Eating vegan around Boston leaves room for a burger piled with mac and cheese, a bowl of Egyptian koshari or pancakes at dinner. These five Boston vegan spots cover different appetites, with restaurants in Cambridge and Somerville alongside South Boston and Allston choices. FoMu handles dessert.
Most of the menus below are entirely plant-based. Veggie Galaxy is vegetarian and also serves eggs and dairy, so specify vegan when ordering dishes with substitutions. You can bring a group with different preferences, choose several things to share or simply get the sandwich you wanted without negotiating your way through the menu.
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Veggie Galaxy
450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Veggie Galaxy in Central Square serves all-day breakfast, with vegan banana-bread French toast, pancakes and tofu scramble among the choices. Its Benedicts have vegan versions, while the standard preparations may include eggs. Read the options when ordering rather than assuming every plate arrives plant-based.
The bakery is entirely vegan, which makes dessert a simpler decision. This is a sit-down diner at 450 Massachusetts Avenue, with reservations available through the restaurant. Choose it when some people want breakfast and others have already moved on to lunch, or when coffee and something sweet are enough of a reason to go out.
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Lulu Green – South Boston
246 W Broadway, South Boston
Lulu Green’s South Boston restaurant has separate brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktail menus. At lunch, the hot-honey-style crispy chick’n sandwich uses vegan chili honey, while the Caesar combines sweet potato, broccoli and a cashew dressing. The weekend brunch sandwich stacks chickpea egg, tofu bacon and a potato pancake on a pretzel bun.
For a meal to share, start with the mezze trio of hummus, muhammara and olives with warm pita. The South Boston menu is the one to check for this location; Lulu Green also has a Cambridge branch. Specify South Boston when reserving.
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Koshari Mama
585 Somerville Avenue, Somerville
Koshari Mama in Somerville makes its namesake dish with rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas and fried onions. Garlic-vinegar sauce and a choice of tomato-based sauce let you decide how much heat goes into the bowl. The menu ranges from no spice to extra spicy, so there is no need to make a brave choice you will regret halfway through lunch.
Other options include mushroom shawerma with garlic and tahini sauces, falafel, eggplant dishes and mezza. Order a couple of dips if you are sharing. Check the lunch and dinner menus separately, since the formats and prices differ.
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Rhythm ‘n Wraps
1096 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston
Rhythm ’n Wraps in Allston puts mac and cheese on its Big Shug burger and fills its oyster po’ boy with crispy oyster mushrooms. The wrap menu includes smoked apple-sage seitan with jerk-hoisin sauce and an Italian seitan option with tempeh bacon. These are meals built around sauces, crunch and generous fillings.
Weekend brunch includes chick’n and waffles made with oyster mushrooms and a breakfast burrito with JUST Egg, potatoes and black beans. The menu has a separate gluten-free section, too. It closes on Mondays, so plan a different day for this Commonwealth Avenue stop.
FoMu
FoMu is the dessert stop on this list, with a Fenway café at 140 Brookline Avenue. Its signature ice cream uses coconut milk, and its baked goods and toppings are plant-based as well. Cookies and ice cream cakes give you options beyond a scoop to eat on the walk home.
Check the current location list before following an old recommendation to another neighborhood. For a celebration, look at the cake selection and ordering options in advance. For an ordinary afternoon, the scoop case is a sufficient plan.
Planning a meal at Boston vegan spots
Choose the meal first. Veggie Galaxy is useful for all-day breakfast, Lulu Green for a meal with cocktails, Koshari Mama for Egyptian dishes and Rhythm ’n Wraps for burgers and wraps. FoMu is your dessert stop. The Cambridge, Somerville, South Boston and Allston restaurants are spread out, so pick one neighborhood rather than trying to visit every place in an afternoon.
For a group, check the current menu together before reserving or ordering. Tell the restaurant about allergies as well as dietary preferences: vegan food can still contain wheat, soy, sesame or nuts. If you are after breakfast specifically, our Boston brunch guide has more options, including restaurants with vegan dishes.