January, shmanuary. This month is actually Veganuary, if you didn’t know. To celebrate before it’s over, we’re giving you a comprehensive guide to eating plant-based in the Scenic City. And after making this guide, it’s overwhelmingly clear why Chattanooga was named a top vegan-friendly city. Us vegans have a lot of options here, and it’s much appreciated.
Plants are pretty cool, and turns out, they can make a lot of different dishes — like a vegan burger that tastes just like the meat version or a superfood salad with so many colors it’s like eating a rainbow. So next time your body is begging for something healthy + wholesome (or greasy but plant-based), reach for this guide and try something new.
100% Vegan
Cashew | 149 River St. | From classic delicious meals like jackfruit “bbq” nachos and Impossible + Beyond burgers, to a full dessert menu with cakes, truffles, pie and more, Cashew has something for everyone. (Bonus: they also have several gluten-free options.)
Final Girl Vegan Food | Order online, food truck | Final Girl’s weekly vegan delivery options make vegan meal prepping easy + delicious. Check out her social media account for info on where her truck will be.
Jussa 2 Chicks | Order online | Order all-vegan wraps and juices, plus wellness shots online from these two chicks.
Plant Power Café | 6215 Lee Hwy. | This cafe + juice bar is Chattanooga’s best-rated vegan cafe, with several burger and sandwich options, salads + more.
Real Roots Café | 607 N. Market St. | Real Roots offers incredible paninis, bowls, smoothies + raw desserts that can’t be beat.
Sluggo’s | 505 Cherokee Blvd. | Sluggo’s is a well-known southern vegan soul food restaurant with tons of delicious options (we recommend the pecan dusted seitan + garlic mashed potatoes).
Southern Squeeze | 1301 Dorchester Rd. | Try a variety of delicious smoothies, plus vegan food options like a pesto toastie or pad thai.
Your Local Seitanist | 3950 Brainerd Rd. | Your Local Seitanist has all the carnivorous menu items you used to love, veganized, like fried “chickn,” chop house burgers and more. Oh, and sweets (like beignets + cupcakes), custom cakes + CBD treats.
Places that offer vegan dishes
American + bars
Anomaly by OddStory | 1604 Central Ave. | OddStory’s Central Avenue location features a few delicious vegan beer pairings like curry fries, Bombay, and lots of vegan substitutions.
Barque Barbecue | 2309 E. Main St. | Don’t let the “Barbecue” part fool you — this spot offers a few vegan options, like a smoked portobello sandwich, smoked tofu, and a “veggie meal.”
Bitter Alibi | 825 Houston St. | Pick from a variety of vegan options that are easily located on the menu, like their B.A. lettuce wraps with Impossible crumble and vegan dumplings.
Cherry Street Tavern | 719 Cherry St. | This local bar has a few vegan menu items like a creamy mushroom and spinach pasty + other rotating vegan items.
Cherry Street Brewing | 300 Cherokee Blvd. | Try hearts of palm “crab cakes,” a vegan waffle or tofu scramble available for brunch, and a few other vegetarian items that can be made vegan.
Easy Bistro & Bar | 801 Chestnut St. | Easy bistro will occasionally have a few fancier vegan options. (Bonus: talk to your waiter about other options, too.)
Fat Boy’s Roadside Eats | 8210 Apison Pike, Ooltewah | Fat Boy’s vegan menu includes items like a southwest Impossible burger, buffalo chicken wrap, and “beef,” “steak,” or “bbq” nachos.
Feed Table & Tavern | 201 W. Main St. | A great place to take your non-vegan friends, thanks to the many classic non-vegan options + an Impossible and black bean burger for you.
Flying Squirrel | 55 Johnson St. | Choose from a variety of vegan-friendly brunch + dinner foods, from local mushrooms + grits to ginger and scallion noodles.
HiFi Clyde’s | 122 W. Main St. | Enjoy a number of vegan options at this burger/bbq joint, including a fried cauliflower po’ boy + badass vegan nachos.
Hotel Indigo | 300 W. 6th St. | West Village’s newest hotel has a number of signature cocktails + a couple of vegan food options.
State of Confusion | 301 E. Main St. | This popular Southside dining spot has vegan options like a po’ boy + burger.
