Boston is known for its famous clam chowder, which you can find in just about any restaurant. The city also has an affinity for pizza and baked beans. What a lot of people don't know is that Boston is also home to an ever-growing vegetarian movement.
If you're planning to take a tour of Beantown, here are some of the city's best vegetarian restaurants. Boston may not be famous for them yet, but give it time.
Sweet Green
This restaurant may have casual service, but its food is nothing less than stellar. You'll find a wide selection of seasonal vegetarian dishes as well as warm bowls and salads. The menu is entirely vegetarian, so it's a great place to visit with a large group of friends that have different dietary needs.
If you really want to make the most out of your trip to Sweet Green, you should definitely try the Make Your Own option. This lets you chose from a number of bases, ingredients, dressings, and vegan-friendly proteins to create your version of the perfect fusion meal.
My Thai Vegan Café
This restaurant is located in Chinatown and offers a rich selection of food and beverages that you can only find in the best vegetarian restaurants. Boston has no shortage of seafood treats, but My Thai Vegan Café prefers to take the vegan route with everything from entrees to drinks.
You can feast on everything from string beans and tofu to Gaeng Keow Wan Gai, which is an amazing green curry with plenty of spice. This place offers a good mix of comfort food and stir fry treats that should please even some convinced meat-eaters. You should also try their selection of vegan cakes and Asian desserts, as well as the tasty and healthy house teas.
Clover Food Lab
Clover Food Lab has more than a dozen locations all throughout Boston. The busiest spot is the one downtown. Although the setup is minimalist, don't let it fool you. One quick look at their menu and you'll be in awe at the variety of vegetarian breakfast sandwiches, lunch platters, soups, and hot and cold drink selections.
Clover Food Lab offers fast service and healthy meals. There's also no specific cultural influence in the menu so you can order a chilled cucumber gazpacho, a potato tempeh salad, and a PB and rhubarb vanilla jam sandwich all in one go.
True Bistro
This is truly one of the best vegetarian restaurants. Boston residents agree that True Bistro offers a fine dining experience to anyone who's on a plant-based diet. What's even more special is that the bistro also draws inspiration from various cuisines around the world.
You can taste their saffron ravioli with cashew cheese for starters, but you can also order a Vietnamese mushroom crepe or a shiitake broth. If you're around Teele Square, be sure to check out True Bistro, where dinner is served daily between 5PM and 9PM (10PM on Fridays and Saturdays).
Walnut Grille
One of the few places that offer a plant-based BLT is also one of the best vegetarian restaurants Boston has to offer. Walnut Grille makes an excellent vegan Caesar salad, as well as grilled tofu, BBQ seitan, and a vegan BLT with homemade tempeh bacon.
Unlike most other places that try to create fancy original dishes, Walnut Grille puts a different spin on vegan cooking. The menu offers a combination of select vegetarian-only dishes and a variety of traditional meat-based foods that are recreated with vegetarian and vegan-friendly ingredients.
The vegan BLT with grilled tofu, tempeh bacon, and sriracha mayo is just one of their signature dishes. You can also try tempeh burgers, vegan burritos, or an artichoke and sweet potato pizza with your dough of choice.
By Chloe
Having one of the finest menus and locations in Boston is what took By Chloe global. Not only can you eat in two different locations in Boston-in Seaport and Fenway-but also in a couple of places in Europe.
By Chloe puts out a very friendly vibe with a lot of colors used for both decorating and plating. You'll be hard-pressed to find another spot in Boston more likely to motivate kids to eat healthy greens.
The menu offers everything including salads, pasta, burgers, as well as the amazing quinoa hash browns which are great for brunch. You will also see some great looking desserts and treats to satisfy that sweet tooth. If you really want to go all out for the vegan experience, do try their selection of homemade beverages too.
The Red Lentil
You can also have a nice vegetarian meal without hearing the buzz of the city. Just outside of Boston, in Watertown, you will find The Red Lentil.
This place has a varied menu that serves just about anything. Imagine waiting for a Jamaican jerk tempeh while snacking on some vegan nachos. If the taste of the Caribbean is not for you, then you might enjoy the Mexican refried bean pizza.
If you're just about to head off to Boston for another hard day at work, why not stop at The Red Lentil first thing in the morning for some of their tofu scramble and vegan waffles? The prices are appealing and the food is simple, yet richly flavored.
All Star Pizza Bar
If you're craving some vegan pizza, then the All Star Pizza Bar is the place to be. Although it is not technically a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, the menu does feature a wide variety of vegan options.
You can try things like the signature Baked and Tofused pizza, or the crowd favorite Sweet-n-Sassy, which combines an amazing homemade almond milk béchamel topping with kale and roasted butternut squash.
As the name suggests, these guys sure know how to make a great pizza. You also have the option to build your own pie with ingredients of your choosing.
Final Word
Are you planning a trip to Beantown and want to learn more about its best vegetarian restaurants? Boston has an amazing selection of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés. Hit a few of these spots to discover some of the best-kept secrets of Boston's culinary scene.
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