It’s no secret that Houston has some of the best steakhouses and barbecue restaurants in the country, but not everyone craves a smoked rack of ribs or a juicy New York strip. Many prefer taking the vegetarian or vegan route when dining out, whether it be for health or religious reasons, or simply making an ethical choice to avoid consuming animal products.
The diversity of Houston’s dining scene gives way for numerous vegetarian- and vegan-focused restaurants that represent a variety of cuisines. Whether you honor “Meatless Monday” or employ a more permanent lifestyle choice of avoiding meat, consider this guide of ten Houston-area restaurants that make vegetarian and vegan dining a pleasure.
Pondicheri
This modern Indian restaurant, helmed by chef Anita Jaisinghani, is not strictly vegan, but it does feature many dishes that are suitable for a plant-based diet. The five-time James Beard Award nominee and cookbook author puts an emphasis on meatless dishes with rotating “Meatless Monday” specials and plant-exclusive items like chickpea tofu curry ($16); and sai bhaji ($16), a stew of spinach, tomato, and lentils, served with rice. Visit the bake lab upstairs for even more to explore, including a juice bar, confections, and takeaway pantry items like turmeric dressing ($12) and dosa batter ($12). 2800 Kirby Dr., Houston, pondicheri.com
Cascabel
This Mexican restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offers plant-based, made-from-scratch dishes. The restaurant uses tortillas and plant-based “meats” that are prepared in house, and vegan cheeses to create items like Beto’s nachos ($18), layered with refried pinto beans, cheese, and chorizo; spicy chile con queso ($16); and birria tacos ($18). Start with the Cascabel sampler ($18), which combines “chorizo” empanadas with chips, queso, and guacamole, and is great for sharing. 1415 Murray Bay St., Houston, cascabelrestauranttx.com
Govinda’s
Located adjacent to the ISKON temple in Garden Oaks, Govinda’s offers an Indian-inspired vegetarian buffet ($14), with Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays dedicated to an all-vegan menu. Expect a variety of dishes like eggplant pakora, saag paneer, chana curry, tomato basil pasta, and fresh salads. The light-filled restaurant echoes the architecture of the temple next door, and a list of spices and herbs noted above the buffet line offers guests nutritional and medicinal details about each one. 1320 W. 34th St., Houston, govindashou.com
Shiv Sagar
At this counter-service restaurant, guests will find a number of reasonably-priced vegetarian and vegan dishes centered around Indian street food. The large menu features comfort eats like chili pakora ($7), paneer khati rolls with green chutney and Amul cheese ($10), and more than two dozen varieties of dosa. Heartier plates include pav bhaji ($8) presented with raw red onions and butter, vegetable biryani ($7), and dal fry chapati ($7). Pair with a mango lassi ($4) or masala soda ($3), and end things on a sweet note with falooda ($5), a rose-flavored dessert drink made with milk, vermicelli noodles, and basil seeds. 6662 Southwest Fwy., Houston, shivsagarhouston.com
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
This family-run business, which began as a deli before expanding into a specialty goods market, slings an array of imported foods, packaged meals, and fresh pita bread. At Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli on Westheimer, vegetarian diners can indulge in falafel, served as a wrap or on a plate; and mezze like beet salad, Arpi’s potato salad, and sauteed eggplant. At the Downtown outpost, Phoenicia’s MKT Bar offers a bounty of vegetarian eats, including cauliflower fritters ($10), meze dippers ($14), halloumi & tomato salad ($15), and curried vegetable pot pie ($12). As a bonus, MKT Bar has an extensive beer and wine program, plus a full cocktail bar and coffee drinks. Multiple locations, phoeniciafoods.com
Hobbit Cafe
This quirky Upper Kirby cafe, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series has been a neighborhood favorite since 1972, when it originally opened as a vegetarian restaurant. The menu has grown since then to accommodate more diners, but there are still lots of vegetarian dishes to choose from. Start with a fellowship platter, which combines garlic hummus, tabouli, kalamata olives, and feta, with roasted red peppers, tomato, and cucumber, and served with pita and tzatziki, before indulging in the sky high black bean burger. Vegan dishes are not as prevalent, but there are a couple, including the Nazgul gazpacho and Hobbit salad. Wander around after your meal, and check out the Lord of the Rings memorabilia, or just hang out on the covered patio with a flight of mead. 2243 Richmond Ave., Houston, hobbitcafehtx.com
Ginger Mule
A serene oasis in the Heights, the Ginger Mule is one hundred percent vegan. The menu is large and features simple pleasures like avocado toast ($10), and Caprese salad ($9) built with cashew mozzarella, plus hearty shareables like cauliflower bites ($12) and field nachos ($15) layered with a beef substitute. There are a variety of plant-based soups, salads, pizzas, and handhelds like the birria tacos ($16) made with jackfruit, and “fish” tacos ($16) built with flash-fried hearts of palm. From butternut squash lasagna ($19) to the Thai-inspired cozy curry ($16), global flavors are well represented at the Ginger Mule. 449 W. 19th St., Houston, thegingermule.com
Local Foods
Veteran Houston restaurateur Benjy Levit operates multiple locations of this farm to table concept across town, and an outpost in Austin. The menus vary at each location, reflected by “neighborhood favorites”, but vegetarian and vegan options are aplenty. Vegetarian dishes may include spring vegetable rigatoni ($16), truffled egg salad ($15), and a Mediterranean falafel bowl ($17), while vegan dishes like the local power bowl ($16), taco salad ($16), and garden sammie ($13) entice. Save room for the vegan carrot cupcake ($4). Multiple locations, localfoodstexas.com
Maharaja Bhog
This South Asian restaurant chain has locations in India, United Arab Emirates, and Canada, and only one in the U.S., which happens to be in Southwest Houston. Here, vegetarian meals are served in a thali, a round platter that contains small portions of various dishes, including curries, rice, vegetables, lentil soup, and more. Unlike a buffet, dishes are doled out to guests at the table by refilling their thalis as needed. 8338 Southwest Fwy., Houston, maharajabhog.com
Mo’ Brunch + Brews
Originally known as Mo’ Better Brews, this Black-owned business known for its vegan eats, rebranded as Mo’ Brunch + Brews last year. Owners Chastitie and Courtney Lindsay saw the need for a plant-based eatery as more and more people embraced the diet, and they created a place where vegan food could be celebrated. The lively restaurant serves wine-based cocktails and beer, and a fully vegan menu. Find dishes like chile con queso ($13) topped with Impossible meat; a shrooms and grits flight ($20); and “cauliwings” ($10) that can be tossed in sauces like Asian Zang and hot honey. Brunch items like pancakes, waffles, and tacos are one hundred percent vegan and one hundred percent delicious. 1201 Southmore Blvd., Houston, mobrunchandbrews.com
