The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Vegan Restaurants in Portland

What are the best vegan restaurants in Portland?

Portland’s food scene has been one of the reasons so many people have migrated here in the past 5-10 years. (Portlandia can be considered the other.)

Seriously, Portland is one of the best places to be if you love food, beer, and wine. But what about vegan options?

Portland has plenty of those. It’s home to the World’s first Vegan Strip Club in Casa Diablo (and Casa Diablo II). There’s a vegan grocery store (located in the world’s first vegan mini-mall), and even a vegan gym.

Even if a restaurant isn’t fully vegan, they are sure to offer vegan or gluten-free options.

Keep reading to learn what the best vegan restaurants are in Portland.

Getting Around Portland

There are 96 neighborhoods that make up the city, and each one couldn’t be more different from the other.

There are neighborhoods that are older and are growing in popularity, like St. Johns. There are others that you wouldn’t even think of going to, like Multnomah Village.

In just about every neighborhood, you’ll find a place with vegan options.

Vegan dining has come a long way in the last decade, and we’ve come a long way since the days of Tofurky being the only vegan option.

Portland has long been at the forefront of the movement and is considered to be the best place for vegan dining in the country.

The Best Vegan Restaurants in Portland

How does one decide what the best vegan restaurants are? The quality and flavor of the food come first. The creativity of the menu and the reputation all are taken into consideration.

Without further ado, these are the best vegan restaurants in Portland.

Homegrown Smoker

Vegan barbecue.

Those are probably two words that you wouldn’t put together. Yet, at Homegrown Smoker, they are a perfect combination.

Smoked tempeh ribs and soy curls and macaroni and cheese make this place a must on your vegan restaurant list.

Try the SloMoMofo sandwich. You will not regret it.

Virtuous Pie

Voted Restaurant of the Year by Veg News in 2017, Virtuous Pie has built quite a reputation for itself in a short period of time.

If you love pizza and ice cream, you can get both here. You can get a traditional pizza with their homemade nut based cheese or go for something completely different, like the Stranger Wings Pizza. That has a unique combination of buffalo cauliflower, fried shallots, and blue cheese drizzle.

Blossoming Lotus

One of the early additions to the vegan scene in Portland, Blossoming Lotus is where you go for a hot vegan date or to enjoy a night out with friends.

The menu is somewhat small, but you can get small plates, large plates, and salads.

They’ve been offering more raw menu options in recent years.

The menus change frequently, based on what’s in season. Their cocktails are outstanding and if you don’t drink alcohol, the lavender lemonade is something you must try.

Vita Cafe

If you’ve ever wanted to go to an old school diner that’s vegan, Vita Cafe is about as close as you’ll get.

It’s vegan and vegetarian, so you will see eggs and cheese on the menu. Breakfast is served until 3 pm every day, and you better go when you’re hungry.

The portion sizes are generous, to say the least, whether you get a tofu scramble or a vegan BLT sandwich.

Back to Eden Bakery

Back to Eden opened in 2009 as a vegan ice cream and pastry shop. It grew over the years and opened a second location and expanded to include a full restaurant menu.

You can get pizza, brunch, salads, and more. Of course, don’t forget about the ice cream.

A Little Nectar

They say if you’re going to do one thing, make sure you do it well. That seems to be the philosophy of A Little Nectar.

The one thing they do – waffles. That’s right, vegan waffles. You can get them topped with mushroom gravy, jalapeno cream cheese, and avocado or sweet apples.

It’s a small place, so you’ll want to get there early.

Vegan Brunch in Portland

You’re not a Portlander until you do brunch. If you’ve ever watched the scene in Portlandia when they go to brunch, it might be a send-up, but it’s not too far from the truth.

People will wait for 90 minutes to get into their favorite brunch spot. It can turn into quite the spectacle when you’re driving along Hawthorne and you see a line out of every restaurant.

While it may seem insane, it is a part of the culture here that you should experience.

Which vegan restaurants have the best brunch?

A Little Nectar, Back to Eden and Vita Cafe are great choices. If you want something slightly more upscale, Blossoming Lotus is an excellent choice.

If you have a group where some want plant-based and others don’t check out Jam on Hawthorne, The Tin Shed, and Slappy Cakes.

Other Vegan Goodies to Note

While these places aren’t restaurants, they’re still worth a visit for snacks, dessert, or an awfully sweet treat.

For example, you can check out the Sweet Pea Baking Company. It’s a vegan mainstay in Portland, and you can find it in the vegan mini-mall on SE 12th and Stark St.

It’s great for a quick bite and a sweet treat afterward.

You can visit Portland’s first vegan donut shop, which is Doe Donuts. It’s on 82nd and Powell, which is a little bit of a drive outside of downtown, but well worth it.

No too far from there is Jet-Black Coffee Company, a punk rocker’s dream, and vegan coffee shop.

Vegan Love in Portland

Portland has had the reputation of being the weird kid in between Seattle and San Francisco. It’s grown up quite a bit in recent years and those folks from Seattle and San Francisco have flocked to Portland.

Portland’s vegan food scene grew up along with it. At a time when there were several options, over the last 10 years, the vegan scene blew up and these restaurants can compete with any restaurant for the title of best restaurant in Portland.

If you want more great tips about the best that Portland has to offer, check out our blog.