Plaza Shamrock · ethiopian

Abugida is a family-run Ethiopian room on Central Avenue that describes itself simply as a 'Family owned authentic Ethiopian restaurant'. The food is eaten the traditional way, scooped with injera rather than cutlery, and the kitchen keeps a wide range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes on the board because Ethiopian fasting cooking is built that way. The cafe also serves a full coffee ceremony, poured at the table with frankincense burning alongside it.

Bean Vegan Cuisine

Plaza Midwood · vegan, comfort food, southern

One of Charlotte's oldest vegan restaurants, in an unassuming building off Independence Boulevard, with a long menu of fully vegan comfort cooking: barbecue, cheesesteaks, bratwurst, reubens, meatloaf and crab cakes.

Chaat 'N' Dosa

Ballantyne · south indian, indian, vegetarian

A fast-casual South Indian street food counter on Camfield Street in Ballantyne, open since 2019 and solely vegetarian: dosas, chaats and vadas ordered at the counter.

Cilantro Noodle

Plaza Midwood · vietnamese, pho

Cilantro Noodle is a Vietnamese room on Commonwealth Avenue built around build-your-own fresh rolls and pho, with what its own site calls home style recipes. It is family-run and says so directly: that's Grandma you see in the kitchen. Vegan pho is on the menu.

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BellyUp! Charlotte / Vegan

Vegan Charlotte

A vegan option and a vegan kitchen are two different dinners.

Fully vegan kitchens and the places that mark vegan dishes on their own menus, from NoDa and Plaza Midwood out to the Central Avenue corridor.

9 spots

Bean Vegan Cuisine

Plaza Midwood · vegan, comfort food, southern

Dee's Vegan To Go

Yorkmount · vegan, southern, comfort food

A fully vegan kitchen inside Building B37 at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on Yorkmont Road, founded in 2015 by someone its own site describes only as a passionate vegan and environmentalist. It runs on a weekly meal plan: orders close Thursday at 2pm and are collected Saturday or Sunday, which is why its posted hours are only Friday through Sunday. CLTure describes the food as vegan comfort cooking, burgers, hot dogs and fried chicken sandwiches, with homemade desserts.

Oh My Soul

NoDa · vegan, soul food, african

A fully vegan fast-casual room on North Davidson Street that calls itself Charlotte's first vegan restaurant in the Arts District. The menu runs to waffles, wraps, burgers and pastries, and the kitchen leans on South African dishes alongside soul food. CLTure names Tallulah Duffin as the owner. A second grab-and-go counter, Oh My Soul On The Moo've, is mentioned on the site without its own address.

Romeo's Vegan Burgers

Starmount · vegan, burgers, american

A fully plant-based burger counter on South Boulevard, open since 2020, built on Impossible and Beyond patties, a house-made black bean patty and a Beyond chicken sandwich. Its own line is that fast food can be delicious and compassionate. CLTure reports it as Charlotte's first vegan restaurant with a drive-thru and names the rapper Tigo B as a co-founder. A second location later opened in Greensboro.

Sanctuary Bistro

Ballantyne · vegan, new american

A vegan fine-dining room on Rea Road in south Charlotte, run by owner Jennifer Jones Horton and executive chef Barry Horton, who ran a restaurant of the same name in Berkeley, California for five and a half years before this one. Its own site sums the kitchen up as sustainable, local, organic, dairy-free and gluten-free, and frames the whole thing as healthy for the planet, environment and all living beings. It serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Friday and brunch on Saturday, and publishes its holiday closures a year ahead.

Soul Miner's Garden

North End · vegan, comfort food, bbq, southern

Soul Miner's Garden is the all-vegan stall in the Keswick building at Camp North End, run by Charlotte native Sasha Quinn, who is both owner and chef. The line it works to is 'Creating delicious food that just so happens to be vegan!' The menu draws on family recipes: loaded nachos built with local ingredients and house-made tortilla chips, hand-cut fries, Southern-style collard greens, a portabella mushroom Reuben and a Shroomin' Philly made with locally sourced oyster mushrooms.

Sun Burger Vegan Cuisine

Elizabeth · vegan, caribbean, african, burgers

A whole-food plant-based kitchen on Elizabeth Avenue built on African and Caribbean cooking rather than imitation meat. Its own line is that this is true food cooking from Mother Nature, not fake meat substitutes. It runs partly as a subscription meal service: customers pick a monthly plan, choose entrees and sides by Saturday midnight, and the food is delivered Wednesday afternoon.

Ve-Go

vegan, southern, seafood

An all-vegan food truck started in 2019 by Akil and Paris Courtney, working plant-based versions of seafood and fried chicken: bang bang shrymp, krab cakes and chik'n wingz, with a weekend brunch service.

ZiZi's Vegan

vegan, american

A fully vegan operation running since 2009, which makes it one of the oldest vegan kitchens in Charlotte. It now trades as a food truck, serving burgers, sandwiches, wraps, rice bowls and smoothies.

Pick the vegan meal you want

Go from waffles and pastries to South African, Caribbean and soul-food cooking without sorting through every restaurant first.

Charlotte Vegan Breakfast and Brunch Start with waffles in NoDa, settle into Saturday brunch in Ballantyne, or grab a vegan pastry while the morning is still yours. Charlotte Vegan Soul Food, African and Caribbean Cooking Follow Charlotte's vegan comfort-food thread from South African waffles and Caribbean delivery to soul food at Camp North End and Ethiopian plates built to share.

What these spots are known for

The same vegan spots, sorted by the reasons people actually pick them.

Origin Stories Who built this and why? Gluten-Free Kitchens Can this kitchen actually handle it? Locally Sourced Who are they buying from? Brunch Where is brunch worth the wait? Neighborhood Institutions What has been here forever? The Whole Family Table Will they be fine with a four-year-old? Rooftops and Patios Can we sit outside? Vegan and Plant-Based Where can I eat with no asterisks?

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