While I’ve been vegetarian my whole life (and often been playfully teased by my friends for it!) I didn’t realize how far vegetarianism and even veganism had spread until I came here, to the other side of the world, where I met so many people who, although for different reasons, were also vegetarian— some in an endeavor to save the environment while others were on a journey to lead a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Well, this one’s for you! Here is a list of my favorite eateries in Boston.
- Café Landwer
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Located on the corner of Beacon Street, this family-run café is the true epitome of warmth, flavor, and love. I first discovered it during orientation week of my freshman year — my parents and I were starving and it looked buzzing so we decided to try it and I have been a regular there ever since. The extensive menu caters to almost every diet on the spectrum — they even have a few options that are or can be made vegan! My personal favorite is the Halloumi Shakshuka for brunch, an almond milk cappuccino with chocolate babka for tea-time and the vegan burger for dinner with a quinoa and tabouleh salad. This place is extremely popular amongst all ages, especially on the weekend, so be sure to go earlier than usual!
- Life Alive
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As the name suggests, this eatery is all about organic, healthy, and fresh produce. While I’m not the healthiest person on the block, the food here definitely makes my transition to a healthier lifestyle so easy! Their PB acai bowl is like sweet dreams in a bowl — at first, I would get it when I craved frozen yogurt or sorbet, but now I love it so much that I crave the acai bowl instead. If you’re more of a savory gal, the falafel salad, spicy peanut noodles, or the sesame tofu ramen will be sure to satisfy your taste buds. They have multiple locations around Boston, but my favorite tried and tested is the one in Back Bay.
- By Chloe
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I’m sure most of you already know about this aesthetic-looking café that’s located on the corner of Fenway, but I’m also sure that most of you have never ventured in there because of the fear that the million vegan memes on the internet are real. Well, let me tell you that the food at By Chloe makes every meme ever made on veganism redundant. In fact, one of my friends (a hardcore meat-eater) said that the Guac Burger gives cheeseburgers a run for their money! My personal favorite though is the quinoa taco bowl because it’s light yet filling, not messy to eat, and the portion is large enough to actually last for two meals.
- Clover Food Lab
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This is another one of the all-vegan gems in the city of Boston — founded on the basis of environmental consciousness — this place is full of simple, hearty food that always delivers (in taste and otherwise too!). I’d heard a lot about this place my freshmen year when I first went on my search to find some great restaurants here, but I ended up going there months later during winter and the hearty vegetable stew was just what I needed to warm myself (and my taste buds) — I can’t wait to go back there to try the falafel skewers with hummus and house hot sauce and the PB maple banana sandwich.
- FoMu
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Vegan ice cream— paradoxical but I promise you, you won’t be able to tell the difference. If you haven’t been here yet, you’re definitely about to have some major FOMO! (I tried). Initially, this one was really hard to find because they often only had pop-ups but they recently opened one near Fenway and honestly, it’s dangerous how good it is! They use coconut milk as the base for most of their ice creams and I’m not a fan of anything coconut at all so I was pretty reluctant to try it but after I tried the peanut butter chocolate cookie, I was sold. In fact, I think I actually prefer it to regular ice cream because it’s creamier, fresher, and uses all real ingredients.
Vegetarian or not, I hope this inspires you to venture out to these places and try something new!
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