If you’re like me, you love a good meal out with friends or a good Postmates in. But often, you find yourself ordering from the same places because there seems to be a lack of options. As a vegetarian, with many vegetarian and vegan friends, I know that I’ve struggled with this too. It took me a while to find places that serve food that I could enjoy too, and I think I’ve finally come up with a pretty solid list. Hopefully you can find a new favorite spot!
- Breakfast/Brunch
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This tends to be pretty easy for vegetarian options, as most breakfast food is already vegetarian. I’m going to recommend The Mixing Bowl Noshery. It’s a quite mom & pop place where all the coffee mugs don’t match and every server calls you “sweetheart.” This is by far one of my favorite KC spots.
For more vegan options, check out Succotash! Beware, it’s so popular that you’ll have long waits if you come at peak times, such as Sunday mornings. For some down home cooking, order the vegan sink.
- Latinx
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It’s a bit easier to find vegetarian options here than to find vegan ones. The best tex-mex in town with vegetarian options is Mi Ranchito. Their taco salad can be ordered with black beans instead of meat, and their huevos rancheros are fantastic.
If you’re looking for somewhere with vegan options, try Taco Republic, which also has a great patio area to meet up with friends.
If you’re wanting some amazing pupusas, check out El Salvadoreño in Overland Park. You can get them with just cheese, as well as cheese and beans. And be sure to try their hot sauce as well A close second best are the pupusas at La Plaza Restaurant, where the staff will treat you like family and have let me practice my spanish with them.
- Asian/Asian Fusion
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I know this is a pretty broad category, so I’ll try to break it up for you.
If you’re looking for a quick bite to go, I recommend Freestyle Poke, with both vegetarian and vegan options for poke bowls. For those unfamiliar with them, they are a bit like the Chipotle version of sushi.
For sushi, I would first recommend Friends Sushi and Bento. If you go, order the sweet potato tempura roll with cream cheese (added) or grab the vegetarian philadelphia roll. For a sushi restaurant with more vegan options, head to Blue Sushi Sake Grill. The eden roll, topped with fried eggplant, is amazing.
For Thai, one of the best places in town is Sweet Siam in Westport. Their tofu stir-fry is to die for. There are a variety of other vegetarian dishes, and tofu can be swapped for most meats.
For Indian, I recommend Swagat. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s definitely worth it. While vegan options are a bit harder, most Indian restaurants feature quite a few vegetarian dishes. As always, I would recommend the Paneer Masala.
- American
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One of the best spots around KC is Cafe Gratitude. Pretty much every item on the menu is vegetarian, and a good majority are vegan. It’s at a pretty decent price point, and has a great atmosphere to hang out with your friends!
If you’re like me and the only vegetarian in your family, when they want Kansas City BBQ you are in a tough spot. But not anymore! I can confidently say the Q39 has one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever eaten, and the mac and cheese can be ordered vegetarian and is a must side dish.
- Coffee Shops
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There’s a great selection of coffee shops here in KC. If you’re looking for a great coffee shop downtown that has those milk alternatives, then look no further than Vested Coffee. I just went in and had their Spice Squash latte and it was amazing.
If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly spot, check out Mudpie Bakery and Coffee Shop. Their baked goods are vegan and cater to other allergen needs as well. And as a vegan bakery, they have milk alternatives a plenty. I recommend the pumpkin cream cheese bars and the loaded s’mores bars to go with your drink of choice. And if you’re thinking, “I’ve tried to go and there’s never anywhere to park,” then you’ll be happy to know that there is a location now in Overland Park with an entire lot for you to park in.
These are just a few of my favorite spots around the city. Of course, there are many more options to choose from around the city, but I hope that at least some of these are new to you. Venture out and find your new favorite spot.