photo: Flickr user Amanda Hirsch, CC licensed.
Two words: Freeto Burrito. No? Arrrg, we’ll explain. The Freeto Burrito is a grilled flour tortilla wrap stuffed full of corn chips and organic tempeh chili, it exists because of the geniuses at The Vegan Yacht, one of Austin’s all-vegan food trailers. And if you eat it, you’re going to want to name your ship after it. Now, that’s not to say that The Yacht’s other menu items are not equally as delicious, because they are. It’s just that where else in these waters can you get vegan Frito pie in wrap form? Nowhere, mateys.
5212 Manchaca Rd. 512-619-7989. Open Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. Menu. Website.
We interviewed The Vegan Nom’s owner one time. Check it out.
Generally, vegan tacos are something of a joke. Many Tex-Mex establishments don’t make a habit of stocking dairy free cheese alternatives or faux meats in their kitchens, so most “vegan” tacos tend to be bland and disappointing unless you make ’em yourself. Enter The Vegan Nom, “Austin’s original all vegan Tex-Mex taco trailer,” where all of the tacos are delicious and conscious (if a bit spicy), and breakfast never ever ends. Oh and Northloop fans — they have plans to reopen that trailer some time in 2018, so stay tuned!
2324 E. Cesar Chavez. 512-497-3147. Open Tues – Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m and Sun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Menu. Website.
Bonus vegan item: You can now find the exclusive/elusive Impossible Burger, the one that bleeds and seems like real meat, at Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Be sure to ask for it vegan, as it’s usually served with cheese and on a non-vegan bun.
Once you’ve exhausted this list, Austin’s still got a few more veg-friendly eateries that are worth your time. Try BBQ Revolution for delicious vegan barbecue (yes, it really is “all the grillin’ with none of the killin'”). Guac N Roll serves up some amazing vegan guacamole, Sweet Ritual, Bananarchy, and Lick Honest Ice Creams are both ready and very very able to satisfy your non-dairy dessert cravings, and Promise Pizza‘s got your pie needs covered.
And if that’s not enough, Casa De Luz, Nice N Ful, Cool Beans, and Unity Vegan Kitchen have also all been hailed for the quality of their varied vegan grub — proof that, maybe someday, Austin can claim a third title: Vegan Food Capital of the World.
Information updated as of 8/13/18.
Additional reporting by Laurie-Lyons Makaimoku
Featured photo: Flickr user LearningLark, CC licensed.