STIR | 1444 Market St. | STIR’s menu offers a vegan poke bowl entreé, plant-based burger, and roasted vegetables.
Urban Stack | 12 W 13th St. | This classic burger joint can make various burgers vegan on request, in addition to offering a mushroom burger and “the vegan big cheese.”
Whiskey Thief | 102 Walnut St. | Whiskey Thief’s menu changes each season, but there is most always a vegan option or two to be found.
Whistle Stop | 5503 Main St., Ooltewah | This unique comfort food restaurant provides a few vegan offerings + its “Whatever Lola Wants” vegan milkshake.
The Yellow Deli | 737 McCallie Ave. | Peruse the menu for lots of veggie dishes, including salads + sandwiches.
Asian-inspired
Alex Thai Bistro | 26 E. Main St. | From appetizers like veggie curry puffs + fried tofu to the pineapple curry and pad pak ruam, this menu is packed with plant-based options.
Cafe and Toast | 3536 Cummings Hwy. | Find vegan dishes like veggie pho, Thai green curry, and fried broccoli + veggies at this Vietnamese and Singaporean eatery.
Calliope Restaurant | 422 E. MLK Blvd. | Taste “South influenced Levantine cooking” with a few vegan items off of Calliope’s menu.
China Kitchen | 9408 Apison Pike, Ooltewah | Order favorites like General Tso’s and Kung Pao but with tofu instead of meat + veggie dumplings and bean curd soup.
Fulin’s Asian Cuisine | 6011 Chesterton Way Suite 103, Ooltewah; 4478 Frontage Rd NW, Cleveland, TN | The separate vegan menu makes it easy to order your favorites, like fried rice, lettuce wraps + vegan sushi rolls.
iPho | 7003 Lee Hwy. | Try some of the curry + noodle dishes with tofu.
Rain Thai Bistro | 6933 Lee Hwy. | Start with the fresh basil rolls with veggies then venture into the lunch + dinner entrees with tofu options.
Rice Boxx | 3600 Hixson Pike | The extensive menu has plenty of vegan options with veggies and tofu + some plant-based sushi rolls.
Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine | 5845 Brainerd Rd. | Try the Tom Kha coconut soup and panang curry tofu, and make sure to specify vegan for any dish you order.
Taichi Bubble Tea | 411 Broad St., 1820 Gunbarrel Rd. | This impeccably fresh eatery has rice and salad bowls with a long list of toppings, a tomato base ramen (ask for no egg), sushi burritos, and fruit teas + smoothies.
Thai Esan | 4330 Ringgold Rd. | The yellow curry is free of animal products.
Thai Smile | 219 Market St. | From appetizers, soups, and salads to entrees with tofu + curry, you can find a good selection of vegan dishes here.
Tokyo Sushi | 1120 Houston St. | Tokyo sushi has a full menu of specialty vegan rolls that contain ingredients like fried shiitake and broccoli, sweet fried tofu, or pickled eggplant
Totto | 330 Frazier Ave. | Totto has vegan sushi-lovers covered with avocado, sweet potato, vegetable, and cucumber sushi rolls.
Two Ten Jack | Warehouse Row, 1110 Market St. | This restaurant’s yasai shoyu ramen is made with veggie broth + contains all vegan-friendly ingredients. (Add some edamame and you’ve got a great meal.)
Bakeries, Breakfast + Brunch
Bluegrass Grill | 55 E. Main St. | The menu at Bluegrass Grill has vegan hashes, potato dishes, and black bean chili + granola and sides.
Bread and Butter | 3955 Dayton Blvd. | Almost all the bread is naturally vegan (skip challah and anything with cheese) + they have a chickpea salad sandwich and a vegan chocolate tart.
The Local Juicery + Kitchen | 975 E. 3rd St., 45 E. Main St. | Chattanooga’s local juice bar has tons of juices to choose from, plus smoothies, bowls, kombucha + more.
Niedlov’s | 215 E. Main St. | Many of the breads are vegan, and you can order a bagel with avocado for a bite to eat with your coffee.
The Daily Ration | 1220 Dartmouth St. | Try the “veggin’ out” or southwest bowl or salad (plus various other vegetarian options that can be made vegan). Don’t forget the cold brew.
