When you're vegan, finding vegan friendly eateries can be frustrating and can often take time out of your trip to truly enjoy yourself. For this reason, we utilized this awesome blog we found with a guide to ALL the vegan friendly food in NOLA (updated often) and even a convenient map on where this food can be found throughout the city!
Extremely helpful, but it also includes some places that may have limited vegan options, or that can prep you a special vegan meal if you call ahead. We chose to do most of our city exploring by foot and needed to grab a bite when hungry and when on the go- we had an idea of the places we wanted to eat (from viewing the blog ahead of time) but wanted to be able to just grab food as we passed through an area and not stress about what limited options they may have. Here I will discuss each vegan place we visited from first hand experience; it's location, it's price range, and the kind of options available (because after all, these are the kinds of things I look at when looking into a restaurant before eating there). I wanted to share the places we enjoyed solely because they're all AMAZING and deserve a little love. Hope the next time you visit NOLA you'll consider checking some of these places out!
*Special note- the NOLA sales tax SUCKS. In the French Quarter and other areas in the city it is 10.25%!!!!!!!!! I wish someone had told us this before we went, because we definitely spent a hefty amount to the city itself while there and it's a shame that the businesses we supported see none of it. This tax IS also on food as well, so keep in mind when planning your meals (which should also include a tip as well) and when shopping. NOLA may have killed our wallets but we didn't let it crush our vegan spirits and stop us from enjoying our experience there!
End of the Line Cafe (NOT IN NOLA, Pensacola, FL):
Sorry, this one is NOT in NOLA, but in Pensacola, FL! I threw it in here in case you're road trippin' and pass through on your way (and because it's absolutely one of my favorites and I couldn't stand to leave it out!). This place is a must stop as it totally satisfied my craving for delicious vegan food, it really filled me up and the presentation was wonderful. We got a tempeh tuna melt sandwich, and a tempeh loaded sandwich with fried tofu bacon and loads of other veggies and stuff in there (as you can see, the 4 piece sandwich is very large). Their menu includes tons of loaded sandwiches, wraps, platters and starters (many have tofu or tempeh in them and other wholesome ingredients) and everything on the menu is under $10 making it very affordable for vegan, wholesome and organic meals. This place has famous "pink" potato salad, which is made with beets to give that fun, rich color. They also have a fridge with desserts and treats to go, and the ENTIRE restaurant is organic and vegan which is a big plus for us. The setting is a cute, funky cafe that also has back outdoor seating and is pet-friendly. I rate this place an A+ in affordability, and A+ in taste and quality. Keep in mind they're closed on Mondays.
Dreamy Weenies (French Quarter, NOLA):
Hot dogs gone NOLA! Our first food stop in NOLA, this one wasn't far from our Airbnb so it was a perfect quick dinner when we arrived to the city late. They have sit down seating but it's not fine dining or anything. They have regular meat hot dogs but have four different vegan hot dogs (including a falafel one!) to choose from, vegan rolls upon request, and several vegan topping options to fully customize your dog. I got "the higgy" which is loaded with vegan chili, vegan cheese and vegan grits. I also loaded on some kraut which was so good! We got waffle fries and sweet potatoes on the side. Options are all under $10 making this a great affordable meal on the go. I rate this place A+ in affordability, and an A+ in taste and quality.
Gumbo Shop (Jackson Square, French Quarter, NOLA)
There is no New Orleans experience without enjoying some authentic gumbo! We heard the Gumbo Shop has a vegan gumbo, although it isn't posted on their menu or website (they have a special vegan menu upon request with a few options). We got a large cup of vegan gumbo to go and enjoyed it by the river. The gumbo was pretty good, had some rice and veggies and broth and spices, but to be honest it wasn't anything spectacular.. similar to a basic soup I could throw together myself at home. I would recommend getting it if you are with non-vegans that want to get authentic NOLA food at the shop with a great historic atmosphere, but if you're going just for the gumbo itself, there are other places that have a better vegan alternative. Being said, it was not bad and we still really enjoyed it. It was around 8 or 9 dollars though for a large cup (I forget the exact quantity), it was bigger than your basic cup but not enough to fill both of us up, and a piece of french bread. Okay price, but not a steal or anything. I rate the gumbo a B (for being a good soup, but not a spectacular "gumbo") and a B for affordability.
