This guide highlights the best vegan lunch in Asheville, from dedicated vegan restaurants to local gems with options for a plant-based lunch.
Vegan Lunch In Asheville
Vegan comfort food in downtown Asheville
Rosetta’s is a very popular vegan restaurant in downtown Asheville. They offer vegan comfort food, like mac and cheese, burgers, and fried chicken.
For lunch entrees, check out their tempeh Reuben that comes with their house-cultured kraut. They also have a veggie burger, chili and even coconut curry.
Rosetta’s also has a full bar and a kombucha bar (The Buchi Bar) is located downstairs. You can order from the full Rosetta’s menu at The Buchi Bar.
Mediterranean and Lebanese lunch fare
Gypsy Queen is one of the best restaurants in Asheville. They have delicious Mediterranean and Lebanese food, with several vegan options available.
One of our favorite dishes in Asheville is Gypsy Queen’s vegan fried Brussels sprouts. They are tossed in toom and lemon tahini sauce and are so flavorful and delicious. Their hummus and baba ghanouj are also great.
As far as vegan lunch entrees go, Gypsy Queen has several wraps (falafel, beet shawarma, housemade seitan) available as well as a few plates.
Vegan cafe and juice bar in Asheville
Pulp and Sprout is a dedicated vegan cafe in North Asheville offering breakfast and lunch options.
As far as lunch goes, don’t miss their chickpea salad. It’s excellent on their Caesar salad. They also have an A.L.T. with avocado, a beet sandwich and a ton of smoothies.
Pulp + Sprout is a juice bar, too, so you can expect excellent cold-pressed juice options. You can even customize a 6-pack for the week.
They are one of our top picks for vegan desserts in Asheville. You’ll find vegan chocolate chip cookies, slices of pie and millionaire bars. You can even pre-order a vegan cheesecake at Pulp + Sprout.
Bookmark These Asheville Vegan Eats Articles
Chai Pani lives up to its hype with fresh, flavorful Indian street food and a fantastic atmosphere in Asheville. They offer many vegetarian options, like kale pakoras (which can be made vegan).
For vegans, don’t miss their famous matchstick okra fries, the flavorful and crunchy Bhel Puri, or the mixed veggie uttapam served with incredible coconut chutney. Several other dishes, including Vada Pav and Desi Salad, can also be made vegan upon request.
Their website features a helpful interactive menu where you can easily filter for vegan and vegetarian choices.
Quick and delicious Middle Eastern street food
If you are looking for top-notch flavor, head to Baba Nahm in downtown Asheville. They have several vegan options available. Baba Nahm is a casual, order-at-the-counter spot with easy online ordering.
For a great vegan lunch, try their pita wrap with falafel. You can also do a build your own bowl with their hand ground falafels.
River Arts coffee shop with vegan lunch
Ultra Coffeebar in the River Arts District has great coffee and exceptionally good food (with several vegan options!) Their breakfast and lunch is served all day, so you can opt for their spicy vegan popper bagel or one of their three vegan lunch options.
Our personal favorite vegan sandwich at Ultra is their pressed fig sandwich on ciabatta. It comes with black mission fig, vegan cream cheese, green apple and arugula.
Coffee shop with vegan breakfast and lunch
Bridge & Tunnel is a coffee shop and roaster on the AB Tech campus near downtown Asheville. Though it’s not a 100% plant-based cafe, their full menu is available vegan.
For lunch, try their BBQ tempeh sandwich or their chicken cutlet sandwich. They also have a daily soup option and smoothies.
The star of their coffee menu is their Nitro Cold Brew craft beverages.
Vegan-friendly tacos in West Asheville
Taco Billy in West Asheville is a beloved taco spot that, while not exclusively plant-based, offers some fantastic vegan options.
One standout is The Support Group taco, a personal favorite featuring roasted sweet potatoes on a plantain tortilla. You can also enjoy classic sides like chips, salsa, and guacamole.
For a customized experience, build your own taco with fillings like veggie chorizo. If you’re vegetarian, check out the veggie tacos section of their menu– it has a great queso fresco & black bean option.
BBQ restaurant with BBQ tempeh
While a BBQ spot might not seem like a vegan haven, Luella’s Smiling Hara BBQ tempeh sandwich is a standout! Their housemade sweet potato chips are also excellent, as are all their sides.
Just a heads-up: Luella’s only marks vegetarian sides, so you’ll need to confirm which ones are vegan.
