Veg Out: 16 Ways to Eat Meat-Free in Memphis
Veg Out: 16 Ways to Eat Meat-Free in Memphis
Because of it's BBQ rep, Memphis may seem like a city that's not very vegetarian or vegan friendly. The reality is that these days, many - if not most - restaurants have vegetarian and vegan options.
If you're looking for places that cater to non-meat eaters, are specifically vegetarian restaurants or vegan restaurant in Memphis, here's a guide for you.
You might like this Chubby Vegetarian guide to vegetarian dishes in Memphis, too.
1. Imagine Vegan Cafe
All Vegan. Imagine is Memphis’s first 100 percent vegan cafe, but their menu of comfort food (think fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, cake) is big enough to suit omnivores, too. The Cooper Young restaurant is very casual and family-friendly. They also have plenty of baked goods, too. As of Jan. 2021, open for limited dine-in and takeout. Read more about Imagine Vegan.
Imagine Vegan Cafe Location: 2158 Young Avenue
2. R. P. Tracks
Vegan and Vegetarian Options. While there are a lot of vegetarian and vegan friendly items on the R.P. Tracks menu, you can probably ignore them in favor of one thing: barbecue tofu nachos. I choose them over the meaty version every time.
Tracks is right next to the U of M, so it’s part casual restaurant, part bar, and people are usually surprised at how accommodating the menu is for Memphis vegetarian and even vegan diets. The staff is extremely friendly, and if there’s one item standing between you and being able to eat something they’re happy to help out. Read more about R.P. Tracks. It’s one of my longtime favorites, and remains underrated in my opinion.
R.P. Tracks Location: 3547 Walker Avenue
3. Raw Girls
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Plentiful vegan and vegetarian options. For vegan food and juices, Raw Girls has your back! Pick up prepared cold and raw dishes, soups, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and even raw desserts at their three locations. There’s a food truck in midtown in front of Midtown Yoga, another truck on Poplar in front of Hollywood Feed, and a downtown dine-in and pickup location on Second Street that opened in January 2021. Check out the hours and information on their website.
Raw Girls has three locations.
4. City Silo
Plentiful vegan and vegetarian options. City Silo café offers creative clean eating. Not everything is vegetarian or vegan, but the restaurant goes out of its way to provide options for all diets. While the avocado toast and açaí bowls are appealing, try something more involved like the Foxy BBQ sandwich (BBQ spaghetti squash) or the Buffalo Tempeh Cauliflower bowl.
City Silo has two locations: 5101 Sanderlin Ave and Saddle Creek
5. Fuel Food Truck
Fuel food truck is famous for their vegan tacos and grilled cheese sandwiches, plus other vegan- and vegetarian-friendly items. They use locally-sourced meats and produce for their menu, too. This food truck has been around for years, they're one of the Memphis OG food trucks, and they know their stuff. Fuel is currently offering family meals for pre-order, too.
6. Pho Hoa Binh (1615 Madison Ave)
Everybody loves Pho Hoa Binh's super cheap all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, which is loaded with vegetarian and vegan curries and stir frys. For dinner, try their lemongrass tofu - it's a local favorite. 7. Abyssinia (2600 Poplar Avenue) 
Vegetarian options. Even as an omnivore, sometimes, there's nothing better than the vegetarian combination from Abyssinia Ethiopian. It comes with lentils, greens, seasoned mashed vegetables and plenty of spongy injera. If you're not vegan, be sure to get a side of their homemade cottage cheese - it's way more like super creamy feta than the kind you buy at the store. 8. Mayuri (6524 Quince Rd) 
Vegetarian options. During the week, this delicious Indian restaurants serve a full dinner menu, but I recommend going on the weekends (or at lunch) when they have their amazing buffet. It's a little more advanced than the average Indian buffet - expect vindaloo, masala, curries and koorma. 9. Zaka Bowl 575 Erin Drive
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Plentiful vegan and vegetarian options. Create your own bowl with vegan options like zucchini noodles or spinach, top it with veggies and proteins like falafel, tofu, vegan meatballs, and beet poke, drizzled with sauces like avocado vinaigrette or sesame soy.
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A few vegetarian and vegan options. The food menus at these two cafe-style eateries may be small, but they’re mighty. There’s a vegan bread option and a few veggie-friendly items at both The Edge location and Midpointe, which serves breakfast and lunch inside the Ballet Memphis building in Overton Square.
11. Two Vegan Sistas (catering/order ahead only) 
All vegan. While they no longer have an open-all-the-time restaurant, Two Vegan Sistas still does meal planning, catering, and bulk ordering that you can order online. They do have an appointment-only location inside Crosstown Concourse. Their cuisine caters to both lifestyle vegans and curious foodies. Owned by two real-life sisters with a goal to make healthy eating affordable and convenient, they feature plenty of raw meals, and I was super impressed with their cashew-based protein substitutes (I still think about that spaghetti). 12. Cafe Eclectic
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Several vegan and vegetarian options. Cafe Eclectic’s cozy breakfast, lunch, and baked goods menu offers some items made vegan, including wraps, omelet, granola, pancakes, and pie. Locations in midtown and Harbor Town.
13. Blue Nile
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Plentiful vegetarian options. This midtown restaurant offers Ethiopian cuisine, which traditionally has plenty of vegetarian options. Go for the platter above, some wat (stew) with injera (the soft, spongey bread you use to pick up the food), and plenty of lots of fresh vegetables and tofu dishes. 14. Cheffie’s 
Plentiful vegetarian options, a few vegan items. A make-your-own chopped salad or sandwich place is, naturally, going to have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Cheffie’s marks their vegetarian and vegan items on their menu. They have locations in East Memphis, Cordova, and Shelby Farms.
Plentiful vegetarian options, a few vegan items. Go for fresh, simple breakfast items like omelets, parfaits, pancakes, toast, vegetarian chili (available with vegan cheese) and more.
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Several vegan and vegetarian options. This homey restaurant near the Crosstown Concourse offers a surprising number of vegan menu items, including vegan brunch entrees. Try the vegan nachos, Bianca’s Bahn Mi, spring rolls, and more, and they have vegan cheese on hand, too.
--- This isn't a complete list - there are plenty of other Memphis restaurants that are vegetarian and vegan friendly. For Memphis restaurant reviews from a real live vegan, you can't go wrong with Vegan Crunk.
Because of it's BBQ rep, Memphis may seem like a city that's not very vegetarian or vegan friendly.
The reality is that these days, many restaurants have vegetarian and vegan options. If you're looking for places that cater to non-meat eaters, are specifically vegetarian restaurants or vegan restaurant in Memphis, here's a guide for you. It's in no particular order.
You might like this Chubby Vegetarian guide to vegetarian dishes in Memphis, too.
1. Imagine Vegan Cafe
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All Vegan. Imagine is Memphis's first 100 percent vegan cafe, but their menu of comfort food (think fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese, cake) is big enough to suit omnivores, too. The Cooper Young restaurant is very casual and family-friendly. They also have plenty of baked goods, too. As of Jan. 2021, open for limited dine-in and takeout.
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