Get Your Plant On: Vegetarian and Vegan Asheville Guide
Is Asheville, NC vegan friendly? You bet! As a half-Celiac and fully lactose intolerant household with IBD (ulcerative colitis), we eat a lot of vegan food. No side-eyeing chefs here; the Asheville restaurants are extremely accommodating. Below, discover our favorite vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Asheville like Plant, The Smokin’ Onion, and Pulp & Sprout. Some are solely vegan while others will have great vegan and vegetarian options.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If you love these free guides, support Uncorked Asheville with a small tip.
All photos below are our own – of the food we ordered and enjoyed. Tom and I have dined at hundreds of Western North Carolina restaurants as Asheville locals.
What You'll Find In This Guide
Dedicated Vegan Restaurants In Asheville
Plant – Award Winning Dinner & “Must” Cheese Plate
Plant has always been one of our favorite restaurants in Asheville, and we dined here as travelers before becoming full-blown residents. Zagat named them one of the best vegan restaurants in the country, and owner and chef, Jason Sellers, is a 2024 James Beard semi-finalist. While Plant is considered “fine dining,” it is not stuffy and you can dress casually. However, we highly suggest making reservations on Resy – walk-ins can sit at the bar, but it fills up quickly.
Tom and I head here for date night or when vegetarian friends are in town. I always order their cheese plate and roasted beets followed by a creamy dessert. Tom loves any dish with their queso, and you can’t go wrong with ravioli or ramen. If it’s nice outside, sit on the patio. Afterward, stroll North Asheville’s Beaver Lake.
The Smokin’ Onion – All-Day Breakfast & Lunch
What started as one of our coveted Asheville food trucks grew into a delicious West Asheville brick-and-mortar restaurant. The Smokin’ Onion is our go-to for all-day vegan breakfast and lunch – and you can still catch their food truck on certain days at New Belgium Brewing. I can never resist The Smokin’ Onion’s pancakes, burgers, Brussels sprouts, fried pickles, and onion rings. Sip on a mimosa or local brew, and if you are foodie-style touring Asheville, head to Botiwalla next door (from the owners of Chai Pani). See where else to eat lunch in Asheville.
Romeo’s Vegan Burgers – Burgers, Shakes, & Fries
One of the newest vegan restaurants in Asheville, Romeo’s Vegan Burgers makes our favorite melty burger in the city. This joint will have you craving fries, burgers, and milkshakes all day long (and yes, they have gluten-free bread!). Along with nuggets for the kiddos, devour kale salads, kale wraps, buffalo “chicken” sandwiches, and taters. No gross Daiya cheese here (#truthbomb). I crave that Oreo milkshake pretty much every day.
Grab a burger at Romeo’s with us
Pulp & Sprout – Casual Neighborhood Cafe
From the owners of Plant, Pulp & Sprout is a favorite casual Historic Chestnut and North Asheville vegan cafe. They serve cold-pressed juices and raw and vegan food like bowls, broths and soups, sandwiches, and desserts. I’ll always go for a Matcha “mylk,” miso ginger broth, and “Up-beet” sandwich. This area is a wellness hub filled with yoga studios and close to the Asheville Salt Cave, one of our favorite places to relax in Asheville. Afterward, dip over to Liberty House Cafe for coffee on a picnic table. When I’m in a UC flare, I head this way.
Rosetta’s Kitchen – Hipster Vegan Soul Food
One of the most hipster vegan restaurants in Downtown Asheville with a Buchi bar, Rosetta’s Kitchen serves spicy vegan soul food. Most notably, their menu labels gluten, soy, nuts, and alliums. Find anything from those comfort foods you crave like Buffalo wings and tater tots to classic sandwiches. Our go-to’s include the vegan queso basket, Family Favorite (peanut butter-baked tofu with “smashed” potatoes), and The Mountain. For the community, Rosetta’s has a “pay what you can” and “pay it forward” program so that everyone who needs a meal can eat.
Tahini Jar – Middle Eastern Cuisine Food Truck
Mean Mandy’s, The Smokin’ Onion, GCQ, and Tahini Jar are just a few of the best vegan food trucks in Asheville. Along with Baba Nahm (a Middle Eastern brick-and-mortar restaurant downtown), Tahini Jar makes my favorite falafel in Asheville. We love catching their food truck at West Asheville’s Diatribe Brewing Co., which is a vegan brewery (sweatshirts included; I own a green one) serving gluten-reduced beers. Did someone say vegan baklava?
Dedicated Vegetarian Restaurants In Asheville
Laughing Seed Cafe – Mocktails & People-Watching
One of the only solely vegetarian restaurants in Asheville, Tom and I both adore Downtown’s Laughing Seed so much that we’ve celebrated Valentine’s Day here. This was another “before we moved to Asheville” find, and now, I take vegetarian friends for lunch after a morning at Wake Foot Sanctuary. Along with delicious cocktails and mocktails, select from sandwiches, smoothies, bowls, pizza, and entrees like risotto. Think tempeh “Reuben” and a noodle-less lasagna. On a nice day, I love sitting outside and people-watching on busy Wall Street.
