Are you looking for delicious vegetarian and vegan food in Asheville, NC? As locals, don’t miss these fantastic vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Asheville for dine-in and takeout.
Is Asheville, NC vegan friendly? You bet!
With a plethora of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, a vegan festival, and even a vegan discount card, you can grab the best vegan and vegetarian food in Asheville.
In fact, one of the reasons that we moved to Asheville included the eclectic food scene. It’s no secret that I have IBD/Ulcerative colitis and my husband has Celiac disease.
Needless to say, we aren’t the easiest people to feed. Food can make us severely ill.
Luckily for us, Asheville is a diverse haven for food preferences, intolerances, and allergies — and of course, trying something new. It’s incredibly easy to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Asheville.
While there are restaurants dedicated to serving only vegetarian or vegan food, menus at many establishments are well-labeled with vegan, veggie, and gluten-free options.
Chefs won’t growl at you or take offense if you need dietary accommodations, either. Your servers won’t think you are being picky or on a fad diet. Asheville gets it.
While we are not a vegan or vegetarian household, we do eat at a lot of vegan restaurants in Asheville. We also have many vegan friends here.
So, where can you eat delicious vegan and vegetarian food in Asheville? What are the best Asheville vegetarian and vegan restaurants?
Keep reading to taste test your way through the Asheville vegan foodie scene. Please keep in mind that there are a ton of restaurants in AVL serving vegan and veggie options; we are only picking a few. Let’s get started!
Read More: Explore all of Asheville’s Fabulous Restaurant Scene
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25 Best Vegetarian And Vegan Restaurants In Asheville
Dedicated Vegan Restaurants In Asheville
*Please always double-check hours and procedures. Some restaurants are only offering takeout at this time.
Plant
The absolute best vegan restaurant in Asheville, Plant is a must. Plant is food. Plant makes for a great date night and romantic Asheville restaurant.
Everything at Plant is vegan, and we live for their cheese plate. Find full meals, small plates, appetizers, and delicious cocktails.
Plant is located at 165 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801. We highly suggest calling to make advanced reservations at (828) 258-7500.
We also consider Plant the best fine dining restaurant in AVL for all things vegan.
Pulp & Sprout (Elements Real Food)
Looking for cold-pressed juices and raw and vegan food in Asheville? Head to Pulp & Sprout for vegan yogurt, cheesecake, and smoothies. Plus, beets.
Elements Real Food is located at 233 S Liberty St, Asheville, NC 28801.
Rosetta’s Kitchen & Buchi Bar
Where can you get vegan soul food in Asheville?
Rosetta’s upstairs cafe promises a cozy setting overlooking downtown with sharable vegan plates, sandwiches, soups, salads, and entrees.
The menu also labels gluten, soy, nuts, and alliums. This is a fabulous vegetarian and vegan brunch spot in Asheville.
The downstairs Buchi Bar serves up wines, beers, local mead and ciders, homemade sodas, and Buchi Kombucha. Think Kombucha cocktails. Explore even more restaurants around Downtown Asheville.
Rosetta’s Kitchen is located at 116 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801.
*Updates: The Sunflower Diner in the West Village Market & Deli (WVM) announced its closing in July 2021. You can still purchase gluten-free and vegan and veggie treats at the WVM.
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Vegetarian Restaurants In Asheville With Vegan Options
Laughing Seed Cafe
For vegetarian food with gluten-free and vegan options in the heart of Downtown Asheville, Laughing Seed is one of our favorites. Think tempeh ‘Reuben’ and a noodle-less lasagna.
We celebrated Valentine’s Day here, and their cocktails are equally fabulous.
Read more about the best dairy-free restaurants in Asheville. Laughing Seed is located at 40 Wall St, Asheville, NC 28801.
Asheville Restaurants With Vegan & Vegetarian Food Options
UpCountry Brewing & Grata Pizzeria
Located in West Asheville, UpCountry surprised us with their gluten-free pizza crust and Darë Vegan Cheese.
They have a veggie pizza option, and we highly recommend the Mixed Mushroom pizza with vegan cheese. UpCountry Brewing’s address is 1042 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806. They also have a Brevard location.
Asheville Brewing Company
Craving vegan pizza in Asheville? Asheville Pizza and Brewing offers vegan cheese as well as gluten-free crust — and it’s delicious. They don’t have a ton of other vegan and veggie options but go for the pizza.
Asheville Brewing is also one of the best family-friendly restaurants in AVL.
Asheville Brewing has multiple locations at 675 Merrimon Ave (North), 77 Coxe Avenue (Downtown), and 1850 Hendersonville Road Suite A (South).
