The Best Restaurants for Vegans in New Orleans

Image courtesy of Health Grades. 

Purely vegetarian restaurants in New Orleans aren’t easy to come by, but there are many restaurants in the city that offer loads of vegan options and plenty of vegetarian restaurants that a vegan can enjoy. Some restaurants aren’t fully vegan but offer lots of options vegans can enjoy, so many of them are restaurants that vegan can easily take part in. If you are a vegan in New Orleans, your best options are specifically vegan restaurants and average restaurants with vegan options, and we’ve got plenty on this list for you. Keep reading to find out where to go for a vegan-friendly dinner tonight or for whenever you will next be in New Orleans!

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1. Small Mart

Vegan bagels, sandwiches, and more. 

527 Julia St | Warehouse District | smallmartcafe.com

Small Mart Cafe is where you need to go if you want some absolutely delicious vegan bagel sandwiches. You will get to build your own bagel with a choice of six flavors of cream cheese, or hummus, vegan butter, or avocado. They also have many options for bagel sandwiches. Try the PB&J bagel, the vegan L.B.T bagel with lemon, butter, and tomato, or the spinach tofu bagel. 

The menu also has curry bowls, salads, and sandwiches available. Get a samosa, a veggie burger, a vegan po boy or a chaat bowl. Or mix and match to build your own bagel. Just about everything they serve is amazing, so you likely won’t regret whatever food that you choose!

“Love Small Mart!! The best chai in Nola and always excellent for vegetarian treats. Love the veggie fritters, samosas and bagels. Super nice people and a convenient coffee shop type atmosphere.”–Yelp Review

2. Thaihey NOLA

A Thai restaurant with a lot of vegetarian options. 

308 Decatur St | French Quarter | thaiheynola.com

Thaihey NOLA is a Thai restaurant that serves everything from Thai food and Southern staples to lots of vegan and vegetarian dishes. This restaurant’s Thai food can stand on its own, though it is enhanced by the international influences of its passionate team. Go there for yourself to experience the excitement of an exhibition kitchen that will leave you with unforgettable memories!

The menu includes flavorful items like pumpkin curry tofu, spicy eggplant, green curry, tom kha, and more. You have the choice of starters, soups, salads, and mains, and there is a separate vegan menu to make things easy. 

“Absolutely delicious, friendly and kind service, so many creative vegetarian and vegan options without any customization needed. The fried okra was delightful, even for those in our party who don't like okra, the pumpkin-filled curry was rich and delicious, and the purple Palmer drink was refreshing and light. This is quite a find! I highly recommend!”–Yelp Review

3. Tanjarines 

Lovely food made for the soul. 

1 Collins Diboll Cir | New Orleans | tanjarines.com

Tanjarines provides food for the soul. They make everything in a kitchen filled with positive vibes, and they make it all with a level of love and cheer that they hope is healing for their customers. You can go and try the Mandela burger, made with organic beans and whole foods, the Armstrong Shawarma wrap, filled with tofu, veggies, and herbs, and jollof rice with veggies and mushroom stew. This food is all found in a food truck as well so you can just grab and go. It also moves from location to location so make sure to look it up before you go!

“I'd been wanting to give them a try but find it hard to monitor where the truck will be even after following them on social media. Well a few months back I finally got my chance to check them out and was so glad I did. The burgers are excellent! The employees are super friendly. Can't wait to try them again and sample some of the other dishes they offer.”–Yelp Review

4. Breads On Oak

One of the best plant based restaurants in the U.S. 

8640 Oak Street | Leonidas | breadsonoak.com

Breads On Oak serves delicious and organic plant based food in a comfortable environment. It is considered to be the second best vegan spot in the U.S. With fan favorites like the pumpkin cheddar biscuit sandwich, the live food sandwich, and glazed brioche donuts, they have customers coming back time and time again for their favorites. 

They even have a special on the menu that changes occasionally. Right now the special is goat in the garden, a sandwich made with bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, oregano vinaigrette, and “goat” cheese spread. There is even a whole list of items that you can add to your sandwich, and that list includes avocado, soy bacon, cheddar, tofu scramble, and more. 

“Amazing bread!!! Gotta just love this place, we do, our neighbors do, you will love it too.”–Yelp Review

5. Kindred NOLA

Local comfort food with lots of options. 

7537 Maple St | East Carrollton | kindrednola.com

Kindred is a small local business that specializes in comfort food. If you’re craving the plant based version of a po’ boy, side salads, or baked goods, this restaurant will likely have what you need. 

For starters you can try their yucca fries, and mac and cheese, and as a main you can try a shrimp po’ boy, a maple street burger, or a quinoa salad. The drink menu is even a good one. Try the sparkling cherry limeade, lavender & lemon fizz, or the tequila sour. 

“This place is very cute and has a great variety of vegan foods. It was hard to choose what to get, but I ended up with a gigantic, very messy but delicious "tuna" sandwich. My mom enjoyed her burger. The Brussels sprouts were good.”–Yelp Review

6. Tal’s Hummus

Eat gourmet and be treated like family. 