Green Goddess (French Quarter, NOLA)
We literally stumbled upon this place on our way to the next restaurant listed-- so decided to share something for a small lunch and then go to the next place later on for dinner. The Green Goddess does have meat options.. but marks it's vegetarian and vegan options. Keep in mind that they do have a separate lunch and dinner menu with different options. They have less options than some of the other vegan restaurants we ate at but the few they have seem really good (and the one we got was delicious). We got this Uttapam pancake thing stuffed with curry and veggies and all kinds of stuff and it was really tasty. This was possibly Josh's favorite meal of the whole trip! Has outdoor seating which is good if you have a furry friend joining you. Their prices seem to range from around $10-$15. I give it A+ for taste and quality and A for affordability.
Meals from the Heart Cafe (French Market, French Quarter, NOLA)
This place is set up right in the French Market and you can sit on a bar stool to grab a bite while enjoying the busy atmosphere in the center of town, or get your food to go. They have both vegan and non vegan meal options, and they serve breakfast all day. They even have an array of juices and smoothies. We got Po Boy subs for dinner (a portabello one and a black bean one) with veggies and potatoes on the side but they also have great looking vegan pancakes and apple sausage. They also have salads and great vegan soups including a large black bean soup with toppings and an authentic vegan gumbo which we did not try but have heard is really good. A great place to get some filling comfort food... the food is delicious! Keep in mind they close with the majority of the market at 5, so if you are planning on this place for dinner you have to get your food early. Looks like it would be a perfect option for breakfast or brunch. There is outdoor seating in the market you can eat at if you get your food to go when they're closing, and although being outside is not pet-friendly because it's within the market area. A+ for taste and quality, A for affordability (with most options under $10, some a little over).
The Crepe Cart (French Market, French Quarter, NOLA)
Um. This place is amazing. It's a cute little cart in the middle of the French Market amidst of all the vendors and artists and hustle and bustle.. making it another great grab and go option for vegan eats. It's right across from the Meals from the Heart Cafe. They have a whole list of vegan options with a vegan battered crepe, and assorted savory AND sweet options. We got two dessert crepes: strawberries and coconut cream, and the Biscotti one with COOKIE BUTTER. The cookie butter one was definitely my favorite. This place was one of my favorites of all, so much that I couldn't stop thinking about those crepes and it inspired me to learn to make my own as soon as I got home! All crepes are under $10, making this another affordable meal option, but keep in mind the cart only accepts cash. You can watch them make your crepe right in front of you and the service is great and fast. Highly recommend grabbing a crepe as you explore the French Market in NOLA! They're only open until 5:30PM, so they are a good lunch or dessert option. I rate it an A+ for taste and quality and an A for affordability.
Good Karma Cafe (Mid-City area, NOLA)
This adorable cafe is actually inside of a Yoga studio, but is a full service cafe with a huge menu and endless organic, vegan, wholesome, comfort food type options! They also have outdoor seating so you can grab your food to go and eat outside if you have dogs. EVERYTHING on the menu is vegan and organic (and all produce is locally sourced) giving you so many wonderful things to choose from. A lot of the food options are indian inspired dishes and meals, and they also have salads, sandwiches, wraps, platters and breakfast items (such as loaded bagels topped with avocado and tasty things like that). They also have several desserts. The entire back of their menu is dedicated to drinks, including coffee, juices and smoothies. Everything is just so wholesome. We literally couldn't decide what to eat so we got the "everything platter". Perfect option because it contained several different things from the menu to try, and a good portion for us to share. We also got a smoothie with matcha green tea powder which help keep us energized all day long. The atmosphere inside their cafe is so warm and welcoming and it looks like a pretty nice studio to do yoga if that's your thing! Made me want to join a class or something but we didn't have time! Definitely worth checking out, this gem may not stand out as a full "restaurant" but I highly recommend stopping here for a bite.. they have SO many options! A+ for taste and quality, A for affordability (most things under $10, some larger platters a little more). This was definitely one of my favorites (as in, as I write this, my heart is aching to go back right now!) Sorry my food pic isn't beautiful- we got it in to-go form to eat outside so it was all boxed up.
Superfood Bar (Magazine St., NOLA)
If you like raw/healthy vegan food and smoothies then this is definitely your place! Everything is vegan, wholesome and really really good for you. We got a couple of almost raw wraps that were made of a homemade veggie burger thing, nut cheese and veggies and they were amazing! They also have salads and tons and tons of juices, smoothies, shakes, and other drinks like kombuchas and teas. This is a true health nut place to eat and contains the type of food I would love to live off of! This place was a good reminder for me to start making more wholesome, simple foods at home. A+ for taste and quality, and A+ for affordability (everything under $10.. and dude the wraps are only $6.50!) They also have outdoor seating and are dog friendly.
