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An overhead shot of colorful drinks, a burrito, a breakfast plate, and a waffle topped with banana slices.
A vegan spread from Heartbeet.
Jenn Duncan

Houston’s 16 Essential Vegan Restaurants

The city’s prime places for delicious plant-based eats and drinks

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A vegan spread from Heartbeet.
| Jenn Duncan

With its lauded barbecue restaurants and steakhouses, Houston is known as a haven for meat eaters, but its vegan food scene is nothing to scoff at. Trying to find stellar meatless and dairy-free food at restaurants in the past may have meant a sad order of limp carrots on a bed of dry lettuce, but things have changed in a major way since then. Along with popular restaurants like Local Foods, Bella Green, Pondicheri, and Dish Society, which have tasty vegan choices, there are restaurants fully dedicated to offering a complete plant-based menu.

From seasoned coconut meat and cashew queso to vegan sushi, there are plenty of flavorful ways to incorporate meats seafood, and dairy alternatives when dining out. Consider this guide of Houston restaurants serving top notch plant-based meals, drinks, desserts, and more.

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Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine

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Housed in the ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Garden Oaks, Govinda’s offers a pure vegan menu of Indian eats on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and a vegetarian menu the rest of the time. Try spicy dishes like the gluten-free saag paneer and daal makhani with rice pilaf before touring the grounds.

JuiceLand

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This smoothie shop is known for its variety of blended beverages and superfood lattes, but it touts seriously tasty plant-based eats too. There is a deconstructed spring roll bowl, hearty with gluten-free vermicelli, organic mixed greens, marinated baked tofu, and cashew-miso dressing; a grain bowl loaded with jerk sweet potatoes, coconut grains, and black eyed pea patties; and a burrito packed with potato, mushroom, black bean spread, and vegan sour cream.

A vegan burrito in a plastic box with an orange-colored juice on the side.
The vegan queso roller at Juiceland.
Juiceland

Heartbeet

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Born from the team behind Hungry’s, Heartbeet brings a full menu of plant-based eats to the forefront. Like its sister restaurant, a hefty focus is put on showcasing fresh, quality ingredients in a variety of all-day eats. Along with dishes like a “poke” bowl made with roasted beets and cauliflower “steak”, Heartbeet offers a weekend brunch touting staples like migas, avocado toast, and breakfast burritos — all made with meatless and dairy-free ingredients.

A tray of three tacos with a side of black beans.
Plant-based tacos at Heartbeet.
Jenn Duncan

Flower Child

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This casual cafe offers vegan options galore, including items like avocado hummus, butternut squash risotto, and loaded bowls combining rice or noodles with vegetables and herbs. Try the Thai wrap stuffed with spicy tofu, Thai basil, avocado, carrot, daikon radish, cilantro, and snap peas, and save room for vegan chocolate pudding.

This all vegan restaurant boasts Mexican comfort eats made sans meat or dairy. Get nachos topped with beans and cashew cheese, a jackfruit flauta plate, or a piping hot bowl of pozole with sliced mushrooms. Insider tip: Pair your meal with an agua fresca, and get free refills when you dine in.

Chef Kenny's Asian Vegan Cuisine

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Chef Kenny’s Asian Vegan Cuisine is known for its vast menu of vegan alternatives to favorites like hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken, beef and broccoli, Mongolian beef, and more. Beyond stir-fry plates and soups, the restaurant offers a complete selection of vegan sushi and hand rolls.

San San Tofu

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If there’s one certainty in the world, it’s that plain tofu is hardly described as scrumptious. But the housemade namesake food at San San Tofu will convince anyone that bean curd can be more appetizing than it sounds. Pick up a pack in the market section of the store, or pop over to the restaurant side for a cheap feast of tofu, rice and a pile of Vietnamese pastries for under $10.

Trendy Vegan

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Trendy Vegan offers an array of vegan eats, alongside power smoothies and shakes. Get an order of pan fried dumplings before moving on to an entree like the general Tso tofu or garlic sauce eggplant, and finish strong with a Feeling Good smoothie, loaded with mango, spinach, blueberry and pineapple.