4800 Magazine St | West Riverside | talshummus.com

Tal’s Hummus is a quick service restaurant that offers gourmet foods. They serve Israeli inspired food, and that includes hummus, kebabs, pita sandwiches, and more. Their cuisine is always fresh and healthy, and on top of feeding you good food, they will always treat you like family!

Looking through this restaurant’s menu will get you excited about all your options. Try the hummus mushroom with sauteed mushroom and onions, pita green falafel with tahini and pickles, and crispy cauliflower. 

“This food is the real deal. I recommend the Chicken Shawarma plate, which comes with Israeli Salad, Hummus, fries and pillowy fresh pitot. Friendly service and indoor and outdoor seating.”–Yelp Review

7. I-tal Garden

Vegan treats that are healthy and delicious at this vegetarian-friendly restaurant in New Orleans

810 N Claiborne Ave | Tremé | italgardennola.com

I-tal Garden is a food company that serves plant based alternatives to traditional New Orleans style cuisine. They debunk the myth that plant based food can’t be as delicious as meaty food. This family owned and operated restaurant served plant based food that can suit any palette. 

From chickpea battered avocado slices to crabless crab cakes, their food will make you want to come back for more. They also offer dairy free mac and cheese, cauliflower wings, rasta pasta with jackfruits, and more. And they care so much about wellness, their name is even a Caribbean word for “vital.” 

“There aren't enough words to express how incredible this food and the service is. The restaurant itself is quaint and comfortable. Everyone is so friendly and happy to give advice. The Jackfruit ribs are unbelievable. Please. If you're local, if you're traveling from out of town. This place is absolutely mandatory.”–Yelp Review

8. Vegan Snack Shack

Savory vegan foods delivered right to your place. 

3100 Toledano St | Broadmoore | vegan-snack-shack.square.site

The Vegan Snack Shack is a restaurant you’ll be happy that you visited. They serve everything from an eggplant po’ boy with fries, trench fries with a load of toppings, tacos, burgers, and jambalaya. They serve cauliflower bites, gumbo, red beans, and more. They even serve desserts like cinnamon rolls and strawberry biscuits, and can serve a mango smoothie with your meal. 

This restaurant’s menu is long and filled with delicious options, and it is all served in a local family run spot. Stop by this place if you want some deeply flavorful vegan food to carry out. 

“Ohhh man, the Vegan snack shack is so sweet. I had to take a flight @12:30pm. They called me around 9am to let me know how long the food was going to take, which was only an hour. As soon as I let them know the time I had to take my flight they got that food packed, ready and personally delivered to the airport. I give 5 stars for service . The food was so worth it as well.”–Yelp Review

9. The Daily Beet

Food that fuels your mind and body. 

1000 Girod St | Warehouse District | thedailybeetnola.com

The Daily Beet is dedicated to serving quality food that fuels your mind and energizes your body. They are on a mission to empower their customers to live healthier lives, and they work to accomplish that each and every day. If you take a visit, you will get served with nutrient dense food that nourishes your body and respects the planet. 

When you eat well, you feel well, and you will definitely be eating well when you order anything from the menu. At two different New Orleans locations, you can get all day brunch along with a cold pressed juice or a smoothie. Choose from banana oatmeal pancakes, avocado toast, and lox toast for brunch, and top it off with a mango lassi, a watermelon ginger juice, or a cold brew. 

“Went to the Daily Beet for a quick bite before jumping on the road. The Açaí Bowl was so good and I added the almond butter. The Cosmic Blue juice was tasty. I didn't see it on the juice menu so I am unsure if it is always offered. I wish I would have gotten the Avocado Toast. It looked so yummy! A lot of people in the restaurant ordered it and it looked like a great portion.”–Yelp Review

10. Sweet Soul Food

A different soul food menu for each day of the week. 

1025 N Broad St | Bayou St. John | sweetvegansoulfood.com

Sweet Soul Food offers a mix of organic, soy free, and meat free cuisine. They serve vegan soul food that is made to be comfortable and all cooked to perfection. Their menu has a different menu for each day of the week except for Sunday when they’re closed. 

On Monday, try the mac and cheese and the sweet heat cauliflower, on Wednesday, try the barbeque cauliflower and loaded potatoes, and on Saturday you can try the fried mushrooms of the veggie fried rice. Sometimes, you will even have the option for dessert like brownies and cornbread. 

“While visiting New Orleans my partner heard about this spot and wanted to try it before we left. The service was amazing while trying to pick out our items. Kinda like buffet style the way the food was displayed for you to pick your items. The food was delicious and very flavorful even down to the lemonades. So I most definitely would swing back next time we're in town.”–Yelp Review

If you go to New Orleans, you won’t find a restaurant that labels itself “vegetarian,” but you will find plenty of restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options. If you’ve been unsure about where to get your next New Orleans meal, we hope this list has helped! If you choose any of these places, you are pretty much sure to have a good night.