Seed (Garden District Area, NOLA)
A fully vegan sit down restaurant, and home of delicious authentic vegan gumbo AND beignets (both NOLA staples!). They have many raw and non-raw food options and everything is just so fricken good here I can't stand it. Everything is also organic, and many things are locally sourced. They're all about sustainability and are super eco-friendly, in addition to being involved with helping various causes for animal welfare and conservation (awesome!). Pricing is fair for the quality of the food (everything is under $14), but there are little add ons here and there if you want to modify anything such as gluten free. We got delicious nachos as an appetizer, a fried eggplant poboy sandwich, half portion of quality tasting vegan gumbo (more flavor than the other gumbo we got), a REALLY good half salad, and some REALLY GOOD beignets for dessert. Tons of options, it's seriously really hard to choose, which is why we got several different things. The food was absolutely amazing. A+ for taste and quality, and A for affordability. Take me backkkkkkk.
Carmo (Warehouse/arts district, NOLA)
This place is not all vegan but they have a few good vegan options and are also flexible about modifying. Their food is tropical and really really good! They have a lot of different types of interesting salads, and a few sandwiches (a simple veggie one, a deli-ham style one, and the one we got). A lot of the vegan options have a vegan deli-ham as the protein... we are not a fan of that so they replaced the ham with black beans on this delicious plantain patty with mango sauce for us! SO good! We also got a half portion salad size of the broken noodle salad which was a pretty big amount and very delicious. They had a special that was a gumbo like soup poured over rice as well. They have assorted vegan and gluten free baked goods so naturally we couldn't leave without taking a chocolate chip pistachio cookie with us which very very huge, wholesome, and uniquely wonderful. A+ for taste and quality, A for pricing which is about $14 and under, some $15 on the dinner menu which is different than the lunch menu. Love!
Sneaky Pickle (Bywater, NOLA)
This amazing place was our last vegan meal in NOLA and it was right by our house we were staying in! A hidden gem, with a MOSTLY vegan menu with a few bits of meaty things for meat people and so many wholesome, delicious options with locally sourced ingredients (as in I kinda wanted the entire menu, please?). They had live music in an outdoor seating area, and had so many specials not on their menu written up on a chalkboard (such as a few vegan sushi varieties, salad, maybe something else I don't remember... special "ice cream sandwich flavors of the day", etc.)
We got a raw beet flatbread with some kind of delicious mixture of raw amazingness on it, a huge ass platter of vegan mac n cheese with some veggies mixed in, a veggie burger sandwich, and for dessert, a locally sourced pecan ice cream with herbs n stuff in it sandwiched in between two oatmeal cookies. We also got a homemade chocolate chip cookie because we just couldn't get enough. Super affordable, everything was well under $10. A+ for everything! If we lived in our Airbnb, this would probably be our regular go to whenever we needed to grab some food. I wishhhhh <3
So there ya have it. These are all MY personally recommendations... not to say they're the best or anything (I mean come on though, these were all pretty damn amazing I'm kinda crying right now because I'm not still there eating all this amazing food)! But there are also several other vegan-friendly places in NOLA that we didn't get a chance to make it to and I'm sure they're all delicious as well! I hope that my personal experiences can help other vegans when selecting their dining options in NOLA :) To learn more about my trip as a whole, here you can find a full outline of our itinerary (which includes camping in the Florida Panhandle) and learn some tips on how to manage an 8 day trip with 3 large canines :) Enjoy your trip and ENJOY THE FOOD!! <3 <3
OH OH OH- one last thing. Here's a super duper amazing set of vegan shops by a compassionate and cruelty-free vegan artist, Ally Burguieres, who is passionate about improving animal welfare and conservation and uses her art to spread her messages. She has three shops in town, one is right next to Seed, and is a true vegan boutique which includes all of her most vegan-friendly designs, she has a gallery, which is in the French Quarter on Royal Street and displays her paintings and works of art, and her Cocoally printing shop around the corner on St. Ann where you can get custom printed shirts of any style with any work of her art on them! I got a tank and a tote from her and I LOVE them! This woman is most definitely my new role model/inspiration and I'm so glad to have food her shops!
No comments:
Post a Comment