Vegan Charlotte

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.

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.

FreeMoreWest · sandwiches, deli

Rhino Market & Deli has run on West Morehead Street in Wesley Heights since 2014, a corner market with a deli counter attached and separate phone numbers and hours for each half. Its own site calls it 'a family owned and operated business with over 40 menu items including vegetarian and vegan options' and says it was voted Best Market + Deli in Charlotte six years running from 2020 to 2025.

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.

Elizabeth · bakery, pastry, sandwiches

A scratch bakery and cafe that calls itself a local, family owned bakery and keeps a standing plant-based and gluten-free line rather than occasional specials. The Elizabeth shop on East 7th Street is the room proposed here; the company also runs Dilworth, NoDa, Ballantyne and Harrisburg shops. Its own site is careful to say the bakeries are not gluten-free facilities.

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.