Best Vegan & Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants
It’s no secret that most restaurants in Asheville are gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly. It’s one of the reasons we love living here. Even our top pick for BBQ, Luella’s, has a tempeh option. However, if we had to choose just a few restaurants to dine at, we’d go with these.
Nine Mile – Best All-Around Caribbean Restaurant
We once asked our private Facebook community where they’d pick if they could only eat at one Asheville restaurant ever again. Nine Mile, a Caribbean-inspired restaurant, is my go-to. Tom and I love their Montford location – perfect to catch Shakespeare in the Park in the spring through fall. We almost always order the Irie Ites and Back-A-Yard Bowl. Nine Mile has one of the most comprehensive labeled menus in town for food intolerances, allergies, and preferences. It is an extremely vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurant. Newer, they also brew beer.
Green Sage Cafe – Quick, Budget-Friendly Eats
With multiple locations across Asheville, Green Sage Cafe is our go-to vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant for quick counter service and healthy, organic eats. A delicious breakfast option for GF, vegan muffins and fresh juice, we also head here for lunch smoothies, sandwiches, and bowls. While it’s a no-frill café – and not all of readers enjoy Green Sage like we do (sometimes the floors could use a good sweep) – we drop in the most after errands around town, regardless of the time of day. Talk about convenience!
Gypsy Queen Cuisine – Unique Lebanese Cuisine
Did you even eat at Gypsy Queen Cuisine (GQC) if you didn’t get a mixed Brussels sprouts and cauliflower appetizer? No! If you are looking for one of the most unique vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants, we love this Lebanese-inspired West Asheville joint. Don’t let that busy plaza scare you away, either (I know – that area is WILD with congestion). We dine in and order takeout for the best hummus, falafels, bowls, wraps, gyros, and stuffed grape leaves around. You won’t soon forget the colorful interior.
Gemelli Restaurant – Casual Italian Eatery
From the owner and chef of beloved Strada and Social Lounge (my top pick for rooftop brunch before a Pack Square festival), Gemelli is the perfect casual eatery for gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diners with a fully labeled menu. Located in the same plaza as Earth Fare – a terrific specialty grocery store – I most appreciate Gemelli’s vegan bread, London fog latte, truffle risotto, and pasta options. All of Chef Anthony Ceratto’s restaurants are food intolerance-friendly, which we love.
Baba Nahm – Healthy “Fast Food” On The Go Downtown
If you love hummus, falafels, and bowls, Baba Nahm is one of the best “fast food” Downtown Asheville restaurants with GF, vegan, and veggie options. Choose your protein, pick your style (GF pita!), and add on all of those beloved Middle Eastern toppings. It’s convenient, cheap, and delicious.
Where To Get Vegan Desserts In Asheville
As a lactose-intolerant household, we are all about vegan desserts, including ice cream, affogatos, bonbons, and more. These are just a few places we enjoy (but they are not solely vegan):
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge – I love their vegan hot chocolate, affogatos, trifles, and bon bons. Head to their RAD Factory location with tours or their Downtown lounge.
- The Hop Ice Cream Cafe – The Hop is our go-to for vegan ice cream in Asheville. With multiple locations, they are constantly changing up their flavors and boast vegan hot fudge.
- Vortex Doughnuts –Vortex serves handmade, vegan donuts. If you are heading to Black Mountain, you’ll also love Dough House’s vegan and GF donuts (from the owners of the former Trashy Vegan).
- Old Europe Pastries – One of our favorite post-dining dessert spots, Old Europe always has a few GF and vegan treats on the menu. It’s an awesome coffee shop too.
- Buggy Pops – The North Asheville Tailgate Market is full of GF and vegan treats, including Buggy Pops. Cool off with the best pops in town. I love anything coconut.
More Resources For Veggies & Vegans
Veg Discount Card
Head to the Asheville Vegan Society website to purchase your Veg Discount Card. Cards are only $15.00 and good for one year. Grab discounts at many of the vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Asheville on this list.
Asheville VeganFest
Did you know that every year, Asheville hosts a spring (newer) and fall vegan festival? Don’t miss the Asheville VeganFest, filled with vendors serving up vegan food and beer along with vegan lifestyle products. We go almost every year.
Discover popular guided tours and more in and around Asheville here.
Be sure to let us know your favorite Asheville vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the comments.
Christine Frascarelli
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 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. She has a BA in English and History from Smith College, her MLIS from USF-Tampa, and is a former U.S. Fulbright Scholar - Indonesia. Christine also owns The Uncorked Librarian LLC with books and movies to inspire travel.