Coffee + tea shops
Be Caffeinated | 14 W. Kent St. | Aside from the delicious coffee with milk alternatives, this local shop carries vegan pastries from Poppyton’s + plant-based bites from Vibrant Meals.
Frothy Monkey | 1400 Market St. | There’s obviously coffee, but you can also order oatmeal, bagels, salads (may need to be altered), hummus with veggies, or chips.
Mean Mug | 205 Manufacturer’s Rd., 114 W. Main St. | This popular coffee shop has milk alternatives, superfood lattes, and vegan dishes like peanut butter toast + the Albert veggie sandwich. Many other dishes can be made vegan as well.
Milk and Honey | 135 N. Market St. | Make various menu items vegan — including the best breakfast burrito in the galaxy, probably.
Oaks Coffee House | 2916 Silverdale Rd.| Kind of a hidden gem, this coffee house has an awesome vegan menu, with dishes like biscuits + gravy, waffles, and a patty melt.
Sleepyhead Coffee | 735 Broad St. | This beautiful space has vegan pastries, specialty lattes, and coffee with plenty of alternative milk options.
Velo | 509 E. Main St. | This coffee shop has a simple drink menu with milk alternatives + grab ‘n go bites, like the chickpea salad sandwich from Bread & Butter and protein bars.
Wildflower Tea Shop | 1423 Market St. | A tea-lover’s dream, this space has plenty of drink options, vegan donuts, and Alms + Fare bites.
Note: We listed the coffee + tea shops with vegan food options available — other coffee shops in the area have milk alternatives so your drink can be vegan, but no food options.
Food trucks
Asarum | Location depends on event/day | Asarum offers a local mushroom Bahn Mi + one other rotating vegan option on the menu.
California Smothered Burrito | Location depends on event/day | Grab a vegetarian burrito or nachos, take off the queso, and you’ve got a great vegan option.
Final Girl Vegan Food | Location depends on event/day | Final Girl’s weekly vegan delivery options make vegan meal prepping easy + delicious. Check out her social media account for info on where her truck will be.
The Oatmeal Experience | Locations depends on event/day | Build your own bowl of oatmeal with a variety of toppings to choose from.
*Know of another vegan-friendly food truck? Let us know.
Latin-inspired
Aji Peruvian Restaurant | 5035 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd. | Aji’s vegetarian section of the menu also features several delicious vegan dishes or can be slightly altered (like taking off cheese) to create vegan dishes.
Mexiville | 811 Market St., 103 Cherokee Blvd. | Mexiville’s menu features a vegan section with items like veggie fajitas + a vegetable burrito.
Tropical Cuisine | 5035 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd. | This vegetarian latino cuisine restaurant offers a number of vegan options, including empanadas, arepas, a Carribean sandwich + vegan desserts.
Indian
The Curry Pot | 9408 Apison Pike, Ooltewah | Curry-lovers, enjoy a variety of vegan options like vegetable Biriyani, cauliflower Manjurian, and coconut chutney.
India Mahal | 5970 E Brainerd Rd. | Check the “vegetarian specialties’’ section of the menu for several vegan-friendly options, too, like Chana Masala + Baingan Bhartha (specialty -baked eggplant with lots of spices, garlic, and onion).
Sitar Indian Cuisine | 200 Market St. | Sitar’s vegetarian section of the menu also provides tons of vegan options like vegetable vindaloo, Chana Masala, vegetable curry, and more.
Spice Trail | 850 Market St. | Pick something up for a quick microwave-ready lunch or dinner at this spot in Miller Plaza with a rotating menu that always features at least one vegan option.
Meal prep
Vibrant Meals | Various locations | This meal prep restaurant has a few vegan options like its protein lentil stew + black bean burger with sweet potato fries.
Mediterranean and Greek
Acropolis Grill | 2213 Hamilton Place Blvd. | Acropolis Grill has several vegan options like its falafel pita, vegetable lemon pasta (ask for it without cheese), and a variety of salads.
Bela Lisboa | 417 Frazier Ave. | Bela Lisboa features a spiced chickpea dish + paella vegetariana dish.
UPD | 430 Vine St. | This eatery is located near UTC and has all the falafel you could ask for + a variety of salads.
Pasta
Boccaccia | 3077 Broad St. | Ask your waiter for specifics about the menu’s vegan options to ensure that your dish is free of any animal products.