BimBeriBon (Closed permanently in 2022)*
*BemBeriBon recently closed in 2022.
A dedicated gluten-free bakery and cafe, BimBeriBon was perfect for a vegan breakfast in Asheville.
BimBeriBon served up vegan and gluten-free donuts, vegan nachos and bowls, and even vegan egg sandwiches.
We will be removing them from our list soon but wanted to let our regular and returning readers know.
Green Sage Cafe
Green Sage is all about pure food. We love their bowls and smoothies. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, they label their menus for gluten-sensitive, vegan, and organic eaters.
Green Sage has multiple Asheville locations at 5 Broadway St. (Downtown), 633 Merrimon Ave., Suite A (North), 1800 Hendersonville Rd. (South), and 70 Westgate Pky. (Westgate).
Don’t miss more great lunch spots in Asheville.
Zen Sushi
All of the Asheville sushi restaurants offer vegan and veggie options. Most notable, Zen Sushi in North Asheville labels their menus, too, with vegetarian, raw, and gluten-free options.
Zen, The Maddess AVL, and Green Tea are our go-to spots for fairly priced and delicious sushi.
Zen is located at 640 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804. The Hop Ice Cream – also on this list – is located in the same plaza.
Read more about all of the great restaurants north of Downtown.
Chai Pani
Award-winning Indian street food is where it’s at. Did you know that ‘Chai Pani’ colloquially translates to grabbing tea and a snack?
Chai Pani’s menu marks vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-sensitive. Two words: Okra fries. This is one of the most talked-about Asian restaurants in AVL.
Chai Pani is located at 22 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. We also love Biryani Express and Mela for the best Indian food in Asheville.
Nine Mile
Nine Mile is a Caribbean-inspired, vegetarian-friendly restaurant with a well-labeled intolerance and allergy menu.
I’m not going to lie: I ate here while recovering from a bout of, no joke, pancreatitis. Caused by an allergic reaction to medicine & not my love of booze…
Go to the original Historic Montford location at 233 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC 28804. You can also find Nine Mile at 751 Haywood Rd. (West) and Biltmore Park Town Square, near Luella’s BBQ (South).
Yum Poke Spot
Poke bowls with tofu substitutions? Yes, please! Build your own poke bowl or burrito at Yum Poke Spot.
Yum labels their menus with raw, gluten-free, and spicy. They provide endless fruit and veggie toppings. Yum Poke Spot is located in Downtown Asheville at 45 Asheland Avenue Unit 101, Asheville, NC 28801.
Taco Temple
Taco Temple is one of the best taco joints in Asheville with gluten-free and vegan options.
They serve up a delicious avocado crema sauce as well as tacos filled with spicy cauliflower, avocado, beans, and sweet potatoes. Think breakfast and lunch tacos.
Sit outside on their patio or dine inside a space that resembles a church. Be sure to order a cocktail too. Read more about all of North Asheville’s delicious restaurants.
Taco Temple is located in North Asheville at 132 Charlotte St, Asheville, NC 28801.
Suwana’s Thai Orchid
We have two favorite Thai places in town, Suwana’s and Thai Pearl. Thai Pearl in West Asheville is also gluten-free, vegan, and veggie-friendly.
Although not labeled on the menu, you can find vegan and vegetarian rice and noodle dishes at Suwana’s, which is located in the heart of Downtown Asheville.
You can also request or ask about gluten-free items. Suwana’s is located at 11 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801. We order a lot of takeout from here.
Luella’s BBQ
Although not the best spot for vegans in Asheville, if you are craving Southern BBQ, Luella’s offers a BBQ tempeh option.
Luella’s has two Asheville locations: 501 Merrimon Avenue (North) & 33 Town Square Blvd., Biltmore Park (South).
Gypsy Queen Cuisine
For Lebanese-inspired cuisine and a menu that labels gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan food in Asheville, try Gypsy Queen Cuisine (GQC).
Think wraps, falafels, and fried Brussels sprouts with cauliflower. Gypsy Queen is located at 807 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28806.
GQC is one of our favorite West Asheville restaurants.
Farm Burger
Farm Burger has tons of restaurants throughout the South. For vegan burgers in Asheville, we love Farm Burger.
They also have gluten-free bread and keto-friendly options. Choose from sides like fries, slaw, and onion rings.
Farm Burger is located at 10 Patton Ave. (Downtown) and 1831 Hendersonville Rd. (South Asheville).