Vibrant

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In addition to meatless eats like gnocchi with avocado-cashew crema and quinoa falafel, Vibrant offers vegan pastries, available daily in the restaurant’s pastry cases. Satisfy your sweet tooth with brownies, cookies, or cupcakes, and then take an order of almond bread or root veggie muffins home for later.

Sinfull Bakery

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No list of Houston’s finest vegan establishments would be complete without mention of Sinfull Bakery. Established in 2010 by Dylan Carnes, Sinfull pumps out rich, butterless goodies sold everywhere from Central Market to farmers markets. The everything bar, made with Texas pecans, almonds, flax seeds, and more, is a classic.

Soul Food Vegan

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No need to kick your barbecue or soul food habit when you’re trying to go vegan. Soul Food Vegan offers platters of smoked barbecue jackfruit paired with sides like red potatoes and Cajun dirty rice, saucy bacon cheeseburgers, and loaded gumbo bowls. The Third Ward restaurant serves generous portions and does not skimp on flavor.

The Doshi House

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The Dosh House is a no-frills cafe that doubles as a coffee shop. A menu of vegan eats include items like potato and quinoa tacos and a rotating selection of soup, while coffee house staples like lattes and mochas are all made without dairy.

Green Seed Vegan

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Green Seed Vegan has a hefty menu of vegan dishes, including a section dedicated to raw eats. Go for a fresh pressed panini on flat French bread or go the raw route with something like the “rawrrito” made with seasoned coconut meat and topped with zucchini bacon, arugula, pico, cashew cream, and cilantro limon wrapped in a collard leaf.

Mo' Better Brews

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This husband-and-wife owned coffee shop in the Museum District is one of the best places to get belly-filling vegan eats. Try the bagel and “lox”, made with carrot lox, in the morning with your dairy-free latte, and try the cauliwings, tossed in your choice of sauce, as an afternoon treat.

Sunshine’s Health Food

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Everything from vegan nachos and soy chicken to seasoned beets can be found on the menu at Sunshine’s Health Food. To maximize your visit, pick up supplements like bee pollen or ginseng from the market side of the shop to take home for later.

Hungry's

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While this all-day cafe serves plenty of meat-heavy items, it devotes an entire section to vegan eats, including at weekend brunch. Try the vegan banh mi, which combines crispy tofu with traditional toppings like carrot and cilantro, or the eggplant tacos with avocado relish and a vegan aioli. Prefer sweet over savory? The banana buckwheat waffles comes with a spicy peanut butter syrup.

Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine

Housed in the ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Garden Oaks, Govinda’s offers a pure vegan menu of Indian eats on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and a vegetarian menu the rest of the time. Try spicy dishes like the gluten-free saag paneer and daal makhani with rice pilaf before touring the grounds.

JuiceLand

This smoothie shop is known for its variety of blended beverages and superfood lattes, but it touts seriously tasty plant-based eats too. There is a deconstructed spring roll bowl, hearty with gluten-free vermicelli, organic mixed greens, marinated baked tofu, and cashew-miso dressing; a grain bowl loaded with jerk sweet potatoes, coconut grains, and black eyed pea patties; and a burrito packed with potato, mushroom, black bean spread, and vegan sour cream.

A vegan burrito in a plastic box with an orange-colored juice on the side.
The vegan queso roller at Juiceland.
Juiceland

Heartbeet

Born from the team behind Hungry’s, Heartbeet brings a full menu of plant-based eats to the forefront. Like its sister restaurant, a hefty focus is put on showcasing fresh, quality ingredients in a variety of all-day eats. Along with dishes like a “poke” bowl made with roasted beets and cauliflower “steak”, Heartbeet offers a weekend brunch touting staples like migas, avocado toast, and breakfast burritos — all made with meatless and dairy-free ingredients.

