Best Vegan Restaurants In Milwaukee Wisconsin

Hours: Mon-Sat 7 AM-9 PM and Sunday 7 AM – 7 PM

Reviewers have said:

• This is the vegan place you bring people to and they understand why one would choose to be vegan.
• The service was fast and above all friendly. The dining room is neat as a pin (as my grandmama would say) and adorable.
• If you’re after a healthier breakfast or lunch, fresh ingredients, etc., check out Beerline! You def won’t be disappointed and I can’t wait to go back.

2. Beans and Barley 

Beans and Barley is one of those charming places that is not only a restaurant but is additionally a supermarket. Healthy food options are sold along with books, bath and body products, toys, and more!

Beans and Barley is a bit of an OG staple for vegans and vegetarians around the are. This establishment started as a health food store back in 1973. In 1993 they had an unfortunate fire but rebuilt and have been a hot spot ever since!

Once you walk in the door, you will notice bar seating directly in front of you, which is ideal if you don’t want to wait for a table. A quick scan around will draw your eyes to the large windows that make up one entire wall of the restaurant, and beyond the windows, you will notice outdoor patio seating.

You can sit at the bar or at the tables in the restaurant area and a waiter will serve you for the remainder of your time there!

Alcohol- Full Bar

Food – Oatmeal, Salads, Veggie Stir-fry, Roasted Veggie Sandwich, Balsamic Tofu Sandwich, Portobello and Hummus Sandwich, T.L.T aka Tempeh lettuce and tomato Sandwich,  Walnut or Tofu Burger, Tempeh Reuben, PB&J, Burritos (black bean or black bean & sweet potatoes), Mexican Rice, Guacamole, Salsa, Black Bean Tostada, Juice & Smoothie. The full menu can be found here! 

You will want to make sure to ask for your meal to come vegan because this is more of a place with vegetarian and “normal” meat options. Be on the lookout for sour cream or cheese and specify that you want things without them here!

Yelp Stats 

4 stars out of 445 reviews

My Recommendations: 

• All the Salsas and Chips
• T.L.T
• Black Bean Burrito

Restaurant Info 

3. On The Bus 

On the bus is one of the new options, located inside the Milwaukee Public Market! The “restaurant” is literally an old school 1971 VW Bus that wraps into a counter! To the side of their sectioned off are you will quickly see they have a mini-fridge section and shelves with vegan items you can take home. Take a good look around because you can buy items which are not provided in standard grocery stores. These items include all the things vegan like cheese, candy, wine, and even ice cream!

This place is all 100% vegan even though they may use terms like mayo or pesto! You can order straight off the menu, and you don’t have to worry about requesting any substitutions. Did I mention they have great vegan chocolate bars?!

To order here go up to the counter, pay and they will call off your name when your meal is ready! Take a seat upstairs in the cafeteria or go outside and enjoy your grub on one of the many picnic tables.

 Alcohol – No (but it’s located inside the public market where you can find wine, beer, and full bars)

Food – Smoothies, Acai & Pitaya Bowls, Date Shakes, Toast Covered Options (savory and sweet),

Hot Sandwich – Seitan Reuben, Seitan Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich, Portobello Truffle Sandwich, BBQ Seitan Sandwich, Basil Pesto Sandwich

Cold Sandwich – Buffalo Chickpea, Tuna Salad, Club, Sun-dried Pesto, BLT,

Yelp Stats 

4 stars out of 87 reviews

My Recommendations 

• Seitan Reuben
• Buffalo Chickpea
• Basil Pesto

Restaurant Info 

Located inside Milwaukee Public Market

400 N Water Street, Milwaukee

Wifi – Yes

Hours: M – F 10 am to 8 PM, Saturday 8 AM – 8 PM, Sunday 9 AM – 6 PM

Reviewers have said: 

• Meat is one of my favorite things, and so I rarely go for food which is vegetarian or vegan, unless it’s uber delicious and this place, here my friends, qualifies as so!
• The seitan was spicy, the peppers were good; I also enjoyed the ciabatta bread it came on. I had an amazing experience with this restaurant it is definitely a place you should go.
• To top off the excellent food, the service was friendly, and the shop itself is adorable.

4. The National Cafe 

The National Cafe is truly a delight for people with any type of dietary restrictions. Not only do they have vegan food, but they produce vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free dishes. All food is made from scratch and is locally sourced!

Eating here feels like you are eating in your best friend’s kitchen, and it is beyond homey. The decor and the warmth of the servers are all around welcoming!

While it is a made from scratch cafe, they don’t have as many fully vegan options as other places. You will HAVE to make quite a few substitutions and additions to create a genuinely vegan meal here, but if you ask, they can make anything vegan, even huevos rancheros. Order from the counter, grab a table and let your tummy get ready for the food to be brought out to you.

Alcohol – Beer and wine

Food – Tofu Scramble, Breakfast Burrito, Mediterranean Panini, Soup and Salad, Rice Bowls

Yelp Stats 

4 stars out of 274 reviews

My Recommendations 

• Vegan Soup of the day
• Huevos rancheros- made vegan
• The Hot Mess – substitute ting to make it vegan

Restaurant Info 

839 W. National Ave, Milwaukee WI 53204

414-431-6551

Hours: Tue-Sun 7:30 AM – 3 PM

Reviewers have said:

• One of my favorite cafes in Milwaukee. So yummy, all of the food is high quality and a good portion is local, great for lunch and brunch
• A lot of what’s on the menu looks really good, basic diner fare with a few surprises
• Hands down my new favorite breakfast and brunch spot in Milwaukee.
• This is not the type of place that you order typical diner food, this is someplace you order things you don’t find everywhere.

