Austin is known for food and music, and where good food and good music come together. Austin is also known for being the “live music capital of the world” with festivals like SXSW and Austin City Limits, and local music venues that play jazz and rock. Culturally, Austin feels a lot more open-minded than the rest of Texas. Southern Hospitality runs deep in Austin. Barbecues are a big thing here! Locals gather in large groups to cook and eat in a communal setting, making it an ideal place for food lovers.
Being vegan in Austin is a piece of cake. With the growing presence of plant-based restaurants and cafes, veganism has successfully rooted itself in this city. Austin’s food scene is made up of eateries of all types – from food trucks with rotating menus to grab-and-go delis, with options to accommodate people with all kinds of dietary needs. If you’re vegan, vegetarian, or veg-curious, you won’t have any trouble finding what you need! Check out our guide to the best vegan spots in Austin, Texas.
Nissi Vegan Mexican Cuisine
Price: $$
Cuisine: Mexican
Website: www.nissivegmex.com/
Located just north of central Austin sits Nissi Vegan Mexican Cuisine, which serves, you guessed it, vegan Mexican food. Vegan Mexican is a genre that has taken off in Austin. Nissi started with humble food truck beginnings. As of 2022, they opened a full-service restaurant serving the same vegan eats that made them popular when the business was run out of the food truck. We recommend ordering the birria tacos, birria soy protein with lime, cilantro, and onion in a corn tortilla, lightly fried and served with a cup of consommé for dipping. Enjoy the tacos with their homemade “hempchata”, Nissi’s take on traditional horchata made with hemp seeds and sweetened with sugar.
Citizen Eatery
Price: $$
Cuisine: Breakfast, American
Website: www.citizeneatery.com
Citizen Eatery is a 100% vegan spot serving casual plant-based meals in a light and airy restaurant. If you’re coming here with a group, the menu here will satisfy anyone’s cravings. Opt for family-style dining and order a variety of starters including locally made chile con queso with chips, breaded Cajun spiced cauliflower, and fried hen-of-the-woods mushrooms with a side of espresso BBQ sauce for dipping. As part of your family-style dinner, we suggest ordering pecan pesto noodles to please the crowd. With this dish, you can take your pick of zucchini noodles or gluten-free pasta tossed with house-made vegan pesto, fragrant toasted pecans for texture, crimini mushrooms, and sweet onion for a Citizen Eatery twist. Citizen Eatery also offers a special happy hour menu with craft cocktails and mocktails made with Latin American influences.
Lick It Up
Price: $
Cuisine: Mexican
Website: www.lickitupeats.com
Food trucks are a big part of Austin’s food scene. Food trucks are ideal for up-and-coming chefs and aspiring restauranteurs to showcase their talent and be able to garner more exposure. Lick It Up is one food truck that you can’t miss in Austin. Lick It Up was once featured on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” and with one visit, you can see why this spot was featured on national TV. The menu was designed to reflect the street food found in the border town of El Paso/Juarez. Some standouts include the tacos de alambre with vegan carne asana, mushroom chorizo, cheese, avocado salsa, and grilled pico de gallo. Another favorite is the flautas plate which is garnished with a tangy vinaigrette and pickled onions to add a fresh twist to a traditional dish.
Bistro Vonish
Price: $$
Cuisine: European, Asian, American
Website: www.bistrovonish.com
In 2013, Bistro Vonish started as a private supper club for people to gather and share meals. Today, Bistro Vonish prides itself on serving “elevated vegan cuisine” to vegans and vegan-curious alike. The menu has a unique selection and includes a Texan take on Kolache, a beloved Czech pastry. Here, the kolache is filled with sautéed spinach, tomato, mushroom, and a chickpea scramble. We also suggest the grilled carrot salad that is way more than an ordinary side of roasted carrots, served with pickled onion and topped with a Catalonian garlic aioli drizzle. Try the chocolate mousse pie and the homemade cinnamon rolls to end your meal on a sweet note.
The Beer Plant
Price: $$
Cuisine: American
Website: www.thebeerplant.com
The Beer Plant has a straightforward concept — beer and plant-based eats. You can feel like a local and enjoy a hearty plant-based meal paired perfectly with local and domestic beers. As you peruse your options, you will see that The Beer Plant can appease a craving for Italian, American, and Indian food with a small but mighty menu. You can have anything from truffle grilled cheese to hearts of palm “crab” cakes, to an Indian aloo gobi-style curry served with rice. Every Saturday, you can enjoy a meal followed by a live performance next door featuring local musicians. Try not to get too full, dancing is encouraged!
Mission Street Burrito
Price: $
Cuisine: Mexican
Website: www.missionstreetburrito.com
Mission Street Burrito in Central Austin serves up vegan Mexican street food favorites in a casual restaurant that is better set up for takeout orders. Burritos are made with a base of Mission Street’s “meaty” proteins — Garden pollo asado, pork chili verde, Impossible carne asada, and mushroom and lentil crumbles. In addition to the plant-based protein, rice, veggies, and your choice of toppings like sour cream and salsa. Our favorite item on the menu is the quesadilla suiza made with one of four protein bases, melted cheese, pico de Gallo, and spicy tomatillo salsa. Mission Street Burrito is worth visiting for its 100% vegan soft-serve ice cream alone. Flavors rotate weekly and you can catch flavors like Mexican chocolate, churro, pineapple mangolada, and more.
Dear Diary Coffee
Price: $
Cuisine: Cafe, Dessert
Website: www.deardiary.coffee
Dear Diary is conveniently located in the center of Austin and is a fully vegan cafe and deli.
The bakery items at Dear Diary are provided by other small businesses in Austin, including our other favorite vegan spot, Bistro Vonish. Start with a frothy latte with coffee beans roasted by women and originated in women-led farms. For something light, we recommend the soy bacon and potato taco or the spiced seitan kolache. Stop by for a latte and small bites, and browse the Dear Diary Market that showcases art, jewelry, and more from local artisans.
Plow Burger
Price: $
Cuisine: Burgers
Website: www.plowburger.com
If you dine at Plow Burger, not only will you indulge in delicious 100% vegan burgers, you will be supporting a business that makes sustainable practices a priority, such as reducing water usage and greenhouse emissions. The Plow Burger food truck is small, but the menu carries a decent selection of burgers. Our choice is classic. We stick with the Plow Burger, a Beyond Meat patty with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, and a house-made tangy secret sauce. Go with our favorite house burger, or try the burger of the week, which takes on new flavors and inspirations every week (“pork” belly burgers or a sushi-style burger complete with a patty made of rice, for example). Plow Burger has outdoor picnic table seating available on-site.
Alyssa R.
Alyssa is a Chicago-based writer with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Media & Cinema Studies from DePaul University. She leads a vegan lifestyle and when she isn't exploring the latest vegan restaurants in her city, she enjoys film, traveling, and learning new languages.