A tray of three tacos with a side of black beans.
Plant-based tacos at Heartbeet.
Jenn Duncan

Flower Child

This casual cafe offers vegan options galore, including items like avocado hummus, butternut squash risotto, and loaded bowls combining rice or noodles with vegetables and herbs. Try the Thai wrap stuffed with spicy tofu, Thai basil, avocado, carrot, daikon radish, cilantro, and snap peas, and save room for vegan chocolate pudding.

Veegos

This all vegan restaurant boasts Mexican comfort eats made sans meat or dairy. Get nachos topped with beans and cashew cheese, a jackfruit flauta plate, or a piping hot bowl of pozole with sliced mushrooms. Insider tip: Pair your meal with an agua fresca, and get free refills when you dine in.

Chef Kenny's Asian Vegan Cuisine

Chef Kenny’s Asian Vegan Cuisine is known for its vast menu of vegan alternatives to favorites like hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken, beef and broccoli, Mongolian beef, and more. Beyond stir-fry plates and soups, the restaurant offers a complete selection of vegan sushi and hand rolls.

San San Tofu

If there’s one certainty in the world, it’s that plain tofu is hardly described as scrumptious. But the housemade namesake food at San San Tofu will convince anyone that bean curd can be more appetizing than it sounds. Pick up a pack in the market section of the store, or pop over to the restaurant side for a cheap feast of tofu, rice and a pile of Vietnamese pastries for under $10.

Trendy Vegan

Trendy Vegan offers an array of vegan eats, alongside power smoothies and shakes. Get an order of pan fried dumplings before moving on to an entree like the general Tso tofu or garlic sauce eggplant, and finish strong with a Feeling Good smoothie, loaded with mango, spinach, blueberry and pineapple.

Vibrant

In addition to meatless eats like gnocchi with avocado-cashew crema and quinoa falafel, Vibrant offers vegan pastries, available daily in the restaurant’s pastry cases. Satisfy your sweet tooth with brownies, cookies, or cupcakes, and then take an order of almond bread or root veggie muffins home for later.

Sinfull Bakery

No list of Houston’s finest vegan establishments would be complete without mention of Sinfull Bakery. Established in 2010 by Dylan Carnes, Sinfull pumps out rich, butterless goodies sold everywhere from Central Market to farmers markets. The everything bar, made with Texas pecans, almonds, flax seeds, and more, is a classic.

Soul Food Vegan

No need to kick your barbecue or soul food habit when you’re trying to go vegan. Soul Food Vegan offers platters of smoked barbecue jackfruit paired with sides like red potatoes and Cajun dirty rice, saucy bacon cheeseburgers, and loaded gumbo bowls. The Third Ward restaurant serves generous portions and does not skimp on flavor.

The Doshi House

The Dosh House is a no-frills cafe that doubles as a coffee shop. A menu of vegan eats include items like potato and quinoa tacos and a rotating selection of soup, while coffee house staples like lattes and mochas are all made without dairy.

Green Seed Vegan

Green Seed Vegan has a hefty menu of vegan dishes, including a section dedicated to raw eats. Go for a fresh pressed panini on flat French bread or go the raw route with something like the “rawrrito” made with seasoned coconut meat and topped with zucchini bacon, arugula, pico, cashew cream, and cilantro limon wrapped in a collard leaf.

Mo' Better Brews

This husband-and-wife owned coffee shop in the Museum District is one of the best places to get belly-filling vegan eats. Try the bagel and “lox”, made with carrot lox, in the morning with your dairy-free latte, and try the cauliwings, tossed in your choice of sauce, as an afternoon treat.

Sunshine’s Health Food

Everything from vegan nachos and soy chicken to seasoned beets can be found on the menu at Sunshine’s Health Food. To maximize your visit, pick up supplements like bee pollen or ginseng from the market side of the shop to take home for later.

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Hungry's

While this all-day cafe serves plenty of meat-heavy items, it devotes an entire section to vegan eats, including at weekend brunch. Try the vegan banh mi, which combines crispy tofu with traditional toppings like carrot and cilantro, or the eggplant tacos with avocado relish and a vegan aioli. Prefer sweet over savory? The banana buckwheat waffles comes with a spicy peanut butter syrup.

Related Maps