Tony’s | 212 High St. | Make your own vegan pasta dish, but make sure to ask for no cheese shreds on top of your food.
Pizza
Community Pie | 850 Market St. | Make your own New York or Detroit-style pizza completely vegan.
Crust | 3211 Broad St. | Crust Pizza’s Broad Street location added a fully vegan menu last year with options like its buffalo cauliflower + sweet thai pizzas.
Fiamma | 405 N. Market St. | Fiamma recently added vegan cheese to its menu, so you can create a vegan pizza that’s exactly to your liking.
Chattanooga Pizza Co. | 2000 E. 23rd St. | Formerly Home Slice, this spot’s vegan pizza menu is pretty unbeatable, with options like bbq smokehouse + buffalo chick-un pizzas. Side note: Brianna dreams about their cauliflower wings.
Lupi’s | Various locations | Lupi’s is another great make-your-own pizza option with vegan cheese available.
Mellow Mushroom | 205 Broad St. + 2318 Lifestyle Way | Mellow Mushroom has a couple of vegan options, from pizza to a tempeh hoagie + smaller menu items in between.
Mr. T’s Pizza and Ice Cream | 3924 Tennessee Ave. | This St. Elmo classic offers vegan cheese so you can make your pie completely vegan.
Pizza Bros | 501 Cherokee Blvd. | Make your own pizza with vegan cheese (we recommend the Vegeta with vegan cheese instead of regular).
Southside Pizza | 612 E. Main St. | Sub normal cheese for their vegan variety + you’ve got yourself a delicious vegan option.
Your Pie | Various locations | This create-your-own pizza joint has all the ingredients to make your perfect vegan pizza. (Bonus: their sorbet gelato is 100% dairy free.)
Sweets
Clumpies | 26 Frazier Ave., 1401 Market St., 3917 St. Elmo Ave. | Clumpies always has a few dairy-free options on its menu, from sorbet to mocha chip. (Our fav is the classic dairy-free chocolate.)
NoBaked | 330 Frazier Ave. | There are several vegan options, including a confetti sugar flavor + Brownie Batter Cookie Dough.
Poppytons Patisserie | 422 E. MLK Blvd. (no walk-in service currently) | Keep an eye on their Instagram for days they have vegan treats available + check out their vegan hot cocoa bombs.
Tacos + burritos
California Tortilla | 5215 Hwy. 153 | Create your own vegan burrito, burrito bowl, or taco.
Del Taco | 564 Battlefield Pkwy., Fort Oglethorpe | Del Taco’s famous vegan + vegetarian menu features your favorite fast food tacos + burritos made with beyond meat.
Dos Bros | Various locations | Opt for the spicy tofu or veggies instead of meat and top it off with some chips + guac.
Chipotle | 2122 Gunbarrel Rd. + 20 Cherokee Blvd. | Try the sofritas when you build your own meal or spring for the Lifestyle Vegan Bowl.
Mexiville | 811 Market St. + 103 Cherokee Blvd. | Look for the vegan section on the menu. The fajitas are *chef’s kiss.*
Taco Mamacita | 109 N. Market St. | Taco Mamacita has a full vegan menu with several different vegan taco variations, enchiladas + more.
Taqueria Jalisco Ania | 1639 Rossville Ave. | Try the street tacos with nopales (cactus), the warm chips with homemade salsa + guacamole, the de frijoles torta, or the fajita burrito. Be sure to tell your server you want the dish vegan so they know to leave off cheese.
Upscale
St. John’s | 1278 Market St. | This is some of the finest dining in Chattanooga, and there’s often a vegan entree available.
Whitebird | 102 Walnut St. | Some items can be made gluten free, vegetarian, or vegan, upon request.
Misc.
Jussa 2 Chicks | Order online | Order all-vegan wraps and juices, and wellness shots online with these 2 chicks.
La Cabriole | 1341 Burgess Rd. | If there ever was a hidden gem, this is it. This French restaurant boasts a seven-course meal, and when you call ahead to make a reservation, let them know of your dietary restrictions and the kitchen will accommodate.
Neutral Ground | Pop-up | Chef Kenyatta Ashford added some vegan dishes to his New Orleans style menu — try the wok-fried peanut and garlic noodles, West African red-red, and french fries.
Question
