Asheville for Vegans: A Guide to Vegan & Vegan-Friendly Spots
As you can probably imagine, there are a ton of great vegan restaurants in Asheville, North Carolina. Not only are there dedicated vegan restaurants but there are several Asheville ‘foodie’ restaurants with great vegan options. You’ll find everything from vegan comfort food to vegan international cuisine in Asheville.
We’ve rounded up the best places to enjoy delicious, plant-based meals in this vibrant North Carolina city. This article will help you discover the top vegan restaurants in Asheville. While some of these restaurants are 100% plant-based, others serve non-vegan items.
What You’ll Find In This Article
Where To Find Vegan Food in Asheville, NC
Bookmark These Asheville Vegan Eats Articles
Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants
We are kicking this list off with restaurants in Asheville with either vegan-only or vegetarian menus. Pretty much everything you’ll find at these restaurants will be plant-based and full of flavor.
The best vegan dinner in Asheville
Plant in North Asheville is such a wonderful vegan restaurant. In fact, Zagat called them “one of the best vegan restaurants in the country.” Their menu is 100% plant-based and over 90% of their ingredients are organic. They also put a priority on local products.
Though their menu changes often, you can always count on something amazing. We are still talking about a mushroom ravioli dish from our last visit. The cheese plate is also such a fun experience and it’s truly shocking that it’s all vegan!
Most of the items on their menu are gluten-free and they even let you know which menu items can be made gluten-free (and which can’t.) Oh, and the dessert– don’t miss them! Everything on Plant’s dessert menu is a delight.
You’ll find a cocktail menu, beer menu and non-alcoholic menu featuring house pineapple-ginger soda, basil-lime soda coffee and tea.
There is seating inside with an open kitchen and bar as well as a covered seasonal patio. We love eating outside when the weather allows!
It’s a small place, so definitely make a reservation at Plant if you are planning to dine there. While walk-in guests are welcome, there is typically a waitlist.
Vegan soul food in downtown Asheville
Rosetta’s is a very popular vegan soul food restaurant in downtown Asheville. They offer awesome vegan comfort food, like mac and cheese, burgers, and fried chicken. We especially love their cornbread and collard greens and the vegan queso basket appetizers.
Rosetta’s also has a full bar and a kombucha bar (Buchi Bar) is located downstairs. You can order from the full Rosetta’s menu at Buchi Bar. We detail them below if you want to know more!
Apart from the delicious food and cool space, Rosetta’s also has an awesome do-good mission called ‘everybody eats.’ They have an item on their menu called “Beans and Rice Plate” that is offered on a sliding scale price. Pay what you can, whether it’s a little or a lot (anything over $6 helps others eat.)
Kombucha bar with vegan soul food from Rosetta’s Kitchen
Buchi Bar is a kombucha bar in downtown Asheville. It’s actually located just below Rosetta’s Kitchen and they offer the full Rosetta’s menu.
You’ll find a ton of kombucha cocktails on the menu, with everything from a Damp Salty Dog (vodka, orange cream syrup, grapefruit, buchi water) to your choice of shot in a pint of Buchi. You can even get growlers of kombucha at the Buchi Bar.
Not only will you find Buchi Kombucha on tap, but they also have local beers, cider, nonalcoholic cocktails and a rotation selection of vegan wine.
Vegan breakfast and lunch in West Asheville
If vegan burgers, chicken sandwiches + biscuits and gyros are your thing, you definitely need to add The Smokin’ Onion to your list. They have an eatery in West Asheville and also operate a vegan food truck.
The Smokin’ Onion’s plant-based breakfast menu includes a sweet potato waffle with buttermilk fried chick’n patty (with smoked brown butter + maple syrup!), a breakfast plate with an herbed scallion biscuit, a chicken biscuit and even a biscuit with oyster mushroom breakfast gravy.
For lunch, you’ll find burgers, a chicken sandwich, a gyro and a fried chick’n wrap. They also have amazing fried green tomatoes.
Juice bar and vegan cafe with great outdoor seating
Pulp and Sprout is a dedicated vegan cafe in North Asheville offering organic plant-based breakfast, lunch, juices, and desserts.
If you are looking to start your day off with a vegan breakfast, try their avo toasty with cashew ricotta cheese.
As far as lunch goes, try their chickpea salad. They also have an A.L.T. with avocado, a beet sandwich and several smoothie options.
Pulp and Sprout typically has vegan chocolate chip cookies, slices of pie and millionaire bars. You can even pre-order a vegan cheesecake at Pulp + Sprout.
Casual vegetarian and vegan eatery in downtown Asheville
Laughing Seed Cafe is an awesome vegan and vegetarian restaurant in downtown Asheville. They have been serving up delicious, plant-based lunch and dinner for years.
The menu at Laughing Seed features a variety of salads, sandwiches, and entrees, all made with fresh, local ingredients. They also have great drink options, including beer, wine, champagne, ciders and cocktails.
Pretty much everything on the menu is vegan or has the option to be. We recommend starting with the Crispy Brussels or the Jalapeno Onion Fries. After that, check out their Thai panang curry or their butternut squash risotto.
Restaurants With Vegan Options
Below are a few other restaurants in Asheville that aren’t vegan but have excellent vegan options.
Gypsy Queen: Asheville’s Mediterranean gem with vegan options
Gypsy Queen offers exceptional Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine with a strong vegan presence.
Don’t miss their legendary vegan fried Brussels sprouts with toom and lemon tahini. Their hummus, baba ghanouj, and vegan wraps (falafel, beet shawarma, seitan) are also top-notch. The Suzy’s Sampler plate is a great option to try several flavorful dips and falafel.
Chai Pani: Asheville’s vegan-friendly Indian street food
Chai Pani offers delicious Indian street food with several vegan options, including their famous matchstick okra fries, Bhel Puri, and mixed veggie uttapam.
Many vegetarian dishes, like kale pakoras and Vada Pav, can be made vegan upon request. Check their interactive online menu for details.
Coffee shop & cafe with a plant-centric menu
Bridge & Tunnel, located on the AB Tech campus, offers a plant-centric menu, including their popular “best” breakfast sandwich with tofu. Make sure to try their nitro cold brew with flake ice. It’s the best in town!
Bridge & Tunnel also operates a food truck around town. It’s often at local farmers markets in Asheville. Note: Vegan food is exclusively available at their cafe location.
Vegan pizza and lasagna in Asheville
Strada is a great spot for vegan Italian food in Asheville. While most of the menu is not plant-based, they do have a few great Italian options worth mentioning.
First and foremost: their vegan lasagna! It has Beyond bolognese, housemade almond ricotta and is topped with vegan mozzarella. They also have a vegan pizza on the menu (The Ranford) with Beyond meatballs, or you can build your own.
Definitely plan to make a reservation if you plan to dine at Strada. It’s an upscale restaurant, though it’s still Asheville casual. There are two different floors and also a rooftop patio to the side. They close it for winter but open it up when the weather is nice.
Local barbecue joint with BBQ tempeh
Ok, I know a BBQ joint doesn’t scream vegan, but Luella’s smiling hara BBQ tempeh sandwich is definitely worth a mention here!
Their housemade sweet potato chips are also excellent, as are all of their sides. Unfortunately, Luella’s only marks vegetarian sides so you’ll have to double-check which are vegan.