5. Strange Town 

Strange Town calls themselves the plant-based bistro, and they have a menu that changes weekly! You go up to the counter, order, and take a seat. While you are waiting for your food, try one of their signature cocktails!

Not hungry? No worries, just go up to the bar where there is plenty of space! They have an impressive list of freshly shaken cocktails, and they are a standout feature in themselves; did I mention they have CBD kombucha on tap?

People usually come here for lunch or dinner, and all the dishes are 100% plant-based so you can go in and order ANYTHING off the menu. Strange Town takes all the guess work out, and you can be confident you won’t eat any animal products; there is nothing strange about that just pure simplicity.

The only strange thing about this place is the food ingredient parings they come up with! Their dish combinations are indeed a work of art, and it would even leave Pablo Picaso speechless. If you are looking for something truly innovative that you can’t get anywhere else, then you HAVE to come here. With such a large variety, the only problems you will have here is narrowing down your meal to one dish.

Alcohol – Full Bar

Food – (Changes weekly,  so click here to see an example menu from their website) Salads, Sandwiches, tostadas, samosas, mushroom bruschetta, wild mushroom torta, in house-pickled veggies, hummus plate, tacu tacuuu, olives, cucumbers, “yogurt” dressing, spicy options, mushroom tartine with cashew ricotta, air fired yuba noodles, vegan curry, kale Cesar, mushroom creme soup, avocado salsa, Thai spiced quinoa, eggplant, butternut squash pasta dishes, mushroom polenta, Roasted root vegetable galettes stuffed with rainbow carrot, Ursa kale, and gold ball turnip.

4.5 stars out of 80 reviews

My Recommendations:

• Tacu Tacuu
• Cauliflower wings
• Anything with their flavored tofu
• Olives
• Any dessert

Restaurant Info 

2101 N Prospect Ave

414-885-0404

WIfi- Yes

Hours: Lunch 11 AM – 3 PM

Dinner 5-10 PM

Bar 11 am – 11 PM Mon-Thur & 11AM – 12 PM Fri – Sat

Closed Sundays

Reviewers have said:  

• Delicious vegan food not trying to masquerade as meat, just elevating those plants to high heaven.
• Their hummus plate is the best I have ever had
• The service is impeccable and space is very intimate. They spin vinyl as well which is neat.

• And in spite of me enjoying meat, I didn’t miss it because the quality of their food and variety of flavors made me feel like absolutely nothing was missing. I love the decor, very warm and inviting; just a cute spot I could see myself even coming alone for a glass of wine and a little appetizer. I will definitely be back. Maybe once a week if I can afford it

6. Bombay Sweets

Bombay Sweets is one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants arranged in a beautiful setting. It is based around the idea of enjoying simple Indian cuisine, where even the food is served on paper plates. All offerings are strictly vegetarian and vegan. Dishes are known around MKE as having some of the best North and South Indian cuisine.

Most dishes can be made from vegetarian to vegan!

Alcohol – No

Food – Wide variety of Indian bread, Rice Platters, Parotha Platters, Vegetarian Thai Platter, Veggie Platters. The full menu can be viewed here! 

Yelp Stats 

4 stars out of 116 reviews

My Recommendations:

• Raj Mah
• Lemon Rice
• Aloo Parotha

Restaurant Info 

3401 S 13th Street

414-383-3553

Wifi – No

Hours: 7 Days a week 10 AM – 10 PM

Reviewers have said:

• Super-duper ultra-cheap and you will get your serious fill of delightful Indian fare
• We drove all the way from Madison and it was worth it.
• Hands down, this is one of my favorite go-to spots in the area and I’ve been coming here for years. I’d like to think of this place as a real “no-frills, all flavor” sort of place. It’s chill, down-to-earth, and totally lunch or diner-esque

7. Celesta 

Celesta prides itself on being “otherworldly food, always house-made, soulful and with bold flavors.” They believe plant-based cuisine is the future of dining, and they pride themselves on being the pioneers of the vegan kitchen.

Their menu is 100% vegan and plant-based, which means you can order everything and anything off the list, and you know it is going to be vegan. They take old school, comfort food classics, and made them into new aged vegan delights.

Pairing vegan ingredients in a way that not only matches comfort food but physically looks like it, is no small feat. Patience, hard work, and some soul is clearly seen through the dishes you order here.

Alcohol – Yes, full bar!

Food – Ramen, Southern Plate, Buffalo Tofu, Taco Plate, Lasagna, Mac and Cheese, Turkey Club, Soup and Salad, Lima Fries, Hummus, Brunch, Fish Fry and more!

Yelp Stats

4.5 stars out of 73 reviews

My Recommendations :

• Ramen
• Lasagna
• Mac and Cheese

Restaurant Info

Lower East Side, East Side

(414) 231-3030

Wifi – Yes

Hours: Mon – Closed

Tue – Sat 11 AM – 10 PM

Sunday – 10 AM – 2 PM

Reviewers have said:

• My husband, who is not vegan or even vegetarian, enjoyed the food very much, which says a lot! He especially liked the Roasted Za’atar Cauliflower, as did I! The Ramen was also very tasty and contained a great deal of creativity, which is always a plus in my book! Everything was well-seasoned and well-plated as well as fresh.
• I’m not close to being vegetarian or vegan, and I’ll definitely be back!
• Fabulous food made with such care. Unique dishes with great flavor. Amazing old fashioned, smooth & not sweet. Truly enjoyed this gem in Milwaukee. Make sure you stop soon. Worth it!!!

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