Vegan Dining in Baltimore

Baltimore is a fantastic place to be vegan! I’ve lived here for almost 10 years and I’ve found a plethora of eateries that are vegan-friendly, both in the city proper and the surrounding area. Let’s start from the top! I know that this list isn’t exhaustive, although I try to add to it as I discover new places. B*more people: let me know if I’m missing any great eateries!

If you’re visiting from out of town, allow me to explain Baltimore dining in a nutshell. First of all, there are very few places where you need to bother dressing up. Baltimore is a pretty casual city. With a few exceptions, most restaurants, even the nicer ones, are pretty easy to get into on Monday through Thursday nights. Typically dinner rush starts to pick up at around 7pm and will continue until anywhere from 9pm to 10:30 or 11, depending on the neighborhood.

P.S…. There are pretty much countless places in Baltimore where a vegan can manage to eat something, but I’m trying to keep this list focused on eateries that specifically create and dedicate vegan-friendly options.

Everyday eats

For me, ‘everyday restaurant’ is a misnomer since I prefer to cook and eat most of my meals at home. But if you’re looking to go someplace that doesn’t require reservations or otherwise require advance planning, here are restaurants that accommodate a vegan diner.

The Land of Kush. (Lexington) 100% vegan soul food restaurant. Casual atmosphere with some seating  – but many diners choose takeout instead. Imitation meats and cheeses (vegan cheeses are homemade). Some of the most popular dishes are the BBQ “ribs” and mac and “cheese”. I dined there in late 2013 and blogged about my experience. The food isn’t so much my style, so I don’t frequent the Land of Kush but it’s great to have an all-vegan option in town!

Stem Farm & Kitchen. (Remington) Vegetarian food stall inside R House conglomerate. Now fully vegan, with bowls and sides featuring farm-to-table ingredients. I think this eatery has really improved over the years and I now love their cashew mac & cheese, Korean BBQ cauliflower (also loved by my omnivore boyfriend), and black bean bowl.

One World Cafe. (Charles Village/Roland Park) Vegetarian (except for, bizarrely, two fish dishes on the menu) casual cafe. Great for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Ample clearly-labeled vegan options and daily vegan veggie burger and dinner plate specials. Reasonably priced. I love the OWC wrap (greens, veggies, guacamole, and garlic herb sauce), bean dip, blue corn pancakes, and more. Also sells a varied selection of vegan baked goods and great coffee.

Sweet 27. (Charles Village) Asian-Caribbean fusion eatery that is almost completely gluten-free and has many clearly-labeled vegan options. Some favorites include the chickpea-battered sweet potato fries and the masala chickpea tacos.

Golden West Cafe. (Hampden) Southwestern American-inspired cuisine with a few Asian fusion dishes as well. Sit-down eatery that also has a storefront taco bar. Many clearly-labeled vegan options; some of my favorites are the Aztec burrito (ask for no cheese); tater tots (ask for their amazing vegan tahini sauce); and coconut banana French toast. Good beer selection; great for both brunch and lunch/dinner. You may have to wait for a table at peak hours.

Rocket to Venus. (Hampden) Elevated bar food just off of Hampden’s main street, and usually quieter than Golden West. The menu changes with the seasons and always has clearly-labeled vegan options. Some I have enjoyed recently are the kimchi tofu gyros (hold the mayo); and the vegan reuben. Excellent drink selection. Good for weekend brunch, great for dinner.

Liquid Earth. (Harbor East) Casual vegetarian eatery with a big selection of juices and smoothies, and many raw options. I love the raw tacos. You may have to confirm vegan items with the server; they aren’t always labeled on the menu.

Kippo Ramen. (Fell’s Point) Crowd-pleasing ramen restaurant with bountiful labeled vegan options on the menu, including several different vegan broth bases and noodles available for the ramen, as well as some appetizers and sides. Delicious!

Friends and Family. (Harbor East) Formerly known as Sticky Rice and now reopened as a mostly-plant-based all-day brunch restaurant, this is an excellent spot for vegan comfort food. Most things are made from scratch, most of the menu is vegan, and everything I’ve tried other than the biscuits has pretty much been a 10/10.

Ekiben. (Fell’s Point) Asian fusion with INCREDIBLE peanut sauce tofu bowls with pickled vegetable slaw; vegan tempura broccoli, and Ethiopian fusion red beans and ice. A small menu but absolutely worth going regularly to this unique and delicious spot.

Byblos Mediterranean Cuisine. (Federal Hill) Charming Mediterranean cafe in Fed Hill with many vegan options, from moussaka to falafel. This restaurant goes out of their way to be vegan-friendly and the staff is exceptionally friendly. Needless to say I often suggest this place for work lunches.

Zaatar (Federal Hill) Another quality Mediterranean restaurant in Fed Hill. To compare and contrast Zaatar with Byblos (above), in terms of vegan options you’re going to find a great spread of appetizers (I especially love the kibbeh) at Zaatar, while Byblos has a better selection of vegan entrees. So it all depends on what you’re in the mood for, but both of them are great!

Blue Agave. (Federal Hill) Southwestern and Mexican cuisine. There aren’t very many vegan options on the menu, *but*, the fried avocado tacos are vegan and fairly tasty. You can also get the happy hour black bean tacos without cheese, all of the salsas, and the classic guacamole.

Joe Squared. (Station North; Inner Harbor) Famous Baltimore pizzeria that makes, you guessed it, square-shaped pizzas. In addition to pizzas with vegan cheese (or no cheese), any of their vegetarian risottos can be made vegan with coconut milk (the inspiration for my roasted eggplant risotto), and they also have vegan veggie burgers and sides. Now with a second location in Power Plant Live at the Inner Harbor.

