Eating meat-free hasn’t always been easy, but in the Queen City, it’s a piece of (vegan) cake.
Our local food scene is as vibrant as ever, so it’s no surprise there’s a slew of local chefs serving up fresh, vegetarian bites across town. From vegetarian barbecue to scrumptious vegan tacos, here are 25 restaurants serving up meat-free fare in Charlotte.
🍊 The brunch bunch
Oh My Soul, 3046 N. Davidson Dr., Charlotte | NoDa’s first vegan restaurant serves brunch all day on Sundays + an extensive menu for the rest of the week.
Dee’s Vegan To Go, 1540 West Blvd., Ste. 100., Charlotte | Savor breakfast staples all day with locally sourced, fresh ingredients.
Love in Action Cafe, 4419 Tuckaseegee Rd., Charlotte | Enjoy soul food and breakfast classics like french toast.
Easy Like Sunday, 1600 E. Woodlawn Rd., Ste. 100, Charlotte | The brunch menu features a vegan hash + staple items like French toast, benedicts, and sandwiches.
Cafe Monte, 6700 Fairview Rd., Charlotte | Savor French pastries like croissants and sandwiches paired with a café au lait.
🍔 For the vegan carnivore
Romeo’s Vegan Burgers, 5518 South Blvd., Charlotte | This popular burger joint started as a food truck and serves burgers, fries, and shakes.
Try this: The BBQ Bacon Burger — the soy-based bacon is so crispy and the house-made sauce makes all the difference.
Ma Ma Wok, 11914 Elm Ln., Ste. 100, Charlotte | Enjoy pot stickers, lo mein, and other Chinese classics made with vegan meat.
Vegan eats CLT | 1431 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte | A former food truck turned restaurant serves up wings, truffle mac, and more.
ENAT | Various locations | The restaurants in Plaza Midwood and Optimist Hall feature meat and vegan-friendly Ethiopian dishes like sambusa, stir-fried meat, veggies, and injera.
Taco Vegano | 2801 Central Ave., Charlotte | Expect fresh tacos and drinks made with real fruit from the first vegan taqueria in the Queen City.
🌮 Food trucks
Ve-Go | The popular food truck focuses on classic American dishes with a twist.
RiCoQui | Savor the flavors of Latin and Puerto Rican street food like burgers and empanadas.
Try this: The Hambori: a burger with tostones (fried plantains) as the bun.
Zizi’s Vegan Food Truck | The roaming kitchen serves up stacked sandwiches, cauliflower wings, and fries.
On The Fly | You’ll find any type of flavor to satisfy your cravings from an extensive menu of sandwiches, tacos, and burgers.
Try this: The Grogu: tacos with fried spiced cauliflower and a cumin lime dressing.
CLT Rollie | This food truck serves up hand-rolled egg rolls for vegetarian and meat lovers. Who doesn’t love a good egg roll?
Editor’s note: These mobile eateries are always on the go, so we recommend checking each truck’s schedule online to find where it’s parked.
🍕 Casual eating
Bean Vegan Cuisine, 3001 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte | A long-standing staple in the community. Grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner staples like Southern Fingers and Waffles or a Jalapeno Cheddar Burger.
Try this: Fried pickles + the Cowboy Burger — it’s a Bean favorite.
Mike’s Vegan Grill, 440 E. McCullough Dr., Ste. 123, Charlotte | Enjoy burgers, patty melts, and hot dogs at this spot bursting with flavor.
Dawg’On Vegans, 3024 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte | You’ll find savory hot dogs, sandwiches, and burgers at this hidden gem.
Sri Balaji Caffe, 716 Main St., Pineville | Savor traditional and South Indian menu items like Tikka Masala + special buffets on Wednesdays.
Toppers Pizza, Various locations | Grab a slice homemade Vegan pizza with plant-based pepperoni and garlic-roasted tomatoes or a pesto pie.
🍸 Date night
Sanctuary Bistro, 6414 Rea Rd., Ste. C2, Charlotte | Experience fine dining + French-inspired vegan dishes with a fresh, seasonal menu rotation.
Try this: Oyster Mushroom en Papillotte: peppered oyster mushrooms with potatoes and onion hash
Roots Cafe, 2135 Southend Dr., Ste. 109, Charlotte | From 5 to 10 p.m., the cafe serves a savory dinner, including seared butternut ravioli.
Chaat ‘N’ Dosa, 8624 Camfield St., Charlotte | Choose from the extensive variety of this South Indian street food from this casual dining spot that’s entirely vegan.
Kindred, 131 N. Main St., Davidson | Vegetarian items on the menu include tagliatelle and creamed greens + take in the sunset on Davidson’s campus.
44 Mills Kitchen + Tap, 6189 Bayfield Pkwy., Concord | Enjoy craft cocktails + Southern favorites at this locale inspired by the county’s textile mills.
🧁 Delicious desserts
Seemingly Overzealous, 701 Keswick Ave., Ste.102, Charlotte | All ice cream flavors are egg, dairy, and gluten free + get a waffle chip with every order.
Try this: AirBnB Cat Sitting in a waffle cone, make it flirty.
Suarez Bakery, 4245 Park Rd., Charlotte | This bakery’s extensive menu features cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and varieties of vegan doughnuts.
Artisen Gelatos, 301 W. John St., Ste. 5356, Matthews | Enjoy a scoop of ice cream or mouth-watering brownies + other bakery items.
Move That Dough Baking Co., various locations | Order vegan donuts, cakes, and more + some treats are sold at pop-ups and The Common Market Oakwold on Sundays.
Golden Cow Creamery, 170 W. Summit Ave., Charlotte | Visit any of its three locations to get a scoop of vegan and scratch-made ice creams.
🍽️ Chef it up at home
Check out our favorite tips and tricks for serving veggie-focused fare from your own kitchen:
- To make zucchini, carrot, or beet noodles, try a veggie spiralizer that magically turns vegetables into noodles.
- Tired of wasting money on spices you use once? Broth Bomb combines all the spices you need for a flavorful meal.
- Harness the power of fresh and high-quality spices from James Beard Award-winning chef Meherwan Irani.
- A tofu press draws out water and can help tofu firm and crisp up once you cook it — the one linked here is dishwasher safe + works in twenty minutes.
- If your least favorite part about veggie prep is chopping, this all-in-one vegetable chopper can minimize prep time.
- Use a sprouting jar kit to grow microgreens and sprouted beans at home.
- If you’re making fresh bread, this Sourhouse starter jar was designed to be the easiest-to-clean sourdough starter jar in the world.
- For the ultimate veggie food prep, this glass storage container set keeps lunches and leftovers organized.
- Need some good recipes? Browse cookbooks “Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals” for veggie spiral recipes, “The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100” for plant-based ideas, or “The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook” from America’s Test Kitchen.
