When I became vegan in 2003, I was living in Wisconsin, a state renowned for its meaty cuisine. Finding even a mediocre veggie burger was a rare treat that I didn't take for granted. To satisfy my craving for plant-based foods, I started touring the country, making vegan friends everywhere, and compiling an ever-growing list of the best vegan cities in the United States. Albuquerque is the exception in the mountainous Southwest region, with a growing list of vegetarian-friendly and fully vegan establishments.
The best thing about vegan food in this city is that not only can you find easy veganising options in Thai, Chinese and Indian restaurants (Annapurna has the most options), but you can also find fully vegan versions of traditional Southwestern cuisine. New Mexico is famous for its chili peppers, and you're likely to see dishes prepared “Christmas-style” with red and green chili sauce. Vegos ABQ is a great place to start your culinary adventure with chili, offering jackfruit and red chili burritos, forest burritos stuffed with potatoes, pinto beans and green chili, and generous plates of enchiladas. During your stay, visit the vet-owned Vegan Vato Instagram page to see where the food truck is expected to sell its tacos, toast, burritos and sandwiches. Washington D.
C. is the country's capital and it has as diverse vegan cuisine as its components. Think of vegan Taiwanese fried mozzarella at Pow Pow or vegan soul food at NuVegan Café. Stop by the Middle Eastern street food restaurant Shouk for mushroom shawarma, eggplant burger or award-winning Shouk Burger.
Don't forget to save room for dessert at the old vegan bakery Sticky Fingers or at the newcomer Donut Run, a vegan donut shop that doesn't want anyone to know it's vegan. Boise is another great destination for vegans. The Boise Fry Company offers vegan burgers accompanied by golden, purple, sweet or reddish fries, and their addicting and crunchy fried Brussels sprouts are a must-try. Tarbush Kitchen is a Middle Eastern restaurant run by Iraqi refugees that has excellent baba ganouj and the best falafel I've ever tasted in the United States. For dessert, head to Guru Donuts for sea salt, chocolate, maple and “hipsterberry” donuts. New York City is the unofficial cultural capital of the United States and it has incredible vegan food.
What makes plant-based food in New York City so incredible is that you can find vegan versions of almost any cuisine - Korean Kimchi Stew, Vietnamese Pho, Mexican Enchiladas, Chana Masala from India - all in one place. Avant Garden and Dirt Candy's vegan tasting menu are two of the best places to try out these dishes. Red Bamboo is a long-established vegan restaurant for a comforting home-cooked meal or head to Delice & for vegan bourguignon meat. Wisconsin may be known as the state of dairy products and Milwaukee as Beer City USA but it also has some great vegan restaurants. Palomino Bar and Restaurant was one of the first restaurants in the city to offer a full vegan menu (think buffalo tofu wings and fried pickles), while more recent additions such as Beerline Café (ideal for breakfast) and On The Bus (acai bowls, hamburgers and sandwiches) complete it when you want a meal without frying.
Alem Ethiopian isn't totally vegetarian but it has one of the most generous and interesting vegan dishes I've ever tasted. Los Angeles may have a bit of a reputation but it also has some great vegan restaurants. Screamers has the best pizza you'll find in the whole city (buffalo cauliflower is exaggerated) while Ras Plant Based and Buna Café are two excellent Ethiopian restaurants with an excellent weekend brunch. These are just some of my favorite cities for plant-based food lovers! There are many more cities across America that offer delicious vegan options - from Portland to Austin - so don't be afraid to explore!.