Johnny Rad’s. (Canton) Pizzeria/tavern with clearly-labeled vegan options, excellent for both lunch/dinner and brunch (bottomless mimosas!). Some favorites include the Templeton pizza (cheeseless Marinara-style pizza with an amazing garlic puree), and the vegan cheesesteak.

Dooby’s. (Mount Vernon) Pan-Asian cafe that leans Korean. In addition to appetizers and sides, the build-your-own-bowl options all have vegan bases and the sauces are vegan as well (clearly-labeled). Breakfast and brunch, however, do not have serviceable vegan options.

HomeSlyce Pizza Bar (Federal Hill; Mount Vernon) Yet another vegan-friendly Baltimore pizza joint. An array of vegetable toppings and vegan cheese are available. There are also a couple of vegan appetizers and one vegan sandwich.

Vegan-friendly chain options around town: Chipotle; &Pizza; Potbelly Sandwiches; Blaze Pizzeria; Honeygrow; Nalley Fresh; Qdoba; Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Nicer/pricier places

Looking for a more fancy vegan brunch or dinner in Baltimore? Here are some options.

Indigma. (Mount Vernon) Upscale, creative Indian restaurant with a dedicated vegan menu. Also has a weekday lunch buffet (but I’ve never been to it). NOTE: As of 2/21/2018, Indigma is temporarily or perhaps permanently closed due to unspecified power issues.

The Food Market. (Hampden) Modern American cuisine; the restaurant is happy to accommodate vegans and you won’t need to call ahead, but you should talk to your server when you arrive.

Paulie Gee’s. (Hampden) Upscale Italian restaurant in Hampden focusing on wood-fired pizzas. A dedicated vegan pizza menu plus a few vegan appetizers available. Homemade almond and cashew cheeses as well as locally-made PEP Foods vegan mozzarella; creative vegan offerings that always delight. While Paulie Gee’s is a little on the pricier side, it is hands down the best vegan pizza available in Baltimore, and a great choice for a mixed crowd as omnivores love it too.

Bodhi Corner. (Hampden) Slightly fancy Thai restaurant with a separate vegan menu. We love the vegan mock duck curry, vegan crab fried rice, and vegan pad kee mao especially. I filed the restaurant under this section because the portions are on the small side for the price. It’s nice for a special treat, though, as the dishes are pretty unique and delicious!

Sobo Cafe. (Federal Hill) Modern American cuisine; great for both dinner and brunch. Always at least one labeled vegan appetizer; usually also a dedicated vegan entree, but you may need to discuss it with your server.

Cinghiale. (Harbor East) Upscale Italian restaurant – rated one of the best in the city. You’ll need to make a reservation and call in advance to let them know that a vegan will be dining.

The Wine Market. (Locust Point) Modern American cuisine and known (duh) for their amazing wine selection. I suggest calling in advance if you can, but it’s not strictly necessary. You’ll be on your own for choosing vegan-friendly wines.

Gertrude’s. (Charles Village) Restaurant attached to the Baltimore Museum of Art that emphasizes seasonal Maryland cuisine. The chef is well-known in the vegan community and the menu always has several vegan options for each course.

Encantada. (Federal Hill) Eclectic cuisine served up on the third floor of the American Visionary Art Museum (museum entrance fee not required to eat at the restaurant). Always with many labeled vegan options. Not sure if you want to splurge on a whole fancy meal at Encantada? Check out their fantastic weeknight happy hour, which I partake in more often than I care to admit.

County favorites and reader suggestions

New section added in February 2018. The vegan food scene in Baltimore continues to explode and I’m starting to have a difficult time trying everything! Good problems, good problems.

Here are some more submissions made by readers that I haven’t had the chance to personally try yet! These are located both in Baltimore city proper and in the surrounding Baltimore County.

• Spice and Dice (Towson) – Thai food with many vegan options
• Cypriana (Charles Village/Roland Park) – Mediterranean food with many vegan options (and has weekly trivia nights!)
• Flight (Belvedere) – Bar food with an extensive vegan menu
• Toss (Belvedere) – Pizza place offering vegan cheese
• Ejji (Belvedere) – Customizable ramen bowls with several vegan broth and topping options
• Red Emma’s (Station North) – Worker-owned cafe and American eatery with many vegan options
• Indochine (Mount Vernon) – Asian fusion with vegan options including pho and other noodles
• Grub Factory (Mount Vernon) – All-vegan soul food, e.g. chick’n and waffles, loaded grits, French toast breakfast sandwiches, and more ridiculous and decadent things. (I’ve eaten here but haven’t had time to write up my review yet!)
• Brick Oven Pizza (Fell’s Point) – Pizza place with soy cheese available
• Harmony Bakery (Hampden) – All-gluten-free and almost completely vegan bakery with several savory confections and salads available too
• Cinnaholic (Hampden) – All-vegan cinnamon roll bar in the Rotunda
• Laughing Pint (Highlandtown) – Creative bar food east of Patterson Park, including a vegan pot pie and bolognese, and from-scratch vegan mac and cheese.
• Donut Alliance (Hamilton) – All-vegan donut storefront in Hamilton run by my dear friends Jeff and Emily! Simply the best.
• The Sweet Side Cafe (Hampden) – Bakery, cafe, and soft serve ice cream parlor that boasts a few vegan treats among their offerings, including vegan dark chocolate soft serve (!!), vegan apple crumble pie (it’s so good), and occasionally vegan macarons if you’re lucky.
• The Charmery (Hampden) – Beloved local ice cream parlor that always has 1-2 vegan flavors on rotation.

Removed listings

• Cafe Cito (Hampden) – restaurant is no longer open for business
• Jack’s Bistro – no longer open for business
• Sticky Rice – reopened as Friends & Family