Veg Friendly Restaurants in Rochester
We've had many requests from vegetarians new to the Rochester area or visiting inquire about the vegetarian options at restaurants in Rochester.
Most restaurants, especially the ones with waitresses and chef's in the back are very happy and sometimes excited to come up with vegetarian or vegan customized specials. So do not be shy to ask for vegan options. If they don't know the word vegan, I dare you to ask which items don't contain something chopped off or squeezed out of an animal ;) On second thought maybe tactful and compassionate is better.
Here is a quick list of favorites amongs the VIGOR board members. We do plan to expand upon this list with indepth interviews from select restaurants as well as with entries in a new reviews database currently under construction.
I've split the list into two categories. Fast means relatively fast, at least a good option for lunch hour.
Slow refers to a restaurant with a wait staff where you sit first and then order at your table.
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FAST
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The Good Food Store Backroom Deli
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Phone: 507-289-9061
1001 6th St NW
www.backroomdeli.com
Completely %100 VEGAN and mostly organic. Located in the Good Food Co/op. Great for lunch or for takehome salads, soups and burgers.
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India Curry House Downtown lunch buffet
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(507) 288-5001
10am-3pm
They cater downtown in the Breckenridge skyway (by shops at University Square) between the galleria and 2nd Street SW.
It is buffet style with somosas, pakora, naan and a few curries and rices.
The prices are very reasonable and they always have vegan options.
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Noodles & Co.
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3944 Marketplace Dr NW Rochester, MN 55901 (507)285-1111
4607 Maine Ave SE Rochester, MN 55904 (507)393-6996
www.noodles.com
All entrees are vegetarian, most vegan. Tofu or meat are available as add ons.
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Z Pizza
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(507) 424-0440
www.zpizza.com
111 S Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
All the pizza places in town will make the pizza without cheese (ask for extra sauce though because it gets dry otherwise.)
But, only Z has soy cheese!!; although it's not vegan it's light on the dairy. They also have veggie burger crumbles and many veggie options like avocados and artichoke for example.
The mexican style with veggie burger instead of chicken is great. They're pizzas are light on the tomato sauce, but good. Expect $10 per person.
They also have salads and Calzones. As far as pizza goes, it's not Pizza Luce but it is vegetarian friendly.
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Panera Bread Co. (2Locations)
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Market Place Drive
3780 Market Place Drive NW
Rochester, MN 55901
(507) 280-9185 | phone
(507) 280-9186 | fax
free Wi-Fi hotspot
Crossroads Drive
460 Crossroads Drive SW
Rochester, MN 55902
(507) 285-5800 | phone
(507) 285-5900 | fax
free Wi-Fi hotspot
Always has a soup or two that's vegan. Black bean and garden vegetable. They have additional vegetarian soups as well.
Their dutch apple bagel and blueberry bagel ingredient list appears to be vegan. They have avocados and also soy milk.
They do not have vegan cream cheese, but the South location is next door to HyVee which sells vegan tofutti cream cheese.
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Chipolte Mexican Grill (2 Locations)
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1201 S Broadway, Rochester - (507) 529-5484
3780 Marketplace Dr NW, Rochester - (507) 288-9171
www.chipotle.com
The black bean burrito with salsas and guacamole is vegan and (caution) easily habbit forming.
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China Star
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405 1st Ave SW, Rochester - (507) 281-0014
2808 41st St NW, Rochester - (507) 281-3905
1505 Highway 14 E, Rochester - (507) 285-5924
The Schezuan Tofu is VIGOR President Kati's favorite on the menu, but they have other vegan options as well.
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Taco Bell
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516 N Broadway, Rochester - (507) 282-1868
215 Apache Mall, Rochester - (507) 282-1650
www.tacobell.com
4000 Marketplace Dr NW, Rochester - (507) 292-1863
Order anything substitute beans for meat and make fresco style. If you order fresco style they automatically remove all dairy items and add pico de gallo!
It's pretty cool to be able to order something on the menu without asking for weird substitutes.
Just say:
- 7-layer burrito fresco style, add quacamole.
- Bean burrito fresco style.
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SLOW FOOD (Sit down and be waited on)
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O'Neill's Pizza & Pub
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1201 S. Broadway
507-529-1200
Believe it or not O'Neill's Pizzeria called VIGOR and wanted a couple of practicing vegans to try their vegan options to get our feedback. Four VIGOR members took O'Neill's up on their challenge. We got to try 2 different vegan pizzas & bread sticks with our choice of Tzatziki Sauce, Greek Dressing, or Spaghetti Sauce. We love it and recommend vegan & vegetarians to patronized the veg friendly pizzeria! We also recommend their take out items below...
O'Neill's has a vegan to go menu:
Salad Dressing- pint $4.00
Pasta Sauce- pint $4.00
Pizza Sauce- pint $4.00
Dough Balls- small $1.25
large $1.50
Sheeted Dough- small $1.75
large $2.25
Cucumber Sauce/Dip- pint $4.50
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India Curry House
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507-288-5001
1647 South Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
South & North Indai Cuisine,India Curry House is a fine dining restaurant to visit for delicious authentic North
and South Indian cuisine.
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Prescott's
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507-536-7775
Crossroads Shopping Center
1201 South Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
www.prescottsgrill.com
Has a vegetarian chef and they have great vegan options actually on the menu.
Super fancy meal (i.e. $20 a plate plus)
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India Garden
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(507) 288-6280
1107 N Broadway, Rochester, MN 55906
India Garden has been in town for over a decade and have many vegan options and a nice lunch buffet.
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Vietnamese Café
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507-281-3242
1014 N Broadway
Offers 16 vegetarian dishes
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Phoa Hoa
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(507) 281-9993
1726 37th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
If you like TVP (texturized vegetable protein) and an inexpensive meal, you'll love Phoa Hoa.
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Fiesta Mexicana (Fiesta Café)
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(507) 288-1116
1645 N Broadway, Rochester, MN 55906
Has a vegetarian section in the menu with chimichanga de papas and a fiesta burrito as well as a few others.
Note, the rice has chicken broth in it, but you can substitute with salad or fries.
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Dos Amigos
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(507) 536-4527
1611 North Highway 52, Rochester, MN 55901
(507) 282-3300
20 4th Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904
Dos Amigos has a few vegan options. The veggie fajitas are good.
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Zorbas Greek Restaurant
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(507) 281-1540
924 7th St Nw, Rochester, MN 55901
A Greek sit down restaurant with good food. It's a quiet place that serves wine and typical greek entrees and desserts with several vegetarian and vegan options.
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McGoon's Taxi Co. / Goonies Comedy Club
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(507) 288-8130
7 2nd St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
mcgoonstaxi.com
McGoons has an awesome vegetarian sandwich and it is great vegan too, just ask them to hold the cheese please.
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Hu Hot
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(507) 206-4422
102 Apache Mall
Rochester, MN 55902
www.huhot.com
It is a Mongolian grill where you pick your own uncooked veggies and sauces out and bring it to the grill for them to grill it up in front of you. If you don't mind a little cross contamination, this can be a fun and filling (all you can eat) occasion. They will clean a section of the grill off for you if you tell them you're vegetarian.
Wed Aug 27 07:59:00 -0600 2008
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