Eating Vegetarian Or Vegan In Asheville? Save This Post For Later
Vegetarian & Vegan Asheville Food Trucks
The Trashy Vegan
Once a food truck – seen at Asheville’s breweries – and now a brick-and-mortar restaurant, The Trashy Vegan is another go-to for vegan burgers as well as grilled cheese and loaded tater tots.
They also offer gluten-free bread.
Root Down Food Truck
Looking for another food truck with vegan food in Asheville? Root Down now has a permanent location at Salvage Station as well as a roaming food truck.
Their menu changes, but think vegan sausage, bites, and sandwich options. Find them here.
The Smokin’ Onion Food Truck
The Smokin Onion Food Truck is a vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free Asheville food truck.
We can never resist a beer with some onion rings, fries, buffalo cauliflower bites, fried pickles, and a rotating selection of handhelds.
It’s so bad, it’s good. Really good. You’ll find The Smokin’ Onion around AVL spots like Ginger’s Revenge – home to gluten-free beer – WagBar, Down Dog, and more.
Where To Get Vegan Desserts In Asheville
French Broad Chocolate Lounge
When we heard that we could order vegan hot chocolate and truffles in Asheville, we ran to French Broad Chocolate Lounge. The Chocolate Lounge is located at 10 South Pack Square, Asheville NC 28801.
For more vegan chocolate in Asheville, head to Asheville Chocolate. And, Asheville has even more fantastic spots for coffee with vegan milk options, including Izzy’s and Rowan Coffee.
The Hop Ice Cream Cafe
Looking for more vegan desserts in Asheville? We love the vegan ice cream at The Hop Ice Cream Cafe. In the fall, you can get a plop of vegan ice cream on top of hot apple cider.
Their North location at 640 Merrimon Ave. is near two other vegan restaurants on this list: Zen Sushi & Green Sage (North). Their West location is 721 Haywood Rd.
Find even more ice cream spots with vegan treats.
Vortex Doughnuts
Handmade, vegan Asheville doughnuts? Yesssss… Not all of their products are vegan, but they’ll let you know. Vortex is located at 32 Banks Ave #106, Asheville, NC 28801.
Don’t miss all of Asheville’s Sugary Donuts Spots.
Restaurants That Accommodate Vegetarian & Vegan (And Gluten-Free) Requests
Most of the Asheville restaurants will find a way to accommodate vegan and vegetarian requests when possible along with food intolerances and allergies. A few notable ones:
Tupelo Honey Cafe
Tupelo is a Downtown Asheville tourist hotspot because it’s yum! They offer breakfast all day, delicious cocktails, and locally sourced Southern cuisine.
You can navigate greens and bowls and ask for modifications. Same for those gf folks.
Tupelo has two AVL locations at 12 College St. (Downtown) and 1829 Hendersonville Rd. (Downtown).
Posana
We met with friends the evening we announced our big Asheville move years ago. Notably, Posana’s has a dedicated gluten-free kitchen and you can make vegan and veggie (and food intolerances) substitutions.
Posana’s is a fancier downtown restaurant. You can find Posana at 1 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801, and French Broad Chocolate Lounge is across the street.
Find even more gluten-free restaurants across Asheville.
More Vegan Asheville Fun & Resources
Veg Discount Card
Don’t forget to check out The Asheville Vegan Society and purchase your Veg Discount Card. As of 2021, cards are only $15.00 and good for one year. Grab discounts at many — but not all — of the vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Asheville on this list.
Asheville VeganFest
Did you know that every year, Asheville hosts a vegan festival? Don’t miss the Asheville VeganFest, filled with vendors serving up vegan food and beer and lifestyle products. Find public speakers and so much more.
Darë Vegan Cheese
Newer to the Asheville vegan scene, Darë Vegan Cheese is the best. You can find their artisan and aged vegan products at farmer’s markets, Grata Pizzeria, South Slope Cheese Co., French Broad Food Co-Op, and West Village Market and Deli — to name a few.
Save These Asheville Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants For Later
Are you ready to fill up on delicious vegetarian and vegan food in Asheville?
Where do you love to go for vegan in Asheville? What about vegetarian cuisine? Let us know your favorite Asheville vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the comments.
See our Top Places To Stay in Asheville.
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Christine
Christine (pronouns: she/her) is the owner and lead writer of Uncorked Asheville. After falling in love with those gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, Christine and her husband Tom decided to call Asheville, North Carolina their home. When her pointy Italian nose isn’t stuck in a book, Christine is adopting all of the kitties, getting lost in the forest, and drinking an ESB.
Christine has a BA in English and History from Smith College, her MLIS from USF-Tampa, and is a former U.S. Fulbright Scholar - Indonesia. She also owns The Uncorked Librarian LLC with books and movies to inspire travel.