As soon as I stopped eating meat, I enjoyed eating out less. Every restaurant had the same mediocre black bean burger or portabella monstrosity. Seriously? Known for barbecue, I didn't think Kansas City would be especially veggie-friendly, but I've found some local businesses that I think do vegetarian options quite well.
Waldo Pizza (75th and Wornall)
Not only is this my favorite pizza anywhere in the world, they have an impressive bar menu, as well as vegan and gluten-free cheeses, toppings and desserts.
www.waldopizza.net
FUD (813 W. 17th St., KCMO)
All menu items are vegan and many are raw diet-friendly. Don't get the jack "phish" unless you want your food to taste like fish because it really does! Small and adorable, but not fast or quiet. Hit this place up at a weird time of day when you can relax and wait for your food.
www.eatfud.com
Crossroads Coffeehouse (310 Southwest Blvd., KCMO)
This is absolutely my favorite coffee shop. They offer rice and soy milks for their drinks. They have meatless quiche and breakfast burritos, as well as a vegetarian soup at least most days. Sandwiches are made-to-order and delicious without any meat.
www.kccrossroadscoffee.com
Westport Coffeehouse (4010 Pennsylvania Ave., KCMO)
Great coffee and sandwiches. Wonderful staff and delightful atmosphere.
www.westportcoffeehouse.com
Broadway Cafe (4106 Broadway St., KCMO)
What can I say, I love coffee shops. This place has good pastries, coffee and sandwiches. Many vegetarian options most of the time. And it's the first place I had my favorite sandwich!
www.broadwaycafeandroastery.com
McCoy's (4057 Pennsylvania Ave., KCMO)
Best black bean burgers around. Lots of vegetarian and some vegan options. Plus I hear the beer's good as well. My non-veggie husband and friends love this place, too. Johnny's Tavern is similar and has a good veggie burger if there's one closer to you.
www.mccoyspublichouse.com/kansascity
Mi Ranchito (six locations in Johnson County)
This place is surprisingly accommodating and veggie-friendly. I usually get a veggie quesadilla or burrito, but the last time I went there was a new vegetarian item on the menu. Because I tend to eat my weight in the best chips and salsa anywhere, I don't order a lot of food. I'm thrilled that this place is so willing to make things meatless for me because I'm sad to no longer eat their chicken tamales.
www.miranchitokc.com
Eden Alley (707 W. 47th St., KCMO)
I'm not a huge fan of the Plaza area in KC, but this restaurant makes it worth going downtown. The entire menu is vegetarian and most items can be made vegan. The patio is delightful, and the inside is nice as well. Most non-vegetarians I've known that have gone there have enjoyed their meals. If I had the money, I'd consider eating here at least once a week.
www.edenalley.com
Mud Pie Vegan Bakery and Coffeehouse (1615 W. 39th St., KCMO)
Yesterday was my first visit to this all-vegan bakery, and already I'm hooked. You wouldn't guess that their cupcakes are vegan, and they come in mini- and mega-sizes. Coffees are made standard with soy milk, but other non-dairy milks are available, including hemp, cashew and sunflower.
www.mudpiebakery.com
There are certainly others, but these are some of my favorites. Anywhere that I can get a great veggie meal and my husband can order a burger makes me really happy. Then everyone wins.
For dessert, grab a huge cupcake from my favorite KC sugar dealer, Cupcake a la Mode (1209 W. 47th St., KCMO). They don't usually have vegan cupcakes in their case, but I think you can special-order them. As a non-vegan vegetarian, I'm addicted to this place.
Where do you eat vegetarian out? Did I miss a good Kansas City spot?
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5 comments:
I'm not sure about down there but Chipotle can be made veggie and ours up here, MN, even serves Vegan soups and offers a vegan burrito. :-)
Westside Local Is FANTASTIC!!! They do some vegetarian, but all food is local and fresh. Check it out! They also have suggested pairings with local brews and wines! http://www.thewestsidelocal.com/
Edith, I've been wanting to try that place out! I'll get myself there ASAP. :)
Thanks for this list! I definitely need to try out FUD some time. Eden Alley is one of my absolute favorites.
I'd also recommend for downtown/midtown:
Cafe Seed (all vegan, http://www.360kc.com/Restaurants/VegetarianVegan/CafeSeed.html), which has a discount deal on Muncharoo.com today (I think you already saw that).
Blue Bird Bistro (http://www.bluebirdbistro.com/). They added meat to their menu years ago, but they still have loads of great vegetarian stuff.
Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop (http://www.lulusnoodles.com/) has great food, most of which can be made with tofu. They've just moved, and I haven't been able to check out their new digs just yet.
I'm also a Mediterranean junkie, so Jerusalem Cafe in Westport and Aladdin Cafe (http://www.aladdincafeonline.com/) are mainstays for me if I'm in the area.
My husband eats vegetarian at home, but if we're out he prefers to eat meat, so we have the circuit of veggie-friendly restaurants that we like to hit up in the Northland:
El Cerro Grande in Liberty has a vegetarian menu section, and the cheese & spinach dish called the sincronizada has a magical combination of jalapeños & avocado.
Lucia's Ristorante in Liberty has some fabulous Eggplant Parmesan.
Ginger Sue's in Liberty has the best breakfast in town with a few great meat-free omelets and killer potatoes.
Tasty Thai (http://www.kctastythai.com/) will do most of their dishes with tofu and is quite tasty.
Swaghat (Indian) in Zona Rosa has a full vegetarian menu section and is delightfully addictive.
Thanks, Striking! We should do lunch downtown sometime. :)
I do love Lulu's, Jerusalem Cafe and Aladdin Cafe. How did I miss those?
I've heard only good things about Swagat, but my husband doesn't like Indian and it's not near my work so I don't know when I'll make it there. :(
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